Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
This is appalling:
Chubby elementary school children in Flagstaff, Ariz., have more than just bullies to worry about. If they’re too fat, their school will notify their parents.
Starting in the fall, students in the Flagstaff district will be weighed and measured at school. Students who are found to be overweight, marginally overweight, or underweight will have a letter sent home to their parents, which will include graphs showing a range of appropriate weights for a given age and height.
Critics of the Flagstaff school district’s war on fat kids cite the threat to children’s self-esteem as their primary concern with the new policy. I’m no champion of self-esteem -- I find the “everyone’s a winner” mantra to be destructive and deluding – but I think most can agree that some degree of sensitivity is in order when it comes to talking to children (especially girls in that delicate eight through thirteen year-old period) about their weight. I myself was a chubby kid. I wore braces, dressed in dorky clothes, and was terribly self-conscious about my weight. It did me no good whatsoever when an extended family member remarked that I was getting big enough to eat hay.
But the school district’s new policy is more than a war on fat kids; it’s a war on the parents of fat kids. Do school administrators actually imagine that parents of overweight children haven't actually looked at their children? Or perhaps the note home is meant more or less as a slap on the wrist of Jimmy's mom who packs him Doritos and chocolate milk for lunch? Maybe these school officials are under the impression that parents are just too stupid to know what a healthy weight looks like? Whatever the case, the policy is insulting and outrageous.
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Comments:
May '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Meanwhile, the media bombards them with PhotoShopped thinness that glorifies hollow eyed women who looks like they've spent the last year in a Nazi Concentration camp.
May '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
And it never goes away- like so much of the public school rubbish, this is educational malpractice. Rubber Duckie struggles to find jeans that are petite enough for her, and she still sees herself as a 14 year old (um, that was "several" years ago), when she thought she was too heavy.
I wonder if they pay as much attention to teaching the little darlings to read?
May '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Since we're talking Arizona here, what do they do with fat kids that crossed the border illegally?
Jul '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
I say cut the school system budget by 10% annually until this sort of rubbish dries up and blows away. The next step will be esteem training for the little darlings. And free prophylactics. Oh, wait, that's already in place.
Oh, and to provide proper role models, the most overweight administrator in the school system could be sacked on a monthly basis.
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Diane: I couldn't agree more. Does this mean I have to take back all the nice things I said about Arizona when Obama was declaring war on the state? What is Governor Brewer's position on this?
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
David Limbaugh: Diane: I couldn't agree more. Does this mean I have to take back all the nice things I said about Arizona when Obama was declaring war on the state? What is Governor Brewer's position on this? · Nov 22 at 3:59pm
So far, it appears to be a purely local issue for the Flagstaff school district. I'm not sure whether it would be wise for Governor Brewer to come out with an official position on this one quite yet. The first order of business is for Flagstaff parents to go raise heck over this demeaning policy.
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Diane Ellis, Ed.
David Limbaugh: Diane: I couldn't agree more. Does this mean I have to take back all the nice things I said about Arizona when Obama was declaring war on the state? What is Governor Brewer's position on this? · Nov 22 at 3:59pm
So far, it appears to be a purely local issue for the Flagstaff school district. I'm not sure whether it would be wise for Governor Brewer to come out with an official position on this one quite yet. The first order of business is for Flagstaff parents to go raise heck over this demeaning policy. · Nov 22 at 4:18pm
Wise counsel.
Aug '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Lone Ranger updated.
"Who was that masked woman ? We certainly owe her alot for saving our kids ! We will miss her . Who was that masked woman ?
I dont know but she left this . What did she leave ? This silver salad bar in the elementary school stocked with nutritious , but marginally tasty fiber and roughage . How can we ever thank her ?"
.....What do you mean "we" kemosabe ?
Edited on November 23, 2010 at 10:49pmNov '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Ma'am, you obviously grew into a lovely and talented young lady, whose appearance belies your younger days. I am the father of three daughters and the grandfather of three more, and I can think of nothing more cruel than putting down a child with words or in other ways.
Growing up is a difficult business under the best of circumstances and the imposition of additional burdens on children is cruel and counter productive. One of the most beautiful women I have known during a long life was a chubby little girl. And, more important, the fact that a young person is neat and clean and respectful is a far more important guide to nature of the person with whom one will deal in later life than the body mass index.. Character is king, in my experience.
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Thank you, M.
And you're absolutely correct that character is king. But it's tough work to impart real knowledge to a child and to help that child develop a good character. Much easier to stock up the cafeteria with carrot sticks than to make sure the faculty is rich in talented teachers...
Jul '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Another front on the government's "War on Citizens."
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
I don't see the problem. Why shouldn't the school give a physical assessment? Schools are not just places of mental instruction, but also physical instruction; hence PE, health class, DARE programs, etc. All schools do academic assessment exams, comparing a child's academic performance to that which is normal; why then is it crossing the line doing that with health? I also seriously doubt that slightly chubby/husky children will raise concern of the school, since many of those children will lose that weight once they hit their growth spurt.
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Mao Zehedgehog: I also seriously doubt that slightly chubby/husky children will raise concern of the school, since many of those children will lose that weight once they hit their growth spurt. · Nov 22 at 6:50pm
From the article:
Jul '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Some first hand experience seems in order. My daughter (age 5) had a checkup two months ago. She was classified in the 88th percentile in height and the 90th in weight. The PA said to my wife (in front of the girl) that she was overweight, and needed adjustments in her diet.
First, it's worth noting that the girl refused about every other meal for roughly two weeks. When she was asked why she didn't want to eat she said, "I don't want to get fat."
Second, it's worth noting that the wife and I call her "bean", as in string bean, because she is long and thin. She's built like me, and I'm 5'11 and closing in on 160lbs as I near 40. She has broad shoulders and long arms and legs (like all the gorillas in my family) and her wingspan undoubtedly exceeds her height.
Third, the PA in question is clearly a fool, probably she was "getting back at us" because we complained about long wait times when our infant son had an ear infection the previous week.
That said, she is undoubtedly more professional than some public school bureaucrat.
May '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Flagstaff parents should report any fat teachers to the school board.
And Mao, I'd say what makes this policy so offensive is the school district's assuming it is more qualified to assess the basic lifestyle choices of families than are the families themselves. Reporting academic achievement is another matter: that is their area of expertise and responsibility. They're teachers, afterall. But just teachers. My wife and I can figure out all on our own what to feed our kids.
Jun '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
There will always be fat kids. There will always be stupid kids. I would like Arizona schools to focus on reducing the number of stupid kids.
Fat adults might vote Republican. Stupid adults will always vote Democrat.
Aug '10
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
Line of the week, perhaps?
Re: Arizona's War on Fat Kids and Their Parents
It's not necessarily the diet. When we were younger our diets were probably worse (I frequently at a KFC derivative called Kentucky Beef) but our parents made us walk and ride our bikes EVERYWHERE. Now parents chauffuer their kids everywhere so they get fatter. But in those days there were hundreds of kids flooding the streets riding or walking to school at 7:30 am. Today, if your kid does it, he's weird, alone, and somewhat of a target.
AND if I was growing up today I wouldn't want to ride my bike anywhere if the government is going to take every last ounce of fun out of bicycles by making me wear a helmut. Forget it. Drive my fat body around town or I'll sit here and play video games all day.