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An interesting bill passed the Georgia Senate on Friday, one that requires schools to weigh and then report the body mass index (BMI) of students. Other states are doing this, including Arkansas, the first. Arkansas’ plan as part of the Governor Huckabee’s statewide weight reduction plan.
I’m truly not sure if this is a good idea or not. I recognize how much obesity plays into health issues and how overweight the state of Georgia is. (Southern states are typically much heavier than other parts of the country.) And nationwide 34% of all children are overweight. And 20% of those living in poverty are obese. This leads to all kinds of health problems – diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing disorders, sleep problems and eventually heart problems.
But as a wise friend pointed out today, weighing children and reporting the average BMI of the school isn’t going to “solve” the problem, only measure it. Until lunch menus change, P.E. class gets more rigorous or recess time is put back into the schedule, how can schools really affect a change in a child’s weight.
Then, looking at it from a disability angle, there is probably a higher percentage of children with disabilities who are overweight. There’s a variety of factors for this, including medication, lack of mobility that prevents them from doing certain types of exercise. Or maybe it’s just that the child has behavioral problems that manifest themselves during P.E. either because of the unstructured time or the noise echoing through the gym. So he doesn’t go, or gets in trouble and has to sit out.
Meanwhile, we use candy as an incentive for good behavior, and don’t pay too close of attention when the child grabs two desserts.
Then, there’s the whole issue of “is this the school’s responsibility?” How much government intervention do people need in their lives? Is the state of Georgia truly responsible for saving us from weight gain? I’m not sure about that one.
I’m also wondering how much it will cost to weigh these kids twice a year and if there isn’t some better use of that money in a state that keeps slashing educational funding in general.
Maybe, if it were a plan coupled with removing the vending machines, changing the school lunch menu or buying more playground equipment, it would be more palatable.
But kids are pretty savvy. And I’d say that the school’s increased emphasis on weight will produce three predictable things.
1. there will be some children who become very health conscious. Those are the ones who take school very seriously and listen carefully to everything the adults in their environment hold dear. They’re the ones who will go home and nag their parents about buying organic veggies or taking a nightly walk.
2. There will be those for who the weight check will produce increased anxiety. The anxiety will, for some, increase their eating. The emphasis on the need to lose weight could cause them to actually eat more.
3. There will be those who are made fun of and further teased and bullied due to their weight. Don’t get me wrong…they probably already are being bullied. But along with regular “weigh ins” comes the reminder of who is heavy and who’s not.
I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not. But I’m leaning toward not. I’m wondering if there aren’t better uses of supposedly precious educational funds. What do you think?
The big supporters of this bill are insurance agencies. The weight will become a part of the child’s permanant record. When these children become adults they will be denied insurance or required to pay larger premiums because they will have a “pre-existing condition” of obesity. Even if they lose weight and are no longer obese, the record will still be available.