Fat Letter Sent To Parents Of 10-Year-Old
March 6, 2013Fat Letter Controversy
A North Andover couple got the surprise of a lifetime when they received a letter from the state of Massachusetts informing them that their son, 10-year-old Cameron Watson, was considered to be obese. Cameron, who weighs 94 pounds, is an athlete and plays in more than one sport at school. As a matter of fact, he is a star wrestler who just won the State Championship in his weight category. He looks (and is) physically fit but according to the standards set by the Department of Public Health (DPH), Cameron is unhealthy.
In Massachusetts, DPH mandates that schools maintain height and weight information in order to calculate the BMI of students. The agency's goal is to raise the awareness of childhood obesity and the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. (It should be noted that parents of underweight kids are also sent letters.)
But many parents aren't happy about the data being collected and the letters being sent. A bill has been drafted by legislators to prevent this from happening and it will be voted on this spring.
Cameron’s parents also feel that the state has over-stepped it’s boundaries.
"I think there are problems with some children and childhood obesity but I think that's something you handle with your family and your physician. I don't think it should be the state telling the schools to test the children." says Cameron’s father, Matt Watson.
