Body Mass Index (BMI) on school report cards??? - Page 2

7960 · 03-13-2007, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

As far as calling them to the office to get their 'you are fat' letter, I dont have a problem with that as long as they do not have a medical condition that is contributing to their fatness.

I am not going to spare their feelings because they might get embarassed by being a lard ass.

I know what your answer is going to be but I want you to imagine for one minute that your ten year old is 10 pounds overweight. So instead of being 80 pounds he's 90 pounds. That pushes his BMI up to "overweight." So the principal comes over the school-wide loudspeaker and says "Billy DosEquis, please go to the nurse to get your fat letter because you're fat and your parents need to be told."

You're going to be ok with that? And you think their parents don't know??

And don't give me this "but I won't let him be 10 pounds overweight!" bullshit. My kid is thin as a rail but eats like a horse when he's growing. Since BMI only compares height and weight there have definitely been times when his ratio would have said he was "overweight" and then a month later all his pants are 3" too short.

And ignoring that, do you think it's a good idea to announce to the rest of the school "Billy DosEquis if fat"? I don't have a problem if they want to send a letter to EVERYONE, but for them to pick out the fat kids and only send it to them is wrong.

DosEquis · 03-13-2007, 12:42 PM

There are acceptions. Being 90lbs instead of 80lbs does not warrant a letter in my opinion. Like you said kids grow rapidly and their weight can and often times will change just as fast.

My current BMI is 25.8. 24.9 is at the end of normal. 25 through 29.9 is overweight and higher is obese. I would say someone with a 35 or higher should probably get letters. The score that triggers a letter needs to be a bit larger because of those variations you refer to. I am 5'10" 180lbs. To get a 35 and higher i'd need to be approaching around 230-240lbs.

When i was younger in gym class they measured our body fat % with the skin fold/pinch thing. I think that may have been before "BMI" was thought up.

I am sure the staff didn't say "Would the following fat people report to the office for your letters:"

7960 · 03-13-2007, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

I am sure the staff didn't say "Would the following fat people report to the office for your letters:"

You think every kid in the entire school didn't know why they were called to the office?

avsp · 03-13-2007, 02:41 PM

I dont understand the objections to this measure, I assume that its coz I dont understand the nature of American school report cards, (as opposed to it being proposed by NY which was my first impression)

Dont the cards include other test results, (exam marks etc)?
At least a BMI would be less subjective.

Either way, would the BMI replace the grade awarded by the teacher based on percived achievment, effort etc?

smokie700 · 03-13-2007, 02:51 PM

because school admin has 1 job only that is to educate. There is nothing in their job description that says they but weigh and measure kids. Some people are big and some are not. When you send home letters you are getting the equivalent of the school becoming the bully that picks on fat kids.

A kid who gets bullied is often distracted at school and it can hurt that child's development. Now imagine if it was the school itself instead of another child doing the bullying.

Don't get me wrong I am for helping kids live healthier and think teh schools should promote more physical activities but to call someone out for being overweight is a bit beyond that line.

7960 · 03-13-2007, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by avsp

I dont understand the objections to this measure, .....

It's not the state's job to tell me if my kid is fat. It's the state's job to tell me if my kid knows what he needs to know to graduate and go on to college or get a job. When they do a better job at teaching *THEN* we can talk about putting other shit on the progress report, but until then they should focus on teaching kids.

And btw, when they get teaching right and want to put BMI on the report card I'm still going to say no.

kinggovernor · 03-13-2007, 04:00 PM

I don't really agree with this but my state also pays $43 BILLION dollars a year in Medicare, that is 10 billion more than cali but we have half the people collecting

So we need to fix our healthcare system and fat people are a drain on it.

DosEquis · 03-13-2007, 04:59 PM

There are some kids that are so goddamn fat its borderline neglect or abuse.

Dumpy Dooby · 03-13-2007, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

Massachusetts sent a letter home to warn of the dangers of being overweight...but get this, they only sent it to the fat kids, *AND* they couldn't afford to mail them SO THEY CALLED THE FAT KIDS TO THE OFFICE and handed them out.

So in front of all their friends someone in the school basically said "sally, jimmy, mary, billy, you're fat. Please come to the office and get your letter."

I didn't believe it but my wife said her co-worker's daughter got one and refused to go back to school the next day.

If ever there was a smilie that was a mixture of

and

, now would be an appropriate time to use it.

Dumpy Dooby · 03-13-2007, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

The New York legislature is considering requiring a students Body Mass Index to be on report cards.

Basically I find this to be unacceptable. It is none of the governments business or the school's what a student weighs and why. If they want to put the information on the students yearly physical and give suggestions that is OK, thats the point of the physical. But to put it on a report card to "judge" the student just seems to me.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Is this something that should be required?

Of course it shouldn't be required, but I don't really get what you're saying. Are you saying that they're simply putting the BMI on the report card (as just a bit of information for the parent)? Or are you saying that they'll get a grade based on their BMI?

If it's the latter, then that seems rather atrocious, but I would actually encourage it in the public schools. That kind of stupidity would definitely raise public awareness of just how terrible our education system is, and it could hopefully set us on the path of dismembering education as a government-run (note that I didn't say "funded") entity.

6SpeedTA95 · 03-13-2007, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Dumpy Dooby

Of course it shouldn't be required, but I don't really get what you're saying. Are you saying that they're simply putting the BMI on the report card (as just a bit of information for the parent)? Or are you saying that they'll get a grade based on their BMI?

If it's the latter, then that seems rather atrocious, but I would actually encourage it in the public schools. That kind of stupidity would definitely raise public awareness of just how terrible our education system is, and it could hopefully set us on the path of dismembering education as a government-run (note that I didn't say "funded") entity.

Foxnews and Headline News and my Local News had a piece on it yesterday they all three said htey would be graded on their weight as part of their GPA.

IminWonderland · 03-14-2007, 01:31 AM

I don't believe that a school is the appropriate judge for deciding whether or not a child is overweight, has a high BMI, and so on and so forth. There are many contributing factos to weight, and I think it should be left between the parents and their Pediatricians. I think that they should teach health class, they should be taught proper nutrition and excersize, and how they should take care of their bodies, but I don't believe that they should be graded according to their BMI, or their fitness level.

When you tell an 8 year old that they are a lard ass, are they a lard ass just because they are lazy and eat shit? Why are they lazy and eat shit? Because the parents either let them, or don't know better, or are lazy themselves. Why should that kid be humilated for essentially the parents lack of commitment to their health? They might as well be getting letters telling the parents that they don't love them or something.

Dumpy Dooby · 03-14-2007, 04:34 AM

All Hell is going to break loose as soon as a fat teacher gives a kid a bad BMI grade. That's like having a teacher that says "aks," and uses other ebonic and slang terms, giving a student bad grade in English.

I hope they actually do it, just for the sake of comedy.

7960 · 03-14-2007, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by Dumpy Dooby

All Hell is going to break loose as soon as a fat teacher gives a kid a bad BMI grade. That's like having a teacher that says "aks," and uses other ebonic and slang terms, giving a student bad grade in English.

I hope they actually do it, just for the sake of comedy.

But on a serious note............. (this is for everyone)... Does anybody WITH kids not have a problem with this or is it just the childless who see nothing wrong with it?