There’s a movement in the country to combat childhood obesity that began when Michelle Obama adopted it as her cause when she became first lady. That mission has trickled to state governments where Ohio passed a senate bill in June 2010 mandating schools to screen children in third and fifth grades for body mass index.
(Correction via Ray Andrews from comments: Yes, there is a movement to combat childhood obesity, but no, it did not begin with Michelle Obama, it began with the first President Bush, when they began revive the Presidents Council on Fitness, appointed Arnold as Chairman, and began to confront obesity and unhealthy foods in schools. Bush’s administration was the first attempt to revive the childhood health program in many years. Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign which was announced in February 2010 came well after the introduction of Ohio SB 210 which was drafted prior to March 2009, so her campaign could not have trickled down to your new law. Thanks, Ray.)
I got my letter last night.
As an aside, I read yesterday a group in California is trying out outlaw circumcision (it’s up for vote) for boys >18-years-old. (Really?)
Perhaps you’ll track with me — it’s nothing new that governments want to insert themselves in family decisions about child rearing; it’s just that I’m just feeling that direct pressure for the first time as a parent of a third grader. I’m not opposed to efforts to fight childhood obesity; after all, it’s a business opportunity for many.
What I am opposed to is this:
- I am a mom to a 9-year-old, and not a day goes by without her consciousness about her developing body. Imagine the significance of throwing a BMI number into her psyche to add to this critical boiling point of self esteem, self confidence and image that will impact her for a lifetime?
- Taking it a step further, what will states and schools do with that number? Will they compare fat mass amongst students and require schools to put all kids on a diet in order to get funding?
- Will states hire small-to-medium businesses to visit homes and consult on nutrition and monitor the number of fast-food meals? How about that exercise level? Whose going to be the trainer for families with obese children?
There’s no doubt we have a crisis of obesity in this country, and addressing the issue among children is a good solution; however, that solution also includes families with parents themselves obese who eat fast food and don’t exercise. (Let’s also consider the price of healthy organic produce as opposed to a can of salt-laden, store-brand green beans.)
One company doing it right is Chesapeake Energy with its headquarters in Oklahoma City. It awards employees who stay fit, maintain a healthy body weight, and are cognizant about physical health and lifestyle with a $1500 bonus. Chesapeake Energy has created a fitness oasis complete with gym, trainers, four restaurants with healthy meals for $2 each, and health screenings.
I’m sure there are SMBs participating in this obesity epidemic and helping to educate children and families about the importance of lifestyle, nutrition and exercise. I’m pleased to see the programs being executed against food manufacturers to reduce sugar, fat and salt. And, I’m also interested to see calorie counts on menu items (McDonalds is taking a beating about Ronald McDonald as a children’s icon; however, it has had calories posted on menus for years.)
Where I object wholeheartedly is with governments mandating schools to influence the psyche of developing children negatively that will affect self image for years to come. I opt out.
I heard a story from a full-figured woman who taught for several years in Japan – she said that people come up to you in the street to tell you you’re overweight, but she claimed it wasn’t in a mean spirit; they just thought you didn’t know. I’m not sure that was the case.
Same with BMI screening in school. If you’re an overweight child/teenager, you know it. It’s never going to be a eureka moment for a kid to be told that they’re overweight, and it certainly won’t help with the problem.
Schools should be focusing on educating kids on how to eat healthy and making those options available in schools, and promoting physical activity. Telling a kid she’s fat is not going to help anyone.
Thanks, Lora, for coming over! I come from a Persian heritage; my entire life women and men have been telling me I’m overweight. When I’m at my thinnest, there’s no remark. Body image is something that starts at an early age; due to past experience, perhaps that’s why I’m on a horse about this. And, I agree — a number will not be a surprise for some, but it is a contributing factor to those just becoming conscious about their bodies.
