Curiosity
School Fat Letter: School Calls 5’5″, 124 Pound Girl Obese
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Upset: Mother Kristen Grasso doesn't understand how her tall, in-shape daughter Lilly Grasso is considered by her school to be overweight[/caption]
Florida Mom Upset about School Fat Letters
Grasso, became upset, when receiving a "school fat letter" regarding her eleven year old daughter, Lily, stating, "by no means is she overweight". A BMI of 22 placed her in the obese range for children in the overweight classification of the 85-95 percentile range. The Centers for Disease Control says that children whose BMIs are in the 85th to 95th percentile are considered overweight.
Dr. Dyan Hes, founder of Gramercy Pediatrics of American Board of Obesity Medicine, New York City, states: "It's a screening tool...schools don't have the money to do MRIs on each student to calculate his or her actual body fat. By including the BMI screening in the mandatory health screenings a reading indicates whether the child needs to cut down on fats."
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Outraged: Lilly Grasso (at left playing volleyball, and right wither her mother) was labeled overweight by her Florida school, her mother is hitting back at the state, citing self-esteem ceoncerns[/caption]
Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association, says she's "totally opposed to BMI report cards - that they can lead to discrimination and bullying and can actually encourage unhealthy eating behaviors in children who are labeled too heavy."
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A 5'5", 124 pound girl has been called fat by her school in a letter sent home to her mother
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20 states have mandatory health screening programs measuring BMI because obesity in children tripled in 30 years in America.
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At risk: The absurd letter said the girl was 'at risk' for severe health problems due to her weight[/caption]
According to Canada the Childhood Obesity Foundation, like many nations, is in the midst of an epidemic of overweight and obesity. Currently, 59% of adult Canadians are either overweight or obese1. Cities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were significantly higher in overweight/obesity population than the national average for adults2.
