A mother from the UK is expressing her frustration after her daughter’s school sent home a notification claiming the child is overweight. As parents, we strive to instill healthy habits and foster a positive body image in our children, but sometimes external factors can undermine these efforts. One mother, Claire Thompson, recently shared her distress when her 11-year-old daughter, Mia, stopped eating for two days following a school health check that labeled her as overweight.
According to reports from the Daily Mail, fitness coach Claire was appalled when Mia received a letter from her primary school indicating her BMI placed her in the overweight category. The school conducted these assessments as part of the UK’s National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). Mia was so disheartened by the news that she refused to eat for two days. Claire had to refer back to her old nutrition manuals to reassure Mia that she is actually quite healthy.
“It’s shocking how much harm can stem from this program,” Claire told reporters. She noted that Mia is one of the tallest children in her class and maintains a healthy weight for her height. With Claire’s background in nutrition, she ensures that Mia eats healthily and avoids junk food. While she didn’t disclose Mia’s specific BMI, Claire emphasized that schools should adopt a more supportive approach rather than simply using scales and measuring tapes to create anxiety among children.
Many educational institutions worldwide have put initiatives in place to promote student health and alert parents to potential issues. In the U.S., schools often measure student BMIs as part of annual fitness evaluations. However, the CDC highlights the importance of implementing “safeguards” to protect students, such as obtaining parental consent and maintaining confidentiality of the results. Even with these measures, it can feel risky to label young children as overweight, especially based on a metric that may not accurately reflect their health status.
BMI, or body mass index, is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. It does not consider factors like muscle mass, diet, or exercise frequency, which all affect overall health. For instance, a highly athletic child may have a high BMI, while someone with a low BMI might have poor eating habits. It’s a subjective measure that adults can interpret differently, but kids often lack the understanding to do so.
Statistics from the National Eating Disorders Association reveal that 40-60 percent of elementary-aged girls worry about their weight. Disturbingly, a national survey showed that 46 percent of children aged 9 to 11 considered themselves “on a diet.” These early concerns about weight can lead to lifelong struggles with body image and eating disorders. Claire is right to advocate for alternative methods; instilling fear about weight in children can be detrimental, especially when they are most susceptible to developing harmful behaviors.
While addressing childhood obesity and promoting active, healthy lifestyles is important, it should never come at the expense of a child’s mental well-being. Instead of sending home BMI letters, schools could provide families with resources like healthy meal ideas or fun ways to incorporate exercise into daily routines. This approach could help foster healthy habits without making children feel self-conscious about their bodies, potentially preventing years of negative self-talk and unhealthy dieting.
This article was originally published on Jan. 18, 2016.
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Summary
A UK mother is outraged after her daughter received a letter from school indicating she was overweight, leading the child to stop eating for two days. The incident highlights the potential harm of using BMI as a health indicator for children, raising concerns about their mental well-being. Advocates suggest that schools should focus on promoting healthy habits rather than instilling fear around weight.