When I was 6 or 7 I asked innocently “Nana, are you fat” (she was a little). Pepe immediately shot back at me “You’re God damned right she’s fat .. you’ve tasted what she keeps on that stove”.
I’ll never forget the smile she gave him, and I’ve never really worried about anybody else’s weight since.
That is the true Ray I know and love. Like.
LOVE that!
LIKE!
Like, as well, Ray! That’s quite the man for a grandpa you had, too.
Jayme, A coworker of mine once told me, “Sometimes I wish I was Black,” because we tend to have less of a stigma regarding weight among ourselves.
But the simple fact is that no matter how big or small we are we WILL find something to complain about regarding our own bodies, but we seldom notice the shortcomings of others’, unless it’s truly outside our experience.
I got a lesson in proportion when we did the caliper thing in 4th grade gym class and my tiny arm measured the same BMI as my burly gym teacher’s. I still don’t know if that was good or bad. I just made the connection at 9 years old that it was a proportional thing.
My baby’s been significantly underweight since she was born 3 months early, but I never found reason to worry about it since she was a balanced eater, and the doctors are watching closely, but they tell me as long as she’s following a curve the same shape as the normal one she should be fine. I don’t intend to bring her image up to her in any “watch yourself” way as long as I see she has healthy habits.
She goes to Johns Hopkins, which recently had a big convocation on the concerns of children who come here from countries (specifically Ethiopia–there’s a large population in this area) where there’s significant malnourishment, and that was the conclusion they came to. Wish I had a link–this came from a long-time nurse who attended the conference.
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While I normally agree with you Jayme, I’ve got to say that on this one, there’s a whole lot of politics that you may be wrapping into it just because you are upset. This isn’t to say that I disagree or agree with your politics, but that it is clouding your objectivity.
Yes, there is a movement to combat childhood obesity, but no, it did not begin with Michelle Obama, it began with the first President Bush, when they began revive the Presidents Council on Fitness, appointed Arnold as Chairman, and began to confront obesity and unhealthy foods in schools. Bush’s administration was the first attempt to revive the childhood health program in many years. Somewhere in a dusty box around here I have one of my PCF awards from 8′th grade.
Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign which was announced in February 2010 came well after the introduction of Ohio SB 210 which was drafted prior to March 2009, so her campaign could not have trickled down to your new law.
While California may be considering a law to outlaw circumcision, and I’m not sure how I feel about that one way or the other, is there any other way in which you can legally choose to have an otherwise healthy newborn infant mutilated ?
Should the state be doing BMI testing, in my view probably not, but your law says that the results of the screening go to nobody other than the parent or guardian (not the child), that you can provide the school with that information from your doctor instead of the school doing the testing, and that if you do not want your child tested, you can notify them and they will not test the child. (Sec. 3313.674.F, 3313.674.B, and 3313.674.D respectively)
“Taking it a step further” … this is where political presuppositions can cloud objective thinking
You ask what if they compare the scores, and then begin to predict the worse. On the other hand what if they compare the numbers, and that points out a district that needs a better budget for healthier foods or more physical education staff
Will states visit homes, monitor meals or exercise levels … now you’re just letting the boogeyman run away with you.
Yes, I agree, childhood obesity is bad, and I’m grateful that it’s an issue I’ve never had to deal with.
Yes, I agree, public schools should stay out of the *upbringing* of children. That covers the gambit from intervening in their health issues, to sex education, to even touching on whether one lifestyle or another is right or wrong. They should focus on reading, writing, arithmetic, history. They should not be at all involved in a child’s social or emotional development, that’s what families are for.
I’m glad you are a repository for the facts; as you’ve nicely pointed out, I didn’t do my research well enough to give appropriate credit to the appropriate administration regardless of politics. Thanks for setting the record straight and I will update the post accordingly.
I can opt out from this screening; I will and at least I have that option; some don’t. Just read a post from another mom in Mass. who was told her daughter was fat; her daughter who is tall and athletic and runs all day long who also got a letter from the school saying the results can only be interpreted by a doctor. Indeed.
