This is the letter you get if Massachusetts thinks your kid is too fat
Two lawmakers in Massachusetts are fighting to reverse a 2009 legislative initiative mandating body mass index (BMI) screenings in public schools in order to end the practice of “fat letters” being sent to the homes of overweight or obese children.
The BMI notification letters, which are sent to all families with children in the Massachusetts public school system, note that the measurement on the page “may not tell the whole story about your child’s weight,” as BMI “cannot tell the difference between muscle and fat.” …
“I have come across many parents whose children are perfectly fit, healthy and active in sports, but muscular in build and are reporting that they’ve received letters stating their child is obese or at risk for obesity,” Bridget Martin told North Andover Patch. “Some of these children laughed at these letters stating that they are obese because they know it is ridiculous, while others become upset, depressed and ashamed, even though they are far from obese.”
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Did Bawney Fwank get one?
beatcanvas on February 27, 2013 at 7:45 AM
What do they say about Obama’s ego?
backwoods conservative on February 27, 2013 at 7:49 AM
BMI is a joke. Did a few quick calculations:
Sidney Crosby – Overweight
Frank Gore – Obese
Ray Rice – Obese
Me – in normal range
The first three are just a bit more fit than me.
forest on February 27, 2013 at 8:01 AM
Do they send out a letter to underweight, malnourished, possibly anorexic children, too?
Fallon on February 27, 2013 at 8:03 AM
According to the BMI, Tom Brady is overweight.
RadClown on February 27, 2013 at 8:04 AM
BMI is absurd and utterly useless as a measure for… well, anything, really.
However, even if it were an accurate way to check for obesity, this is none of the public school system’s business. The public school system is (allegedly) there to help educate our kids, not to be our kids’ doctors and manage their health.
Just another reason why the government needs to get out of the education business altogether…
Shump on February 27, 2013 at 8:14 AM
That’s awful!
gophergirl on February 27, 2013 at 8:18 AM
Throughout my life the worse my BMI the healthier I was. When my BMI was the highest I was running the 800m at the state level in NYS. My thighs were pretty massive at the time too.
Boiling anything down to one number is almost always wrong.
GardenGnome on February 27, 2013 at 8:27 AM
This story makes me think of the Coulter vs Stossel debate. Didn’t she say that as soon as the taxpayer is paying/involved, the taxpayer has every right to inquire? Here it is in practice. Reap what you sow MA…
lucyvanpelt on February 27, 2013 at 8:32 AM
Good thing the schools don’t study a child’s Brain Mass Index.
Ouch.
fogw on February 27, 2013 at 8:36 AM
The party of unintended consequences, may they suffer from their own voting decision
hillsoftx on February 27, 2013 at 8:41 AM
“We’re the government. We’re here to trim the fat.”
funneh dat
Shy Guy on February 27, 2013 at 8:45 AM
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.
– C.S. Lewis
rockmom on February 27, 2013 at 8:51 AM
My youngest came home with one of those either in 5th or 6 th grade. Kid plays football in fall, basketball, in winter, baseball in spring, and goes to overnight camp where he is on the go most of the day.
While he was pushing 80th percentile in weight, he was close to 95% in height.
The mrs and I could only laugh this nanny state letter away.
Rich on February 27, 2013 at 9:00 AM
When I was in 7th grade, my phys ed teacher wrote on my report card that I wasn’t “fit”. So my parents signed me up for the school’s running club. It did the trick – I ended up competing in track meets and doing quite well.
Shouldn’t we be more worried about fitness than fatness?
CityFish on February 27, 2013 at 9:15 AM
I have been telling my students to look for this to happen if the Government starts running everybody’s healthcare. Thanks for the little source here.
I’m going to share it with them.
I’ve been covering the science of fat in my biology classroom & how it’s linked to genetics.
There are fat healthy people.
Different gene pools (ethnic) have differing levels of fat.
While some may seem obese, they in fact are probably not.
The definition of obesity is not firmly scientifically set.
Just like the definition of what a species is.
Yet another case here of the government, state or federal, working without any scientific basis.
Badger40 on February 27, 2013 at 9:18 AM
I recall a drill sergeant I had at Fort Gordon in 1981. He was 5′ 9″ tall, 215 pounds, had a face like a bulldog and the attitude to match. He said according to the height and weight charts he was 10 pounds overweight, but the doctors told him that because of his physical condition he could be considered 5 pounds underweight.
I’ll never forget that man. He was everything I ever imagined a drill sergeant being. I remember laughing when I saw a professional wrestler trying to pass himself off as a mean-ass drill sergeant. Sergeant Waltz would have ate him for breakfast.
I might add that he had my respect. And I believe that, even though I proved physically incapable of completing boot camp, I had his as well.
backwoods conservative on February 27, 2013 at 9:19 AM
Let’s all remember how we were introduced to Big Brother in Orwell’s 1984: The main character Winston was not standing in front of the camera doing his exercises at the state-mandated time.
Odysseus on February 27, 2013 at 9:35 AM
My 5’2″ 100 pound daughter was told she was over weight according to BMI. She is an avid fencer and 22 years old. I think BMI is as bogus as all the other “health” claims the nannies have come up with over the years. I’m old enough to remember wheat germ and all the other bogus health claims of the past 40 years. The nanny health industry has discredited itself more than the AGW cult has over the years.
Dr. Frank Enstine on February 27, 2013 at 9:42 AM
We of MA love them weeds.
Dr. Frank Enstine on February 27, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Fatty fatty fatso!
trs on February 27, 2013 at 9:49 AM
Agreed. And this notion that somehow we need less protein in our diets is moronic & goes against real scientific research out there.
I recommend this website for in depth scientific info on all aspects of human health.
I teach a large unit on genetics in my sophomore biology class.
It is the future of medicine & health.
I actually had a pathetic excuse of ‘biology’ ‘teacher’ sub for me once (an oldster that needs to retire) scoff & grumble about why I was teaching so much genetics in Biology.
Badger40 on February 27, 2013 at 10:59 AM