Battling the Bulge in Florida Schools

Pensacola Students Letters mailed to parents today informing them if their child is overweight.

by Debbie Williams

Published: Mon, December 10, 2007 - 3:36 pm CST

Letters are going out to some Escambia County Florida parents letting them know if their child's weight is above or below the healthy range for their age group.
The number of overweight students is down. That decrease is the result of a lot of work over the last four years.
Things are changing in Florida schools. From PE classes to the food in the cafeteria. It's all an effort to get a handle on childhood obesity.
"And we're seeing a change and the BMI are coming down," says school nurse Martha Hanna.
BMI is the body mass index, one of several health screenings offered to students at the beginning of the school year. The weight is written down it's not said out loud, if the student wants to know we'll show them it's on their paper but not announced to anybody else. It's all very private."
For the last four years the Escambia County school district has been working on exercise and nutrition programs to help battle the bulge and that work seems to be paying off according to Superintendent Jim Paul. "It's really unique to see these types of trends not just flat, but going down in terms of the health of our children which is getting better."
Letters go out to parents who agreed to having their children tested. This year: 63 percent were in the normal range. 35 percent were either overweight or at risk for becoming overweight and 2 percent were underweight.
Hanna says the news isn't always welcome. "Most of the time they're supportive, once and a while someone gets upset with the letter their child is overweight or at risk for being overweight and they get offended and then we have an opportunity to talk with them and let them know we're not trying to offend them we're trying to raise their awareness and help them to make some changes."
But the news is necessary for healthier futures.
Almost 12 thousand students were tested. Letters with the results of the body mass index for students who were tested were mailed from the Escambia County Public Health Department.

Do you think schools should? Or should not evaluate students to determine if they are underweight, overweight or at an average weight?

45% Should
47% Should Not
8% Not Sure

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