Yes, am upset. Because I draw from personal childhood experience when I was put on a diet and paraded around the room and everyone said “you look so nice.” What, was I 5yo or 7yo? I have no idea. So, now, with a 9yo becoming more aware of physicality who gets her belly pinched with a caliper…uhm, you can keep that number hidden from her if you want, but the experience of that experience will contribute to and influence negative self image, Ray.
I know it’s almost no consolation whatsoever, but most BMI tests are done now with digital scales instead of the calipers. Not that it’s any better to go through the process of somebody judging you in any case, but it’s amazing how accurate a reading they can get just by passing some electricity through you. I went through a BMI test once with caliper readings in about 20 different places, then when that was done, stepped on the BMI scale and got the exact same reading the doctor had come up with. I was so “WTF”
You’re right; no consolation! Kidding…I’m sure they have better/new technology and a digital option would be way better than the pinch deal for kids. Still…while I may be waffling after this discussion, I’m still saying no. Thanks for making the discussion so strong today!
Ray, I appreciate that you dug into the Ohio law to see that kids would not be told their BMI and that parents can opt out.
I was nodding along with you until the last paragraph, because you make a lot of assumptions about a family unit and its ability to care for children. What do you propose we (as a society) do for children who do not have family units that function in a way that is beneficial to us?
I completely disagree with your point about schools not being involved in a child’s social and emotional development – a child spends 7 or 8 hours in school a day, which is how many of their waking hours, and you want them NOT to be involved? How is that even avoidable?
Every child is part of a much larger fabric than its family. Every child, and family, have multiple touchpoints such as healthcare providers, educational providers, possibly daycare workers – why can’t children get their information from multiple sources? Isn’t that just good reinforcement? How can just two adults (mom and dad, let’s be honest, we’re most likely talking about the nuclear unit here) know everything there is to know about health, sex, and lifestyle issues?
Jayme, I mentioned on Twitter that I find this stuff difficult – because I’m not a parent. On the one hand, I can see where every child’s self esteem is important. On the other hand, obesity is rampant, and is often a sign of many more issues in a child’s life. Would you rather nobody intervenes? I guess what I’m thinking is – if a child is fat, he or she probably knows it. Is it better for his or her self-esteem to let that condition continue? Do we want an obese child to kept ignorant of his/her weight condition at the expense of diabetes, which can result in kidney failure, glaucoma, limb loss, etc?
Thanks everybody for letting me sound off on this.
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Hard for me to explain my angst about this issue. All are correct; I agree schools should be concerned about child welfare; after all, it’s the schools that identify child abuse frequently, right? My child is not obese; however, due to some baby belly fat she’s concerned and having a caliper squeeze is NOT going to help this issue in the least. I’m riding a balancing act with her emotions; we talked about eating more salad today and fewer bagels. My kid needs to know she’s beautiful every day regardless.
All that is happening around this issue is necessary, and I’d rather have the opportunity to make this decision than not.
Let me put it this way Jayme – I was so underweight as a child that I had a feeding tube from 11-15. I had nightly feedings of 1200 calories while I slept. I hated it. (for those not in the know I have a health condition, don’t worry, this won’t happen to your child).
And yet, once I was in high school, I worried that I was “fat.” I mean, REALLY worried. A friend always said “I love my body. It does everything I need it to do.” THIS is the attitude I try to take at all times and most of the time I forget.
I get pinched by the calipers once a year. Even I don’t like it. I’m not immune to the body issues that society inculcates in us. So this isn’t the case of someone supposedly living in glass house and throwing stones, promise.
I’m sorry if I implied your lack of understanding. Knowing enough about you and your health condition, I know you know more than most about such a topic.
Oh Jayme no not at all!
I love that “love my body” quote. I tend to take it to a very spiritual level, too. I’m a Muslim, and one prayer we say when we look in the mirror goes, “Praise be to the One who… beautified in me what He didn’t beautify in others.”
