Help or Humiliation

 As if children didn’t already have enough on their emotional ride through puberty to deal with, schoolyard bullies, failing grades, embarrassing body changes, now some well meaning but misguided school district officials are entertaining the idea of taking it upon themselves to determine whether the children attending their schools are overweight, or appear to be headed that way. Parents of children that are deemed obese, or “obese prone” by school officials will receive a letter warning them of their child’s “condition” according to school measurements.  And just how do they make this determination? Why, by weighing each and every child of course. Sounds like one more way to make P.E.a traumatic event that will haunt them all their lives. Even childhood experts and dietitians are in agreement that this is not the way to deal with childhood obesity, and that any school districts doing this are misguided and will undoubtedly do more harm than good. As parents, the need to be aware of our children’s health and weight issues is understood. However, the deliberate humiliation of our children by the adults we as parents trust their care to will never be understood.