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?

The possibilities seem almost endless

Hmmmm...not so great then!

I don't give permission for weighing or teeth checks because I am a curmudgeon.
I didn't get my baby weighed either.

My dcs are all slim and pretty athletic, they have healthy diets and very active. The exercise is pointless ergo..
I don't get the whole - but other parents are not as attentive or may not see that their dcs are obese. Then deal with them and stop bothering me.
We now absolutely have ingrained that to deal with small groups...neglectful parents, irresponsible dog owners,drunks etc etc, we set up a mechanism that impacts everyone so that we scoop up the problem.
I would rather that society developed the courage to say 'excuse me mr x, you dcs are very overweight and take no exercise. We would like to spend some time with you and your dcs'
Like I said, a curmudgeon

My guess is that she would have queued up with the rest but just not stood on the scales-(noone to leave her with) but it is a side issue really.
I just can't see the fuss. My DS2 is very 'chunky' but since he has always been one of the fastest runners and played football for a team etc and is very fit I can't see why he can't be weighed.

The problem is that although most sensible parents will provide their DCs with a healthy and balanced diet (and get them weighed as and when is appropriate), many other parents feed their kids crap and dont have regular health checks.

Then 10, 15, 20 years down the line when those children are obese and at risk of premature death, heart disease, etc (not to mention the strain on the NHS) - everyone blames the government for not doing anything.

So, in order to provide earlier, preventative services, children are weighed at school. I personally don't have a problem with it. My DS is a healthy weight but, if he wasn't, I'd want the school nurse to tell me and advise me on how and where to get help and advice.

But that's just me

My dn gets tubbier and tubbier every time I see him. I wish nurses at his school would weigh him because quite frankly his mother is utterly blind to it.

I don't have a problem with weighing (or other medical stuff) going on in schools. It makes perfect sense - far more efficient to vaccinate a bunch of kids (for example) in one location than to take up 30 separate appointments at a GP's surgery.

When I was at school in the 70s and 80s we had a dentist visit and regular medicals. But I think the powers that be were more inerested in public health back then.

I would object as well YANBU

YANBU I opted out when both my DD were in class 6. Not an issue, there were at least 4 others who opted out. I found it too intrusive. My DDs are both normal weight. All the kids were discussing their weight afterwards. DD also weighed herself a few times after we got the letter. i think it is wrong to get them conscious about their weight at this age, unless they are obese or malnourished.

Forgot to say, there were 2 morbidley obese kids in the class, both opted out, and I read the research which suggested that was often the case. So the figures are probably not very accurate. i also read a report encouraging teachers to weight children, even without consent, as part of a maths lesson!!!

I saw a study which showed that body fat changed over time, so reasonable to think that an older child with same BMI as younger child could be on a different percentile.

I have seen the charts .... eg for my son he is 100.5cm and 2 stone 8 pounds and its pretty similar whether I make him 2 years (61st) 3 years (71st), 4 years (66th) or 5 years (68th) or 6 years (66th) - basically a healthy weight either way (albiet a little bit above average) whatever the age.

The example with the 10 year old girl is because some 10 YO girls will be carrying extra body fat as they go into puberty so fair enough that at same weight and height as 7 YO they are ok but 7 YO is not.

i can't see what the problem is - its a one off and concentrating on good health. It's important that large children learn how to adopt a healthy lifestyle earlier rather than later.

Riven "And many parents cant seem to see their children are chubby citing big bones, puppy fat etc."

I completely agree. I think there is a lot of that going on here....

Riven dd does understand why her diet is differnt to her friends but when you have teachers banging on how to much cake cream chocolate etc will make you fat.Then haveclass discussion bad food good food .Can make you insecure even at their tender ages.She took lot of convincing that she will be ok to eAT her food and that she won't get fat and have a poorly heart

Thankfully her new school make big point that some dc have differnt diets for medical reason

meh purple ds up to 5 would been classed as chubby now at 13 he is tall and underweight and very sporty

and yes they do measure heights in the class as part of lesson.they also then do the where do you stand in the line lol dd saunters along ans said to teacher after she was measured shall I just go and stand right at the other end.I know where I will be.She was right :)

YANBU imo. I remember going through this at school. It was an all girls school. Everyone was very concious of their appearance and I was move curvacious than most of the other girls in my class. It made me feel so uncomfortable and worried. I wasnt over weight at the time either.
However there were a fair few girls in my class who had obvious eating disorders so perhaps it is worth while in the sense of being able to detect them.

I agree with someone earlier saying that money would be better spent else where. My recollection of PE lessons were a joke and certainly didnt work up any kind of a sweat.