I was thinking the exact same thing.

I’m also surprised that any government agency which thought that it needed to tell parents that their kids were fat would actually refer to these kids as “overweight” or “obese”. That is sooo politically incorrect.

A better phrase would be “vertically challenged”. Little Timmy is not “fat”, he is just vertically challenged; too short for his weight. According to our current standards he should be 9’-4 3/4” tall.

Yeah! One more example of government waste on a program that obviously isn't working! Bet they revamp the same unsuccessful program with new guidelines and regulations that obtains the exact same results at 10 times the cost.........

Here's a novel idea, stop serving pizza, hamburgers and fries at school and I'll bet some of the kids might actually loose a few pounds. Just a thought.

I'll have you know that I'm quite the gamer, and I'm almost UNDER weight! Granted my metabolism must be astounding, but seriously, it's gotten to where my parents (who can be health nuts at times) encourage places like McDonald's so I can gain weight. A sedentary lifestyle can certainly be a factor, but please don't stigmatize TV/Games/Computers as they are great opportunities for creativity and imagination.

Well, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) estimates 1 in 10 kids has a mental illness. NIMH (National Institutes of Mental Health) has data from long-term studies (NHANES) that say ~50% of kids with mental illness has been treated in any way, not just meds. Putting those two stats together, maybe up to 1 in 20 kids is on psychotropic meds. The NHANES study on kids also shows about 1 in 3 is overweight and 16% of kids/teens are obese.

Further, realize that not all meds cause weight gain and some, like Ritalin (ie ADHD) actually list anorexia and weight LOSS as side effects. I'd venture a guess these are more prescribed than antipsychotics, etc, which do generally cause weight gain, excessive or slight. So the numbers just don't add up. Psychotropic meds are responsible for SOME overweight/obesity, but not a majority. There's a bigger problem than just meds causing obesity, it's the American lifestyle causing obesity.

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Here is a thought...maybe, just maybe, kids are being over medicated. Parents seem to think that if there is a problem of any kind, medicine will fix it when, in reality, non-medical treatments (counseling, more time and attention from parents, getting the kids involved with extracurricular activities, etc.) might be more effective.

I believe in sending kids out to play and run off excess energy. I also believe that -some- kids need medication, but perhaps a few are being medicated for no other reason than their parents/teachers don't know how to deal with them. I just question how many kids in this study were medicated and if there could be a correlation between the two.

That's unlikely if it's based on his BMI, since it adjusts for height. It's a pretty unrealistic measurement tho, IMO, and doesn't take into account physical health.

I Have a 14 yr old son that is overweight and I was an overweight kid but my Mom and Dad brother and sister were skinny my MOm still weighs 110lbs at 52. I have never been obese but never skinny, I truly think genetics and also food addiction play a part. I have had my son in every sport and he is conditioning for High School football 5 days a week 3 hours a day all this summer. I am in shock he has only lost 3lbs. I was really hoping for more but it is hard for these kids to lose weight. I am a single Mom and I can't police everything 24/7 and believe me I see a nurtionist and I don't buy snack food, candy EVER and I try to cook low carbs. My son will eat fruit and salads with fat free dressing and he will even cook at his age but over eating with someone that easily gains weight even with healthy foods will still gain weight. My Mom had me on every diet you can think of from Atkins, Nutri-System, and weight watchers before age 11. I even had a personal trainer for 1 year and only lost 10lbs gaining muscle. I never felt good enough for my skinny family but I will say I am healthier than most of them even being "overweight". I believe that if the school is letting a child eat like that and sham on your for not stepping in and confronting the child or contacting the parents! I have no idea what my son eats at school , I do know I don't send ANYTHING to school and he isn't allowed to take money because I know they have soda and snack/vending machines. I would love to a call from a teacher warning me that my son's eating habits at school are out of control. It's negative attitudes and treating kids like they are stupid or beneath "normal" sized children that triggers the behavior as well. These kids have very few friends low self esteems and are killing themselves. I am not blaming you for any child being overweight that would be ignorant but please don't feed into the negativity and hate especially being a supposed example for these kids. I know budget cuts are tight but I am praying someday we as a nation will wake up and realize more of our kids are overweight or obese than not and we can start putting PE any physical education back in schools! DO you know my daughter's elementary school doesn't allow RUNNING on the playground?? Are you seriously kidding me? THey can't play tag or do much of anything and they have no field not much to do and my daughter says she basically stands around talking to other kids. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM!!! I send my daughter cold lunch also daily because she can't stand the school food for one and two it's healthier some of the food is high in fat and something I wouldn't feed my dog!!!! I hope you read this and think about the next time you see a child hurting and reach out to them not talk about how disgusting you think they are!

