Kids getting weighed when they go to school ?

[Mrs Doddy]

I've heard that schools do this ? Is this nationwide ? As with anything they have their reasons for doing it but what do they do if your child is
Overweight or underweight ?

Dd was 4 weeks early when she was born , hated milk and took a long time to eat a balanced diet - even now meat is hard to get into her. She has a balanced diet and today I was proud of her as at a BBQ with cakes, choc and crisps and she went for the carrots and cucumber sticks , ate loads of them before she touched the sweet things !

Am just a bit worried what they will do - as far as I'm concerned I can do no more than what I do - I still offer her new foods to try, she is ok with mince, ham, chicken if it's in a pie ortherwise won't touch it - she won't eat roast meats so do what I can, she has eggs, carbs, fruit,veg - gets her 5 a day most days and is allowed treats sometimes , no sweets like haribos ect(only choc)

 

[shanny]

it is nationwide - I think if they are worried maybe bottom 5% and top 95% percentile they refer you to school nurse?

 

[hattiehippo]

You can withdraw your child from it if you want - it's not compulsory just advised.

I know Tom will come out on the light side.

 

[Dragonfly]

They done it in front of the class here, I opted it. My son has enough docs.

 

[lindseymw]

You just get a letter a couple of days later with the details (at least I did anyway). I'm not sure if you get offered advice/help if your child is deemed overweight/underweight though.

 

[Boomerslady]

I didn't know about this, thanks for posting. I'm going to opt him out I think, I remember as a child they did this to me and I was a chibby kid, I got taken off and had a talking too about eating healthy (I was 11 I think) it battered my self esteem for years.

I think you can tell if a child is overweight. Ben is on the bulky side but me and his dad are very built, I'm 6ft and have size 10 feet and his dad is built like a rugby player! I don't want them putting him in a 'high BMI' bracket when I don't trust the maths of it.

 

[Beckettshades]

L will come out light- sure I'll get a letter but her gosh consultant is happy with her so I'm not worried x

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

They did it here too My son was classed as slightly underweight. They just sent a letter asking if we needed any support or a referral to a dietician. I told them I wasn't too concerned due to the fact as a child I was very very skinny and was that way naturally. He is energetic and healthy and they were happy with that Don't panic they don't tend to jump to conclusions x

 

[seoj]

If they do this with my LO- I'll opt out tbh. I think her weight is OUR concern. And if we had concerns, we'd absolutely discuss them with her pediatrician. I was chunkier as a kid... and I'm sure considered "overweight" with today's standards and silly BMI charts. I hate those! Which is what the school uses- while her Ped uses HER chart to track her progress over time. It's compared to the national average- but more important is how she is growing and her health.

 

[alicecooper]

They did it for my Lydia and Alex without telling us it was coming up, otherwise I would have opted out.

 

[Amy_T]

At my daughter's school they did it (privately) and just sent a letter home with the measurements on and a link to an NHS website with a BMI calculator on, that was it so it was just giving you the information and letting the parents decide what to do with it. I think its more for the government statistics so they can scaremonger us all in to thinking we're raising a generation of unhealthy children!

 

[Boomerslady]

Now I'm not sure what to do!!! My family think if I opt out it's making a show of myself. I just don't agree with BMI it's not a correct way to gauge weight, I mean a rugby player will show up as obese due to muscle weight.

I dunno it just doesn't sit right. Is anyone going to opt out?

Are there any teachers on here, what are your thoughts of parents opting out? I'm overweight so am worried they might think I just don't care which isn't the case.

 

[Dragonfly]

Now I'm not sure what to do!!! My family think if I opt out it's making a show of myself. I just don't agree with BMI it's not a correct way to gauge weight, I mean a rugby player will show up as obese due to muscle weight.

I dunno it just doesn't sit right. Is anyone going to opt out?

Are there any teachers on here, what are your thoughts of parents opting out? I'm overweight so am worried they might think I just don't care which isn't the case.

My son is very underweight and I didn't want them doing it as he is starting to realize he smaller than others. It effected his sef esteem the docs talking about stunted growth . So I opted out of it. My hv had a go at me over it but explained to her that the docs can weigh him but not in front of the class which is what they did. I didnt want to have to go in to his whole medical history with a school nurse anyway. Hes being cared for, he has docs and peds thats all he needs. Its enough in my opinion. I understand they think some parents dont bother but some do and have valid reasons not too, If you think it will effect your child then say no. Its a choice.

 

[lindseymw]

They did it for my Lydia and Alex without telling us it was coming up, otherwise I would have opted out.

Same for us. We didn't know anything about it until the letter came through the door.

 

[RachA]

Tbh I don't see what the problem is with having it done. DD will be having it and I know she'll come out as underweight.

DS was overweight/obease when he had his done. All that happened was we got a letter through giving us the details. It was up to us what we did with that info.

 

[chickenlegs]

I am a teacher. To be honest, we are often confused as to why parents opt out. It seems bizarre - it is not a dig at parents, it is intended to be helpful advice. It is usually the children at the ends of the spectrum who opt out.

 

[shanny]

Pretty sure you can opt to be there if you wish .................as a teacher I cant recall many that opt out............it is meant to be supportive................schools also have a duty of care

 

[Boomerslady]

Thanks to the last 2 posters. I completely see what you mean and I wouldn't in any way want teachers to think I'm not bothered, I just have personal experience of this affecting my self esteem, plus if I have concerns about his weight I'll manage it myself.

Oh I don't know, I don't like rocking the boat and although he will be at the higher end of the spectrum he's not overweight. I might opt out when he gets older, I don't think it's appropriate for a teenager to be weighed in front of peers and then pulled out for being 'overweight'

 

[Dragonfly]

I am a teacher. To be honest, we are often confused as to why parents opt out. It seems bizarre - it is not a dig at parents, it is intended to be helpful advice. It is usually the children at the ends of the spectrum who opt out.[/QUOT

Some have valid reasons, not all the same.

 

[shanny]

[, I don't think it's appropriate for a teenager to be weighed in front of peers and then pulled out for being 'overweight'[/QUOTE]

I don't think children are weighed in front of anyone - not in my experience