It’s hard to walk away from the mirror feeling sorry for myself after that one. Everyone of us has a different piece of beauty. We should take care of it, certainly, and our lifestyles–which includes life at school–should reflect that. But there’s a difference between maintenance, denial, and psychosis. I’m concerned that the latter two could be made worse in some individuals if everyone is given a number, rather than having it addressed in a more personal, creative (ie sneaky), and practical way, like I mentioned about the Head Start program in response to Erica.
I don’t know, I’m starting to think somehow this is kind of like my concerns about “Klout” on some level lol (maintenance, denial, and psychosis) but maybe not.
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Love that prayer Shakirah! That is particularly empowering.
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Of course a school, or anywhere else a child spends a lot of time, will in some way shape the child’s emotional and social development. Schools however should not be overtly interjected to take on a role. Yes it’s unavoidable because you’re providing the children with a location and opportunity to socialize but that’s not the same as the development be a requirement of the school.
I’m not saying that they shouldn’t get their information from multiple sources [oh the sources I had as a kid
], but if you make part of a child’s development the responsibility of the school then you leave that development up to whoever happens to get elected to make the rules.
What do I propose we as a society do for children who sadly don’t have the benefit of functional family units ? Create programs, expand on existing programs, develop social centers , whatever you want to use my tax dollars for to benefit the next generation, but the school already has a purpose, and that isn’t it.
I respectfully disagree with you that a school shouldn’t be PART of a system teaching kids about health, sex, and lifestyle issues…but agree it shouldn’t be left to schools to raise kids. My parents are retired educators. I have heard it all!
I think about this a lot now that I work in a place that is concerned with public health in my state. Did you know that African American and Latino male teenagers are more likely to seek care in school-based health centers than from other sources? What is it about those centers being school-based that makes those individuals more likely to go there? We’re currently funding a grant to find out why – but I bring this up to mention, the school can be a rich opportunity for some students to get what they need, and none of that means they have bad parents.
I’d like to say that I am not judging any parents involved. I’m approaching this purely from the perspective of trying to protect vulnerable populations.
Respectful disagreement is nearly a lost art, I thank you for that.
If you think that the school should be part of teaching kids about health, sex, and lifestyle issues, can you honestly say you would feel the same about; a school board that decided to teach that abstinence was the only acceptable option, as you would about board that decided to teach the importance and feeling of an orgasm.
Would you feel the same about a board that decided to teach only the basics of the human body, as you would one that teaches why bodies are wonderful. Would you feel the same about a board that ignored homosexuality and bisexuality as you would one that taught tolerance and acceptance of all lifestyles.
School boards are typically decided by elections, and electability should not be a criteria that determines how children are brought up. If you feel that schools should be involved in this part of the upbringing, then it s possible that the schools viewpoint is in-line yours. Try to imagine the school teaching values contradictory to yours, and you might want them to have less influence in shaping the future generations.
Excellent point, Ray.
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I must say I’m also a bit worried about what will happen to the screening. Quite frankly, we’re all very well aware of our own kids’ percentiles weight-wise, generally keeping up with it via regular check-ups. So… what more does the government want?
Also, in terms of business opportunity, I guess this is a ticket for existing personal trainers, nutritionists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and more to stampede to the grants office. But is this going to be on an awareness level (which, I don’t know if we could be more aware) or something more, and to what purpose?
Okay that was all speculation. I haven’t done any research yet, probably because I haven’t received a notice yet, either (she’s only 2, though, don’t know if that has anything to do with it).
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There are studies associated anyone can draw on. There are changes occurring with school lunches. Food manufacturers are allegedly changing ingredients, and now schools are providing data on body mass index. These actions are all helpful for families to be more aware. It’s all good. What these people cannot fix is the mental health and confidence of a young girl or boy. Thanks for coming here, Shakirah; parents have a challenging road to do what’s right by their children.
