to not let DS be weighed at school?

[QueenofKelsingra]

DS is in reception. just had the letter home saying the whole year will be weighed and measured for the NHS.

I don't really know why but I don't want him to have this done. DS is a healthy height and weight (75 and 50 centiles respectively) so I'm not 'scared' I will get some snotty letter stating that he is over/under weight. I just don't like the idea of someone else taking his measurements and making comments/statements about him when I haven't asked for it.

DH thinks I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and that it's no big deal. For some reason I just don't like the idea.

So WIBU to refuse to have him weighed and measured? Anyone else do this and why??

CheesePuffs- DS loved being left out, because everyone else had to go off down the corridor, and he got extra playtime in his classroom, and could access any of the toys he wanted! It actually made his day

I presume that was his YR weigh in though, I was actually talking about girls and the Y6 one.

yes, YR, sorry- just skimmed today's posts.
I do hope that by Y6 he may have stopped begging to play when he's supposed to be working quite so much

YANBU I opted out with all mine.

One, it seems too nanny state, I know my DC are not fat and how to feed them. Also the kids often compare weights and the bigger children are sometimes mocked. A friend's son ended up in tears as kids guessed he would be 'the fattest'. DD came home discussing weights of people in the class, they had all been discussing it.

As soon as my DD got the letter she came home and went straight on the scales. I don't see that as healthy. Terrible idea when done insensitively.

Sapat

Poorly collected data creates more questions than answers.

I can justify MY thinking with evidence - it's an opinion but it is not one pulled out of thin air. In fact I spend a lot of time considering those kinds of things.

Parents have every right to challenge and fathers with PR can opt their children out too. The letter comes home with the child

"But as far as the school was concerned that didn't matter - all that mattered was the numbers. "

I was wondering why the school was involved in this at all. Although the venue is school, the programme is carried out by the NHS.

And if parents are not informed the it's all done in private and pupils are not informed of their measurements; then I can see why that leads to uneasiness. But the privacy standards mean that pupils (both sexes and either age) need not know and cannot compare, unless their parents give them the information when the letter comes some time after the weighing.

I don't think there is any evidence that school weighing programme increases eating disorders, and it's been going on since 1950s (possibly earlier) with extremely high participation.

Growth charts could never be recalibrated without this kind of information.

The school is just the venue- nothing more.
I see the direct correlation:
1950s and 60s - no child obesity problem- no one objected to weighing- it was never an issue to be even discussed and didn't register with children.
21st century- a child obesity problem- letters have to be sent home- parents get all uptight about it and make it as issue with their children.
I preferred the former and was glad that when I was a child I was completely unaware that a few seconds on scales was more than a few seconds instantly forgotten.

Even when my children were in school it wasn't an issue- I have no idea if they were weighed it not- I doubt they have. They would certainly roll their eyes if I was to worry about the dangers of their weight at 5 yrs being insecure data!

I do worry about insecure data but I'd worry more about the long term health implications for my child if I really genuinely believed that I could trust my eyes.

Why is that particular data more insecure (and sensitive) than the countless other pieces of information held on databases about all of us, Muppets?
If you really imagine Big Brother doesn't already know everything about you that it wants to know, you're slightly naive.

Exactly- Floggingmolly- I should think that your weight at 5yrs is the least of your worries!
Of course there were overweight children in 50s and 60s ,but it wasn't the nationwide problem that it is today. You only have to go to Cornwall in August to see the extent of the problem!

If anyone thinks that the UK hasn't got a childhood obesity problem they are in denial.

What exactly is Big Brother going to do with a postcode, dob and BMI that is so disturbing? Flog the data to Krispy Kreme's marketing department?

Yabu.
Much ado about nothing. Cannot think of a single legit reason why anyone would give a toss about this. So much paranoia about data and statistics!
Way to stick it to the man

If they do give a toss about it I can't see why you want to pass it on to your child. I prefer them to think that standing on scales is perfectly normal and not something you give a second's thought to.
The size of people on Cornish beaches over the decades is indicative of the problem of obesity. If people refuse to take part in a NHS study that is all you are left with. It is a bit bizarre to refuse to take part in a NHS study and then make out that nothing else will do!!