Children being weighed in school

[Pixxie7]

I have just seen that a school in Leicestershire is intending to weigh primary school children as part of the governments healthy eating drive.

Does anyone else feel that this could cause all sorts of problems going forward?

All of mine were weighed at primary. I thought this was normal?

Childhood obesity is a huge problem and getting worse. Education about good health is vital. As long as it's done properly then it's a good thing.

We literally had this thread last week.

There's a lot of repeating threads recently..

This is standard procedure in reception isn’t it? Having said that they didn’t do it this year at my children’s school

All schools do it. Have done for donkeys years.

The child doesn’t know the results. If anything concerning comes up the parent in informed by letter.

No need for it to have any impact on the child but a chance for parents to look at habits and make small changes to make life much easier for the child as they grow up

www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-child-measurement-programme

Children have a height and weight check in reception, and usually year 6, and have done for years. It’s even in the list of appointments in the back of the red book.

It’s to check for obesity in childhood and given that lots of places are selling plus size uniform for kids as young as nursery age it’s probably a good idea it’s still done.

Does anyone else feel that this could cause all sorts of problems going forward?

What sort of problems? Loads of children is primary school are already fatty porkers. Being weighed isn’t going to stop that.

You've 'just seen' and 'a' school?

The National Child Measurement Programme has been going for years.

My son was weighed at school recently. We had no warning from the school or option to opt out. I only found out because my 5 year old told me. The only official notification we had was a letter to say he is well over the severely obese category. I work with primary school aged children and therefore knew to ignore this rubbish as my son is not obese, but was going through a little bit of a chubby phase. 4 weeks later he has shot up and skimmed down. It is so normal but to a parent that didn't have other children to compare to, it could really cause you to cut back their food intake. IMO it's is just completely irrelevant to measure growing children's BMI and I would have opted out had I been given the option.

@MaryBoBary

My son was weighed at school recently. We had no warning from the school or option to opt out. I only found out because my 5 year old told me. The only official notification we had was a letter to say he is well over the severely obese category. I work with primary school aged children and therefore knew to ignore this rubbish as my son is not obese, but was going through a little bit of a chubby phase. 4 weeks later he has shot up and skimmed down. It is so normal but to a parent that didn't have other children to compare to, it could really cause you to cut back their food intake. IMO it's is just completely irrelevant to measure growing children's BMI and I would have opted out had I been given the option.

He went from severely obese (which isn't a category) to a healthy weight in 4 weeks? Sure thing.

Schools have been weighing children for years, I would bet a lot who want to opt out are the ones in denial about their child's weight.

My son was weighed at school recently. We had no warning from the school or option to opt out. I only found out because my 5 year old told me. The only official notification we had was a letter to say he is well over the severely obese category. I work with primary school aged children and therefore knew to ignore this rubbish as my son is not obese, but was going through a little bit of a chubby phase. 4 weeks later he has shot up and skimmed down. It is so normal but to a parent that didn't have other children to compare to, it could really cause you to cut back their food intake. IMO it's is just completely irrelevant to measure growing children's BMI and I would have opted out had I been given the option

How else would you measure children other than BMI and centile charts ?😵

The only official notification we had was a letter to say he is well over the severely obese category. I work with primary school aged children and therefore knew to ignore this rubbish as my son is not obese, but was going through a little bit of a chubby phase. 4 weeks later he has shot up and skimmed down.

He did, did he?

He went from 'well over severely obese' to completely not overweight in just 4 weeks?

It’s normal. Obesity is a big issue and one some parents seem unaware of in their own children.

You can opt out and there is no reason to ever divulge what the child’s BMI is which stops any problems.

@MaryBoBary

My son was weighed at school recently. We had no warning from the school or option to opt out. I only found out because my 5 year old told me. The only official notification we had was a letter to say he is well over the severely obese category. I work with primary school aged children and therefore knew to ignore this rubbish as my son is not obese, but was going through a little bit of a chubby phase. 4 weeks later he has shot up and skimmed down. It is so normal but to a parent that didn't have other children to compare to, it could really cause you to cut back their food intake. IMO it's is just completely irrelevant to measure growing children's BMI and I would have opted out had I been given the option.

If your 5 year old has visible fat to the point where you described him as chubby then he absolutely will be overweight. Children who haven’t yet gone through puberty carry fat differently to adults and really there shouldn’t be much visible fat on a 5 year old. It’s not like adults who can have visible fat yet still be a healthy weight.

I started a thread on this the other week btw OP if you want to read it: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4276443-To-ask-what-you-think-of-weighing-children-in-school

If a child goes from severely overweight to healthy weight in the space of a few weeks I would be seeking medical attention to what was going on!

I would bet a lot who want to opt out are the ones in denial about their child's weight.

A lot of parents take it as a personal insult to their parenting and will often say they won't allow it, 'Because it might give my child an eating disorder to be weighed along with the entire school year group' 🙄

In reality, they're just scared of being told what they already know.

Claiming it may cause eating disorders is pathetic though, given how many adults I know who have eating disorders due to their parents allowing them to become overweight as kids.

How else would you measure children other than BMI and centile charts ?😵

I'd use a scale? A chart just isn't going to work surely? If there aren't any scales, maybe a see-saw in the playground and some PE equipment?

Weighing children and a healthy eating drive is a waste of time and money. It’s just paying lip service to the so called “obesity problem”.

If your child is chubby then he’s overweight and needs to eat healthier and move more. It’s not puppy fat The only child in my DDs year who opted out was the very fat one whose mother was in denial.

My dd is in Reception and they get weighed, I think its normal. I just saw it as an extension of when you take them to get weighed as babies in a way. Need to keep a check on their health.

Normal. I remember being weighed at school. Declined for my son to be weighed in reception but wasn’t sure. Thread from last week www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4276443-To-ask-what-you-think-of-weighing-children-in-school

www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/plans-regular-weigh-ins-primary-school-children-are-concerning-says-decp

my dd is nearly sixteen and this popped up in primary school. But it was optional and we just sent a slip back saying we preferred not to do it.

I think the concern is the possible stigma of it all around body shape etc.

This was a thing when I was in school.
A friend of mines daughter is visibly VERY overweight (not “puppy fat”) and she got a letter saying her child was obese and she was furious , called me up ranting about it, and obviously in complete denial.
She is a lovely, kind little girl, but I do worry for her future as her parents just don’t “see” it.