My perspective on everything–everything–changed when I had kids. I’m now the mother of two healthy (knock on wood) young boys who, for the foreseeable future, will have no issues with obesity. However, I am also the daughter of a mother who spent a lot of time in my formative years warning me of the dangers of being overweight. And for the record, none of the dangers she mentioned had anything to do with health or wellness.
Did it bother me? Yes. Did I like it when she told me (when I was 13) “stop wearing those shorts, your butt is too big for them”? Of course not. But she was right; and today I’m glad she told me what no one else would have. (If nothing else I learned not to wear clothes that didn’t fit or ones that called attention to something that shouldn’t have attention called.)
I guess I have three points:
1) Should the government be telling us how to parent? No. But should *somebody* be keeping track of societal trends in order to document and make sense of what is happening to us as a society? Yes. And I’m not willing to assume that all information collected will necessarily be used to harm me or society (if I believed that, I’d never be on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, etc.)
2) I don’t know if I would or would not use my kids’ BMI score to make them aware of the fact they were overweight. I suspect they wouldn’t need that kind of proof. But, if SteelToad (above) is correct, and the results of the BMI test go only to a parent/guardian, then what’s the issue? If I didn’t want my kid to know his BMI, I wouldn’t tell him. However, I know that *I* would be more upset to hear about a high BMI than my kids would be. Because then there would be something in black and white to imply that maybe I didn’t do enough, or wasn’t strict enough, or knowledgeable enough, to keep my kids from being overweight and possibly unhealthy.
3) I’m of the opinion that my husband and I are strong enough parents that we’ll enable our kids to deal with–and successfully exist alongside–all of the utter nonsense the government dishes out. It’s part of life. Sometimes your professors, or your swim/soccer coach, or your boss, or your government will make up asinine rules that you’ll have to just deal with (or suffer the consequences). I’m not saying don’t fight the system; but choose your battles. If you make it a big deal, your kids will think it’s a big deal.
But that’s just me.
Well said, thoughtful. I’ve explained my emotional unrest about this and it has more to do with mental health than anything else. You had me thinking with #1; research and programs begin at grassroots level. Good there are many who will agree with this approach, and we can perhaps draw similarities with inoculations with children — two solid camps for and against. The good news is, we’re given a choice. Thanks, Michelle, for your solid insight.
Michelle, I think I’m only really paying attention to this because it’s being drummed up as it is, with “notices” and whatnot. Because I believe this information is already being tracked (that’s how we know how “fat” America is getting), and could not care less. But perhaps that data is skewed or unuseful somehow, thus the new program.
As for the BMI score, I don’t imagine kids will notice the “score” itself, but we have yet to find out what will be “done” about it, if anything other than tracking. The number isn’t something it would occur to me to share, but you wonder how much you can hide from your kid. It wasn’t hidden from Jayme’s friend’s daughter.
And right on for your third point. It’s just that you wonder how much harder certain aspects of that parenting job will be.
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I need to get the LIKE thing for this blog, eh? LIKE, Shakirah. Noted.
Did the school say what exactly they were going to do with this information, Jayme?
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No, they didn’t and that is a mistake of this program. The letter that came home needed to do more to explain to parents what would occur with this information, how the child would be informed and where the information would reside. (Not to mention what they would do about it.)
Going to add another dimension here. My child just now got off the bus screaming “he’s an idiot!” Apparently, a fourth-grade boy just had the sex education and on the bus was making fun of girl and boy body parts with all the appropriate names and functionality.
I tried to explain insensitivity and immaturity and to ignore it; she burst into tears.
See what I mean?
Oh, poor darling! I’d probably just agree with her: yes, he was being an idiot, and that’s frustrating, but boys will… well, you know the rest
.
[Contemplating my daughter 6 to 8 years into the future with terror right now]
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I had to deal with this when I was 9 and 10 too. My mom taught me “big” words from the dictionary to call those boys when they made inappropriate comments. It DID shut them up because it confused them!