TJHarris - sorry to have to point this out, but how good a teacher are you if you can't spell "potato"?

I think TJHarris' point is that a report card on weight will not make a difference if there is denial on the part of the parents. Also, I'm fairly confident that there are words that you misspell, as does everyone from time to time. Does this mean you are not good at your job?

Not having PT is a huge problem. But having parents not recognize their is an issue with weight and nutrition in there family is also a huge problem. This young man eats like that because that is how he eats at home. Another problem is also that fact that it costs a lot more to eat healthy, natural, and organic then to eat junk food. It also takes more time to prepare homemade food then packaged, pre-made or fast food.

Steph-your son is probably healthy, as you probably are (my assumption from your post) because you care. For many people the "perfect" size is not a reasonable goal. But being healthy at any size is. I was and still am (at 30 lbs overweight) the fat one in my family. I am however healthier than my skinny sister and last time we were out she got mistaken for my mom (she is 15 months older).

ABCzyx-if my spelling error is all you got out of my post then you didn't bother to read it or get my point.

TJHarris- I did read your post and I get your point. Perhaps you didn't get the point of my post, which is that you are a teacher and should be able to correctly spell words as simple as "potato". In addition, you should know to check your work using spell-check. How can students be expected to succeed when their teachers can't spell basic, simple words and then attempt to shrug off the error when someone brings it to light. I teach chemistry at a major university and have begun to deduct points from papers, lab reports and exams when students don't use proper grammar, spelling or punctuation simply because the situation as become so bad. One would expect college students to know better, but how can they when their grade school teachers can't set good examples for them?

Since my forgetting the spell-check button on that post offended you so badly I apologize. That you are a college professor doesn't get a lot of respect from me. You only teach the "cream of the crop". Most there on Mommy and Daddy's dollar.

My students are hard working students with learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities (some states call this mentally retarded), and emotional-behavioral disabilities. They are the students most colleges don't want on campus.

TJ Harris - Disregard the spell check comment. I appreciate your informed perspective and I recognize the difficult job you have. I would not call someone's teaching ability into question on the basis of a single typo. ABC needs to get some perspective. I am surprised that a chemistry professor would draw a conclusion based on a single data point. I agree that we should strive to have accurate spelling and grammar but there are too many posters on these threads that focus on silly spelling errors and miss the content. I see no purpose in such an exchange. Maybe they have attention control issues.

I wish it were mandatory in high school! I was only allowed (you can only take a class once) to take PE for half a year during the 4yrs I was there. Major fail.

I agree, but they need to have DIFFERENT PE classes too. In other words, learn different games, skills, exercises each year. Also, gear the classes to "life skill" sports -- things they can participate in and enjoy throughout their lives. Ironically, video games can be incorporated -- like the Wii ones where you dance, play sports, etc.

EVERY grade in school needs MANDATORY physical education; no matter what "condition" the student has. If they are in a wheel chair have exercises they can do in a wheel chair. Broken ankle; arm exercises. Broken arm; run. Stop allowing them to sit out or otherwise get out of gym.

