Year 6 children weigh in and measurements

[Yoyo2021]

Hi all,

Just received a email about the nhs coming in to weigh my child’s year group and measure height etc.

It said this will be done in a private room.

I’ve opted out following the link.

I just think what’s the point my child isn’t under weight or over weight!

If I had cause for concern I would go to the doctors!

AIBU

The letters are to the parents. Your daughter would have only known about this because you chose to share it with her.

Our local authority sends letters to any parent of a child measured as overweight with offers of how they can be supported to be a healthy weight.

Many parents think there child’s weight is ‘normal’ when in actual fact many are over weight and pretending they are not doesn’t help them long term- no idea why you would be happy for this unless you know there is a an issue and don’t want to address it

No, we didn't share it with her. Everyone in her class was talking about it and she asked what she got. She found the letter ripped up in the bin.

How was she made aware of the letter though? Yes they know they get weighed, but their BMI and where this falls isn't shared with them in school, its only stated on the letter sent to parents- why did you tell her?

The majority of parents who decline do so let's be honest as their child is knowingly underweight or are overweight. Denial doesn't help a child though, nor does this scheme cause or even contribute to EDs to the extent people on here claim they do. Obesity is a big issue and a lot of parents have lost sight of what a healthy weight is and dont want to see the truth in black and white.

We opted out. Our family tend to be small and slight, but healthy weights. However, from the wider family experience, it was clear that quite often school nurses are detached from what a healthy weight looks like. They'd make negative comments before recording the weights and it created a lot of unnecessary stress for the parents and the DCs.

Might wash to not share it at 4.. but at 11?

I hate these weigh ins, and bmi in general. I always get told one of mine is overweight, he's built like a rhino and always has been.
I have another who always comes up at perfect weight, but was under pead at the time for being underweight?!?

My son was below the 0.1% centile so very under weight- I had him referred to consultant 3 years prior and they did every test known and concluded he was healthy just small for his age. However this may not be the case for every child and could access support for children who may not be getting adequate nutrition or suffering neglect along side the growing number of obese children.
so this can be a really good tool to support/ help children

Unfortunately it's misinformation like this which causes distrust in a public health service.

From the National Child Measurement Programme website:

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) measures the height and weight of children in Reception class (aged 4 to 5) and year 6 (aged 10 to 11), to assess overweight and obesity levels in children within primary schools.

It’s a way to track healths population I guess and how funding for nhs/schools/community is divided up…more funding for recreational space if there is an overweight community? Two out of my three were in overweight category in yr 6 and one still is what do you think is going to happen with information?

All the posters saying ‘how were the kids aware of the letter’ are really surprising me- I assume child will be aware, because they were the one stood there being weighed and measured and X weeks later ‘the letter’ was the topic of chatter among the kids? Surely that’s how it goes?

Not every parent is going to be planning on keeping it from their child, of course they will know there was a letter - would you lie to your child once asked if you didn’t want them to know?

It’s to gather national data for goodness sake, so we can work out if the nation is getting fatter, what our health services will need to look like in the future.
So many parents are in denial about the weight of their child

It's apparently data collection and they're told strictly not to discuss the results with the students.

Personally I think it is damaging and obscene, if it were my child they wouldn't even be going to school that day.

However a lot of people say the kids don't even notice/care and it's to keep track of the rising obesity of children.

IMO you aren't being unreasonable.

If you think it’s obscene you need to get a dictionary.

Threads like this remind me why u shouldn’t get into public health.

This is to try and combat increasing obesity rates so your kids don’t suffer horrendous ill health as they age but as always people feel the need to kick of and deny a need for it despite overwhelming evidence there is a need for it!

I think it's wrong to opt out. It's a good data capture. If your child is overweight you would know this already.

If you hear from your letter that your child is obese (and say for arguments sake you had not already been aware of this as their parent) what help is offered, does anyone know? Was it useful? Was there continued support?
I just wonder, is it a data collection exercise, or is it an exercise to look for those that need help at the individual level?

With children's centres and sure starts etc having gone by the wayside, it seems that the intention to really support health in the early years isn’t actually there.. so this is more likely just mass data not individual focussed. Happy to be educated otherwise by any families who have received robust effective support based on the NCMP

@Morecrimblecrumble a leaflet with some info on food and some links.

If only!
A couple of DS2's friends got an invite to a set of healthy eating sessions following the Y6 BMI assessments. All the mothers were adamant their child was fine. Personally, I'd say the ones who got the letter would all of benefited from slimming down a bit. Its really easy to be in denial says the obese mother scoffing chocolate right now

My daughter will be flagged up as underweight (she has asd and struggles with food) .
I will then receive a letter stating she's underweight and I will file it in the recycling bin 👍🏻because I already know and she's already under a dietitian.
She won't want to opt out because she will want to be the same as her peers and that's fine too 👍🏻 it's no big deal.
Ps in my eyes she's perfect and the chunky kid's parents will be disgusted that they get a letter saying their child is overweight because they are just solid,puppy fat or muscular 🤷‍♀️.
We are conditioned to see are children as perfect and the truth sometimes needs to come from someone impartial!

60% of the population are overweight. That's a lot of people who potentially may not want to face facts, especially when it applies to their children. What better way than to vilify the methods used to collect the data.

I voted yabu and my child is obese. I still agreed for him to be included it's important to measure the population. Plus it means if we wanted we would have access to support. Where I live you can be offered exercise and food education classes etc.

This! My DD's results came back very underweight! She was on the 1st centile. She is tall for her age and very slim. I didn't tell her, just got some advice.

That's not the case. My daughter was measured last year when she was in year 6 and she was significantly heavier than most of her peers at 8 stone 10 however, she was also 5ft6. Her BMI came out as normal.