Lora’s comment (at the top) about the Japanese culture reminded me of something:
Occasionally, I go to a Korean spa in Niles, IL. When you are there, you are 100% naked (not in the co-ed area, but in the segregated areas). I mean, walking around, showering, in the hot tubs on the massage tables, NAKED.
It’s a cultural thing. There are grandmas, young women, and children, all out in the open. All naked. After a day of this, you start to realize that we all have the same stuff, but it all looks different. Kinda cool.
Anyhoo, I was enjoying a massage and I looked over at the rather large woman lying face down on the next table over who also was getting a massage. She was covered with oil, when the masseuse (Korean, barely spoke English), asked the lady to sit up and turn over.
“Be careful. You fat.”
The other lady and I looked at each other and started to laugh. No offense was meant, and none was taken.
I go there when I want to revel in the joy of being naked. An American among Asians and Eastern Europeans, most of whom seem to “love their body b/c it does everything they need it to do.” (thanks to Jenn, above, for this quote!)
OMGosh. I’m laughing all over the place. What a freeing experience we all should partake in to overcome self-imposed bodily issues!
Thanks for adding this wonderful story here, Michelle! And, I can just hear the massage therapist saying that in her accent, too.
Priceless!
You know, Michelle, I’ve noticed this in many cultures, the deadpan, very non-euphemistic way they refer to each other’s physical attributes. And really, at first I thought it was because they didn’t speak English well (I see it mostly in immigrants here), but their mannerisms as they use words we don’t consider PC in reference to other people (fat, stupid, ugly, etc.) didn’t match. They weren’t uncomfortable, or seeking a “nicer” way to express their perceptions. They were in earnest, talking about friends, their kids, even themselves, and I was the one wincing and trying to rephrase it in my head for my own sensibilities!
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Shakirah, you are exactly right! The word “fat” as used by the Korean was not tinged with accusation or judgement, they way it is among many Americans. She was just stating the obvious.
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Hi Jayme! So sorry for being late to the party!
Michelle, I agree with you on the cultural difference and use of terms like fat or skinny. I lived in Mexico when I was 27 and was constantly called flaca (skinny- not really the case, but to them, it was a description that fit), guerra or rubia (blonde – I have black hair, but I’m fair-skinned). I was insulted at first, until I saw and heard how they treated loved ones and dear friends – it was the SAME. There was no hidden agenda or heavily laden insult there. They speak it as they see it. We don’t here.
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Ha, Michelle, I’m glad you liked this! I always thought that was an empowering view for one’s body – and I’m pleased to say it was a female friend who said this.
Also, your story is soooo funny. I have a friend who goes to a Korean spa in LA…very different there.
Hola, me again. So, I’ve been pondering this most of the day. I at one time managed a grant for the CDC in NC that worked to increase physical activity and improve nutrition among 2 groups: kids in schools and African Americans. Why? Kids were growing alarmingly obese at a rapid pace and African Americans were dying of heart disease more than any other group. I was to accomplish this ‘impact’ by changing policies and the built environment and super-charging groups to help me do it. I managed to get Little Debbies removed from all school cafeterias, got sidewalks installed in our town – seriously, got a bike and ped plan adopted by our town and our very conservative county, and worked to get salad bars put into schools and annual “walk across NC” efforts among elementary schools. Some of those things are still in place today, 10 years later. Some, are starting to creep back into the picture.
That was a federally sponsored grant. At that time, BMI was just starting to be introduced into the health discussion. I used this time-enhanced ppt to indicate the spread of obesity across the US with the southeast always coming in a strong 1st for worst offender. I heard a report on NPR the other morning re: Alabama (the worst state in the US for obesity rates) and one woman saying Obese was really when you got well over 300 lbs and had trouble walking. Other than that, you’re just ‘big’. That’s scary.