However, that being said, the classes need to expect what students are ABLE to do. I was forced in high school to run hurdles or fail the class (required for graduation). I could not jump; had nothing to do with my fitness I'm just not physically able to do it, or wasn't taught how well enough to clear them. It really was a sick prank by the phys ed teacher; if you weren't a *star* athelete at the school you could NOT get a grade better than a C in phys ed- absolutely no one who wasn't top of the sport/sports they were in ever got better than a C. He got his kicks laughing at me and encouraging everyone else in the class to laugh as I hit one hurdle, fell, got up and jumped again just to hit the next one and fall again. I ripped every muscle in my legs and back and could barely walk for at least two weeks after that nightmare....

I could run though. I didn't enjoy it but I could; so that's what I wish I could have been allowed to do in order to get that C so I could pass.

My sport? Horseback riding. That's what I went to college to study. I was good at that; not exactly offered in high school :)

I doubt that most schools could run to horseback riding! But I take your point. I was forced in to gymnastics, hurt myself because I was not physically built to be a gymnast. They laughed at me too. (Doesn't mean I couldn't do other sports -- which I did.)

As I said earlier, I think PE these days needs to be geared to "life skills". It needs to foster a liking, if not a love, for physical activity -- and activities that can continue into older adulthood. Teach tennis, bowling, "race walking", biking, even dance. A key is not limiting things to team sports (such as baseball) but to foster individual pursuits.

Also an earlier point -- video games CAN be used; that's what the kids are used to. But use the ones that DON'T tie them to the couch! There are plenty of them out there!

I totally agree; PE needs to be life skills; not who is the sports super-star or to compete. Anything to get kids moving. My daughter happens to love gymnastics and competes. She's a great athelete. However, I don't expect the school to do more than simple gymnastics skills with students; I was also not built for gymnastics and it would have traumatized me to be forced to participate in that! I have the height (under 5'4) but scoliosis and trouble with flexibility.

My son bikes and runs, and participates in Boy Scouts. He's in pretty good shape though not so much an athelete I'm not worried about him since he does get out and move. I don't want either of my kids to give up sports and activities as I did when I was young; many of my favorite sports I gave up as it became clear that I was not star athelete material and began getting teased about the lack of athletic prowess.... PE was based on competition too, and that didn't help me any.

Don't forget, this is California we are talking about.

The schools have no business interferring with the way that children are raised. The money spent worrying about notifying parents that their kids are overweight, which they can clearly see by looking at their children, would be better spent and more effective overall if it were used to teach courses in nutrition and execise. Most kids want to learn and will listen it they are taught.

You don't think the health of the kids is of concern to the schools?

As a teacher, we cannot "raise" the children we have. We can give them all the health/nutrition classes in the world. However, if the home is not invested, it just doesn't work. Never has. That is why we need to stick with what does work-teaching academics.

You don't think the health of the kids is of concern to the schools?

Capt Tripps - I don't think that it is the responsibility of the schools and teachers to raise the kids. Sending letters to parents to inform them that their kids are overweight isn't going to change the home life of the students. Most parents don't have the time or money to make the effort to change. Many just plain don't care. Teach the kids proper nutrition and health in order to give them a foundation to make the changes that they can make on their own regardless of how unmotivated the parents might be. That will help the kids to make informed decisions. More might opt for yogurt and fruit when they stop at McDonald's with their friends for a snack than will opt for a burger.

The BMI charts are very limited in the accuracy. Anyone over 6 foot if they have the weight to support the height is overweight. At 6'6" my husband is considered overweight once he is above 190 lbs. He has never weighed 190 as an adult and if he did he would be skeletal. The BMI charts are exactly what you said Bull****!! Keep telling the school that and advocating for him.

The schools also need to provide healthier lunches and breakfast.

AngTink - the schools don't care because changing their standard menus would increase costs. When was it ever decided that kids should be given the option of flavored, sweetened milk rather than the good old white variety?

I haven't eaten school lunch in years and my 4th grader never eats it. That way I know what she eats and what I eat.