to not want DS to be weighed and measured at school

[choufleur]

Got letter from DS's school today to say that he will be weighed and measured (obviously along with all other kids in his class) to see if he's a healthy weight.

I think it's a completely pointless thing to do. And one that could potentially contribute to healthy children having issues about their weight.

AIBU to not let him be weighed and measured?

As if its not hard enough being the tallest in the class without being told you are fat as well!

Just to clarify (as DS1's letter just arrived) the testing is BMI which takes into account HEIGHT and WEIGHT. Hence a tall and skinny child will have a BMI under average (50th) if he really is skinny FOR THAT WEIGHT.

DS1 (4.5) who I think is quite thin & quite short (can see ribs) - all trousers too loose in next - came back as being on 60th percentile - well in normal but I was surprised that he was over the 50th...

Another example.

A girl who is 140cm and 37kg is overweight if she is 7 years old, but absolutely fine if she is 10 years old.

Despite the height and weight being exactly the same, it comes up a difference centile.

So if you grow quickly, it doesn't matter if your height is in propotion with your weight - this system, despite being called "BMI", will cane you for it.

MumNWLondon - see my latest post.

It takes into account age far more than it takes into account height for the weight.

As you can see from my results, they are exactly the same height and weight yet getting two completely different results (one fine, one overweight) *simply due to age.

Do it yourself - you will see what I mean.

Chart they use in schools

Who are you addressing that post to Riven? Sorry its not clear.

To say "disregard it then" is missing the point. Of course someone would ignore it if they thought it was bullshit. But there's more to opting out than that. A great deal (including me) of people who opt out will have children who will not "get a letter".

You can trust vaccinations on their individual merits and health benefits but not trust BMI charts due to their anomolies. They are to separate things. Its not about the goverment per se.

"As if its not hard enough being the tallest in the class without being told you are fat as well!"

The child isn't told they are fat, the parents are!

Tatty children are different shapes as they grow older otherwise the lines on the chart would be on an even line.
I would suspect a 5 year old child would have more muscle than a 3 year old. Muscle weighs more than fat so a 5 year can be heavier in proportion to his height than a 3 year old which is why the 3 year old is obese and the 5 year old is just overweight.

Riven, if you put the numbers I reported in and change the age, it will change the results. I am not making it up.

Exactly Riven. Get weighed-bin the letter if you want.
The poor DCs are having it made into a huge issue by their own parents. Standing on the scales may be an issue for overweight women, who would like to diet, but for a DC it should be like seeing how tall you are or the size of your feet-I can't understand why a parent want to draw attention to it.

Ds2 was chubby as toddler but at 10lb born was never going be small no denying it but by 5 even out now at 13 is very tall and skinny

Yeah, I appreciate that it would be "borderline" kids. Obviously if a child is very much 50th centile there is so much leeway that it doesn't really matter how old they are!

I think the thing that bothers me about this programme the most is that its done on a one-size-fits-all kind of basis with letters sent out on that criteria.

Some parents will overreact to the letters if their child is borderline obese. Hell, if my mother had a letter saying my weight might be a problem kind of thing at that age, it would have been steamed fish and broccoli and down the swimming pool at 6am before school. Some parents are like that, I'm afraid. When all they have to do is sit back, make sure the portions aren't too big and the content isn't creeping into the junk zone (the 80/20 rule works well for kids) and let them get a year or two older.

Anyway, I'm not campaigning for everyone to opt out, its up to them. I dont love the idea of the programme. I dont agree with schools getting their oar in and that includes lunchboxes and telling children a tuna sandwich on white bread is worse than wholemeal jam sandwich with sugar-free jam.

I just dont trust them to get it right according to my beliefs therefore I'm taking back and putting it back under the "parenting" umbrella.

And its not a "fuss" - not for me. It will be a polite opting out followed by a brief explanation to the school if they want it followed by a smile and nod at the school gates if it gets discussed further at the school gates or anywhere. Polite indifference.

It sounds like you spend more time thinking about things than you do when you debate them online - it sounds like its your lifes work or something when really you are just putting your opinion and justifying why you got there. You know how it is!

Tatty

I do agree on the school lunch box and banging on about the healthy eating.dd did lunch box inspection and she was informed that she would end up fat and overweight so was refusing to eat lots of food this is a child that is on a medical high fat diet

But the standard letter sent to me about underweight/small I ignore and goes in bin.Dd when measures says yes I know I'm short

Altikum myDS (just 15) comes out quite high bordering on overweight. Last time I measured his height he was 5'11 and he weighed himself at the gym he was 11 stone. He is muscular and never has any fat on him since baby fat (pictures on profile see skinny legs) He has a swimmers triangular frame with broad shoulders.
I don't give a damn whether he is weighed at school or not, I don't get the issue. If it is followed up it is very obvious he is fairly fit (goes to gym twice a week and kayaks once or twice a week)

Mmmm Riven I'm thinking, Macadamia nuts....

With clotted cream...

Or melted brie on a parmesan crisp.