MASS can now tell you your kids are fat. How do you feel about this?

Parents in Massachusetts will soon be sent home a new kind of report card. 

Their child's BMI. 

This is nothing new to me, I was told my child(ren) were overweight ago via the school nurse, and before that when our family was part of a sliding-fee federally funded preschool program.  Massachusetts says this is something new?  Schools can easily calculate children's body mass indexes with height and weight, something they have been doing all along. 

I thought being embarrassed into weight loss was just par for the course, and embarrassing your child was just part of the process.

It worked for Mom and Dad.

From Mass.gov:

While Massachusetts compares favorably to other states with respect to overweight and obesity, our rates are increasing more quickly than the nation as a whole. The Commonwealth has seen a 47% increase in overweight and obesity over the past two decades, compared to a national increase of 40%.

“More than half of adults in our state are overweight or obese, as are one-third of our middle and high school students," said Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services. “We know that being overweight and obese places us at a higher risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain kinds of cancer.

Those conditions place enormous burdens on our residents and on our health care system, so it makes sense for us to focus on prevention. And that is what Mass In Motion is all about," Dr. Bigby said.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner John Auerbach said there is a sense of urgency to addressing the overweight and obesity epidemic in Massachusetts.

“The trends that we are seeing are troubling," said Commissioner Auerbach. “Unless we make progress, overweight and obesity will overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in Massachusetts. That should get everyone’s attention focused on the problem. This groundbreaking initiative will be the framework for us to work with our partners throughout the state to make progress towards solutions."

• The development and passage of public health regulations to promote healthy diet and exercise, including;

  • Body Mass Index (BMI) testing of students in all public schools in the Commonwealth;

  • Caloric menu labeling for large chain restaurants.

  • An Executive Order by Governor Patrick requiring State Agencies responsible for large-scale food purchasing (e.g., DPH and DMH hospitals) to follow healthy nutritional guidelines in their food service operations. State purchases of food by these agencies runs into the tens of millions of dollars per year;

  • The expansion of a state-sponsored Workplace Wellness program throughout the state to help employers create work sites that encourage healthy behaviors and reduce absenteeism and health insurance costs.;

  • The launch of a state-sponsored Mass In Motion web site that promotes healthy eating and physical activity at home, work, and in the community. The objective of the website is to provide simple, practical, cost-effective ways for Massachusetts’ residents to:

    • Improve eating habits

    • Increase physical activity

    • Ask experts questions about improving their eating and physical activity routine

    • Get involved in helping to build healthy communities

    Here's a blog post replying to criticism of this BMI testing for children.

Just curious, M M. What do you think about this? 

In a way, it makes me angry that my taxes are going up in order to tell someone their kid is overweight. Like you can't tell without the state telling you?

On the other hand, in my head I know that overweight children can go on to be overweight adults and overweight adults have lots of health problems that can put such a strain on social services. 

I just don't think that it is the government's job to "save" ourselves from ourselves.

I have fat kids.

I know I have fat kids.  In fact, I can give you their BMI at home.  It need not be done at school.

I now, will be embarrassed further, and my 11 year old daughter, will be pushed further into feeling bad about her body.  My son, who does not take his tee-shirt off at the pool, worse.

I was that fat little 11 yr. old. I still remember the special store I had to shop in because of my weight. We had to drive an hour to the 'big city' to get there. They didn't have 'plus' sizes in any 'normal' stores when I was growing up. I don't even think they had 'husky' sizes for boys until I was well into high school. 

Just out of curiosity, what do you do to help your kids? I just went to the pediatrician yesterday for the Squids physical. The doc is actually concerned she's too light. (I know, no comparison) She's 11 also. I'm having a hard time taking this seriously, what with my lifelong struggle being too heavy. I'm struggling with having her eat balanced meals because I'm the one who's in charge of mealtime, and I'm not able to eat or drink well right now. 

It need not be done at school. I agree wholeheartedly.

We are struggling right now.  Because.  Mama can't drive. 

My kids can't get to extra-curriculars, aside from ones that are late (11 y.o. has two musical activities, at night)... and that's it.

I really am at a loss.  I have been for the last year - which is why I am pushing to find a DX for my issues so that I can HELP them more aside from telling them to GO OUTSIDE or feed them better.  We KNOW how to eat.  It's not about that anymore.

I have a seizure disorder.

It started in January 2008, with a grand mal in front of my plastic surgeon at BIDMC. 

I've had four more since, my last one was this week.

Seize you, seize me.

I guess the good news (can you even call it that?) is that you had it at your docs office.
Any clue as to the cause?

This sucks.

I couldn't drive for a while right after the Squid was born because I kept passing out. I was very fortunate that they were able to find a cause and medicate me to treat it. Now it seems to have resolved itself.

Am I to understand that DH isn't able to take the kids to extracurricular stuff? I know we live relatively close, but I wish I lived closer to help out.

No trigger yet, we're looking.

DH works in a bank that is open till 7pm.  (LOL ... if they continue to stay open... not funny, I know.)

I was a fat kid that HATED Gym - couldn't run, was embarrassed to have to wear shorts (fat thighs) in front of my classmates., etc. etc.  But there were 2 times that I remember actually loving Gym and physical exercise -- square dancing, and Slimnastics.  (Slimnastics was an early version of aerobics)  The key thing was, it was moving to music and I loved it.  I think our tax money would be better spent on exercise programs at school that are tailored to what the individual child enjoys and is comfortable doing.  If I could have chosen to do Slimnatics or dancing as my regular Gym class 2 or 3 days a week, I would have been a lot healthier and happier!  Embarrassing children and their parents is NOT going to help control obesity.

Since there is an epidemic of childhood obesity, I think that anything they can do to bring it to parents attention is wonderful.  I dont think they have any intention of embarrasing the child, in fact, the kids probably dont even know what a BMI is.  I for one have a very overweight daughter and I take full responsibility for that.  If I had got a handle on it during grade school/junior high then maybe I could have helped her a little more.  I was a single mom, working two jobs and it was fast food city at my house.  Her weight slowly crept up, as did mine to were we are both at today.  Its horrible.  We are the fatest nation in the world right now.  Kids are dying from heart attacks, diabetes, etc..things that were unknown when I was a kid.  Its out of control.  So yeah, part of me thinks "oh geez, please leave the kids alone" but the sensible part of me is cheering for anything that can help these kids.  I hope too that the schools will follow up on teaching parents how they can help their kids lose the weight.  Everyone basically knows, but sometimes we need a reminder and not just keep wearing the blinders.  For me, the blinders stayed on wayyyyyyyyy too long, and now I something completely out of control.  She is miserable, depressed, unmotivated etc etc etc.  Yep, bring on the help in any way we can get it.

kim