The New Grade – A, B, C, D, Fat

We all know childhood obesity is a big issue and many parents don’t realize it.  But, I didn’t realize that for a few years now some schools have been changing the traditional report card to include new letters – BMI.

This is hot topic that I’ve highlighted in a few posts about boy scouts and obesity and in the new categorization of obesity as a disease.  We’ve also seen a huge rise in companies focused on biometrics like BMI.

So, is this movement at schools good or bad?

Here’s a few points to consider:

• We learn early in life so helping kids to understand the importance of health early is important.
• Most parents don’t know their kids are overweight and are often overweight themselves.
• PCPs are encouraged to track BMI on an annual basis and report on it (but most don’t).

On the flipside:

• Some people would argue that BMI’s not a good measure of health.
• It doesn’t do much good to just tell people they’re overweight if you’re not going to provide a solution to help them manage their weight.
• Schools already offer less physical activity and often may not have great food choices.

One other thing I think people overlook is that they assume just because their kids are active or play sports that they can eat whatever they want or that they’re actually getting enough exercise.