To try to combat that, public health groups are trying to get into schools – figuring the parents really aren’t going to help (not the case across the board) and since they have children for a 1/3 of the day, if not longer, why not have a positive influence.
I see and totally understand your concern. There’s no greater crime than to make a young girl (9!) suddenly aware of her body and weight. Why not focus instead on being “healthy” and implementing programs to do that (i.e., pe every day or healthy lunches)? Focusing only on BMI screenings is reactive and not proactive. Yes, we need baselines to measure performance and improvements, but we also need to make sure they are age appropriate, accompanied by appropriate education for parents and kids, and woven into the curriculum. Test their knowledge of health!
Sorry for the mini-post; it’s a topic near and dear to my heart!
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Erica, thanks for all that hard work. Whether we’re in any health danger or not, everyone needs to be able to walk when and where they will; it’s a pleasurable–and social–exercise!
I work with a federal contractor that sends out quality control reviewers and processes the monitoring reports for each grantee of the Head Start program. I read those reports every day, and each program has come up with various creative ways to implement healthy practices for 3 and 4 year olds–and their family members–of all sizes. It’s meant to be fun, not judgemental.
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Erica, thanks for coming back to share more. I love this work you’ve done, and it’s highly relevant. On Facebook, I’m getting many comments from those who were adversely affected by getting weighed in school although they were not fat, it marked them. Me, as well, in third grade.
Perhaps that’s my angst over this issue for all 9yo — save them the terror and future self-image issues.
If your daughter has a problem with weight image, just remind her that bodies change.
http://facinating.info/images/bodieschange.jpg
Thankfully, now I stay more in the middle … well more like 200 to be honest
[...] (stay with me here) marveling at all the comments still active on three blogs I commented on and wrote yesterday (do people ever put up boundaries?). Scanning a headline in O’Dwyers [...]
All of this is mental – that’s all. Absolutely mental.
Obesity is not an illness. It is not an epidemic. It is a symptom. Sometimes it means nothing – there are plenty of people out there who are classified as obese who are healthy and take care of themselves and aren’t willing to put themselves through hoops to change a body they’re perfectly content with that isn’t causing them any problems.
I strongly believe there are more skinny people out there who are unhealthy because they assume they’re healthy. Body type and weight has become the way to know if you’re healthy or not, and that’s WRONG and UNETHICAL and is being spread by folks who are getting funding from the diet industry.
I don’t know ANY young women or preteen girls who give a bird turd about their health. It is not about health when they decide to go for a run or eat some more vegetables. It’s ALL about weight and appearance. Doing ANYTHING to encourage that mindset is going to screw with their heads even more.
People – including doctors; ESPECIALLY doctors, actually – need to stop with the weight loss bullcrap. The diet industry needs to be cut in pieces and done away with. Destroyed. Doctors that ask their patients to lose weight need to be disciplined severely.
If people would take care of themselves because they love themselves and want to live a long time, NOT because they want to lose weight or look a certain way, this problem and this ridiculous obsession with weight wouldn’t exist. Everyone would be whatever weight is natural for them – and for some people, especially tall men, that’s 300 pounds. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Obesity is a symptom of not taking care of yourself, but if you do take care of yourself (nothing excessive – you don’t need to be an exercise freak to be healthy; actually, being an exercise freak is not good for you at all) and you’re still obese, it’s no more an illness than having tan skin (which can be a symptom of skin damage, OR it can just be the way your body is)!
(I say this as someone who would LOVE to see circumcision outlawed – NO ONE should make a permanent, life-altering choice for their child, who cannot speak for himself! That’s not about keeping the government out of our business, it’s about not maiming your baby!)
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Your passion is impressive and inspiring, Christa. (I assume I know your mom, right?) I agree and have never thought about these issues in quite the same way as you’ve delivered here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I’m really excited b/c each of us with body image issues must read what you’ve said. Wow. Third-grade horrors, be damned!
