Some families are pushing back when it comes to a new measure of scholastic success: annual weigh-ins that test for body mass index (BMI). Schools in 19 states have begun to participate and also send reports, which note whether or not a child can be considered healthy, home to parents. According to ABC News, the kids call these reports “fat letters.”
The National Institutes of Health explains how BMI is calculated for children and teens, two to 20 years old, by using their weight and height and then comparing these figures to growth charts, which add age and gender to the equation. A child or teen whose BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentile is considered overweight, while those in the 95th percentile or above are considered obese.
BMI readings are “the best means we have to determine whether a child’s weight is healthy or unhealthy,” Dr. Lanre Omojokun Falusi, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics told ABC News.
Many pediatricians agree, stating the BMI readings are not only helpful in preventing childhood obesity but the annual weigh-ins may generally encourage more nutritious