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

I completely agree! I think it’s a desperate tactic. Nothing else they’ve attempted to do has actually worked.

I did explain that- nurse still asked me questions about diet etc.

Maybe if we didn’t keep voting for the nasty party we might end up with some useful policies. We can dream.

These data captures are important. SOME parents are blind to what is “normal”. I am having to find another supplier for our school uniform as the largest our current one can provide is an adult XL. This is TOO SMALL for some if our children. Including one in YEAR 4! When I tell parents we don’t have anything to fit their child they look at me as if I have two heads “but she’s a healthy sized 10 year old”. NO SHE ISN’T. Our largest sweatshirt too big for my healthy sized 6ft tall husband it should not be too big for a 10 year old!

That last bit should be - it should not be TOO SMALL for a 10 year old.

Dear god, that’s shocking @BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou 😔

There's a lad of about 12 I see who plays tennis at a club my kids go to for lessons. His parents stand and watch shouting at him to do better. 🙄
The thing is, he's very noticeably overweight and unfit. I can't understand how they can't see that the best thing to improve his tennis would be to lose weight. He can't possibly keep up with the uber fit boys who he plays against. It must be so demoralising for him.
The parents are seriously overweight too. It's bizarre how blind some people are. I do wonder what the parents of overweight kids see when they see healthier weighing children? There's a girl in my daughter's class who is really overweight and the parents are always joking about the amount of snacks she eats. The parents are skinny beans and the mum is a doctor.
My neighbour was shocked when a t shirt my son wears was too small for her son who's three years younger, because he has a gut. She's not done anything about it though so I'm guessing he'll stay that way. Several people I know explain their son's overweight frame by saying he'll make a good rugby player. The lads I know who play rugby to a decent standard are all skinny......

Privacy if the doctors' office won't work, as they're needed for the doctors to do their work in. Though I suppose teams could be based somewhere in clinical buildings

This is a national, annual measurement programme, that has had very high coverage of the population since just after WW2. It was done by taking the measuring teams to where children are.

I don't see how it would work anywhere near as well if children were expected to go to whatever place the measuring teams were based.

If your child is a healthy weight as you say, what is the harm in making sure by medical professionals?

My youngest letter came in (he’s in reception), hadn’t realised his height and weight had been checked and it was written that he was a healthy weight (which I knew) but I didn’t know his height or weight which is nice information to have and save for our own records.

I suspect the OPs child is overweight and OP doesn't want to be told because the whole family is overweight and they're in denial

I always get a letter with a follow up phone call to tell
Me my children are underweight and two of them were extremely short!
Well if you knew how long it's taken to get them referred to a paediatrician and dietitian then you would know!

I'm amazed at all these parents with children of a perfectly healthy weight being so worried about them being weighed and measured. Mine are a perfectly healthy weight and so I never gave it a second thought. Round here it's the parents of the obese children who tend to refuse.

I don't opt out because my DC are tall and pretty much off the scale, so if it makes them change the scale, I let them measure them

They need to weigh all children without exception. If a child really does has unusual stats for a legitimate reason, it can be followed up at the doctor’s to confirm. Agree that it’s the overweight families who are opting out. They are in denial, but in their hearts they know!

100% agree, its ALWAYA the obese parents who opt out

Well I’ve just done my BMI, it’s 19.5 so definitely not overweight and I’ll be opting out.

I had friends with eating disorders in my teens and it haunts me.

Maybe they could exercise some control over processed food

I've always withdrawn my children from the data collection. I have very tall slim children so I'm confident they are not overweight.

Oh yes, all MNs children are tall and slim. Yet the rest of the population are mainly overweight.

@LuciferRising my DC were at last measurement 99.97 and 99.98 centile...so yes tall

Public data collection is necessary, however, so is the right to object and to not to be a part of it. Otherwise we become North Korea. So, YANBU.

Same with mine. My middle had to go into size 6 womens trousers in year 6 because the 14-15 years fitted length wise but the waist was too big for her. mine are all limbs.