Final Word: Fat letters? Schools need to supersize common sense
Oct 8, 2013, 10:30 PM | Updated: 10:30 pm
Did you see the story about the 11-year-old Florida girl who got a “fat letter” sent by her school?
You may have heard about these fat letters. School districts in 30 states have begun sending letters home with kids, intended for the parents, if a child’s BMI is above a certain level.
No doubt, kids in the U.S. (not to mention the adults) have a weight problem. But this girl, at 5’5″ and 124 pounds, is the star player on her school’s volleyball team. She is in excellent physical shape and her family is dedicated to healthy eating and healthy living. Not to mention, she’s 11.
Ever had an 11-year-old girl? Ever BEEN an 11-year-old girl?
If you haven’t had the pleasure, let me assure you, it can be really unpleasant.
I agree that schools should be able to help kids who don’t have great examples at home if they are dealing with a weight problem. But can we give girls going through puberty a break for a couple years?
And if you play all the sports at school and can bench press half your body weight, you should also get a pass. Just like the silly rules that get kids suspended for pointing a Pop Tart gun on the playground, the fat letter rules in school could use a Supersize portion of common sense.
