Schools in one US state pondering whether to send 'fat letters' to parents

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http://www.komonews.com/news/health/Should-Washington-schools-send-fat-letters-to-parents-221512021.html

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of children and teens in the country are obese.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a report last week stating that measuring children’s Body Mass Index (BMI) in school and reporting their weight status to parents is a necessary step to fighting America’s obesity epidemic.

Washington does not have a statewide policy or recommendation on measuring body composition in schools, but 21 other states do.

In Massachusetts and Arkansas, a confidential letter referred to by many families as a “fat letter” is sent to parents of children with high BMIs recommending the family consult with its doctor.

But, not everyone has supported the practice. Legislators in Massachusetts and Arkansas have tried to ban public health departments from collecting height and weight data in public schools, though each attempt has failed.

Seattle Public Schools started an opt-in only program for measuring students BMI five years ago. It is one of five fitness assessments that students start in third grade and complete yearly on a voluntary basis. The information is collected for district surveillance and is reported to parents.

The Washington Education Association and Seattle & King County Public Health both have staff members reviewing this practice and neither has determined a position on BMI measurements in schools at this time.