Thank you for allowing my comment!!
You probably do know my mom, Michelle. She’s the one who told me about this. Thank you for bringing this issue into light. I hope it’s done away with. Either way, I’m homeschooling, largely because I don’t want my future daughters (if I have any) to grow up thinking there’s ANY body type out there that’s “bad.” I do think curves are coming back into style, though. More and more men are “coming out” and saying they prefer a plump woman to a muscle-bound lean beast. I’m not surprised, honestly. My preference lies with chubby men for their warm, cuddly qualities. 
I’m sure many men feel the same way about women.
(To add about circumcision – I’m all for keeping the government out of everything possible, and I should say that. I just feel differently about circumcision because you’re basically taking away another human’s rights; of course, if you give the government an inch, they’ll take a mile… maybe education would be better. I realized I implied that I’m into government intrusion – I’m not at all!)
Great post, Jayme, and you sure pushed some buttons! I read all the comments, and wish, too, that there were a “Like” feature here, because a few people said some things that I wanted to cheer about.
I don’t believe in government-funded education programs, anyway, because I don’t trust just anyone with my child — especially people whose jobs aren’t dependent on their performance, or whose values I haven’t been permitted to vet before entrusting my child’s “education” to them. The day parents can choose their child’s teachers according to standards that matter to them is the day I’ll vouch for public education. And that’s never going to happen!
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I’m making some forward movement on this blog…need to get some features and widgets and a skin I can manage. We’ll try to push it and move it up. Here’s what’s so bizarre about this whole issue. I emailed the school today and shared my discontent. After pointing out their lack of communication and clarification on this, I learned this is not a BMI screening at all; it’s height and weight. No calipers or squeezing. This makes me see red and laugh at the same time. I know you had a good experience with Christa as a home schooled kid…good for you that you could devote yourself to that part of her life.
That’s great news, Jayme!
You’re a great Mom. Good for you for not taking this lying down. I’m so glad it worked out!!
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We ate all manner of meat, butter, and everthing that would make a CDC beareaucrat shudder in the old days. Now everything is processed and hormone-laden and we wonder why everyone is overweight (the lack of going outside is a big factor, no doubt.no such thing as too hot to go outside when I was growing up.
I have always struggled with my weight (while my brother has the opposite problem and can’t gain weight). Having said that, the BMI standards are impossible and tell you that if you don’t look anorexic you are overweight, and in need of government intervention.
There are places the feds need to stay ot if, and this is one of them.
Oh, dear, Brad! I’m so sorry! I read your comment off email and never came here to thank you for coming over! I appreciate your insights here,and have to say we need to look closely at the food industry for helping to keep America fat so everyone has a drug or doctor’s appointment they buy. I’d suggest there’s a modicum of truth to this statement, and I know there’s research on it, too. You perhaps have done some research looking into this matter. What do you think? True?
I’m a school nurse and was just doing some online research regarding BMI when I came across your forum. While I won’t weigh in on the discussion, could I just make an observation. This discussion (I didn’t read the entire thing, but enough to get the flavor of it) is one of the most courteous, thoughtful, and intelligent exchanges of ideas that I have seen in a long time. I wish that our society, media, etc. could all learn to discuss issues in this way. Bravo to you!
Gosh, Susan; thanks so much for your comments. How cool is it that this little forlorn blog could show up in your research? (That makes me smile!) So, thank you, for your kind words…as I was reading, I was very concerned we had offended a school official with our parental rants…how great to have that not be the case!
Very much appreciate your infusion of compliments; today, I needed that!
That is particularly empowering. If you’re an overweight child/teenager, you know it. If I didn’t want my kid to know his BMI, I wouldn’t tell him. So, now, with a 9yo becoming more aware of physicality who gets her belly pinched with a caliper…uhm, you can keep that number hidden from her if you want, but the experience of that experience will contribute to and influence negative self image, Ray.
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