REMEMBER some of the inane things you used to be graded on in elementary school? Handwriting, teamwork and behavior grades routinely appear on the report cards of young students. But if Democrat Texas State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte has her way, students will be evaluated on something even more ridiculous alongside their grades in mathematics, science, social studies and English. Van de Putte has proposed that Texan students' weights, or more specifically, their Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements, be included on their academic report cards.
BMI is a measurement that takes into account both weight and height, and was developed primarily for use in statistical studies correlating health outcomes with obesity. It is a more comprehensive measurement than body weight, which can be misleading due to variations in height. Because BMI measurements more accurately describe the proportionality between body fat and muscle mass, they provide a better approximation of overall fitness.
The aim ofVan de Putte's legislative initiative is a noble one. Americans have the fastest-growing rate of obesity in the world. Just last week, The Cavalier Daily reported that "Virginia has had the largest nationwide increase in the percentage of citizens who are obese in the last 12 years." This has been attributed largely to Americans' eating and exercise habits, as well as parents who are uneducated about the health consequences of obesity or do not see a problem with their children's weights. To instill the importance of healthy eating and physical fitness at an early age is likely the best way to combat the obesity endemic.
The overweight are prone to heart and lung diseases and diabetes, among other complications. In addition, obese Americans are subject to increased prevalence of clinical depression due to increased awareness of their physical appearances. Depression is often worsened by lack of success in losing weight, which may result in increased weight gain. The consequences of being constantly reminded of our weights heavily impacts American teenagers, who are increasingly sensitive to others' perceptions of them. This heightened sensitivity can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
While education is the best resource we have to fight against obesity, we must recognize a fundamental difference between preventative education andVan de Putte's scheme.
The act, which has been referred to jestingly as "No Fat Child Left Behind," would most likely have the effect of lowering students' self-esteem levels. To a large extent, it punishes children for their parents' failures, as young children are not responsible for making their own nutritional choices. Tying students' appearances to evaluation of their academic performances could only serve to negatively affect both, providing a constant reminder that some students are "naturally" better others, and perhaps even fostering the idea that there is a correlation between physical fitness and academic performance. This is not an idea that schools should be in the business of reinforcing.
Further, the legislation would have important social consequences for students. Overweight children are already heavily ostracized by their peers, especially during their teenage years. This negative treatment often persists into adulthood. Grading students' weights would actively encourage students to compare their appearances to their peers', just as they compare their academic performances. This could have profound consequences for students' evaluation of their own self-worth and could cause them psychological turmoil. It may also lead to a greater prevalence of eating disorders and suicides among teenagers.
There are better and safer methods of achievingVan de Putte's goals, which include decreasing the prevalence of childhood diabetes, than listing students' BMIs alongside their academic grades. Educators are perhaps in the best position to provide both students and parents with the education and tools that would help them to lead healthy lifestyles.
Americans have learned a powerful lesson about the link between education and prevention in the past two decades; education efforts have severely curtailed the transmission of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of teenage pregnancy. Our nation's overweight youth are in need of positive reinforcement, not the negative reinforcement that Van de Putte's bill would provide. Legislators and educators must focus on educating both parents and students from an early age if they wish to successfully combat our nation's growing obesity endemic.
Todd Rosenbaum's column appears Thursdays in the Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at trosenbaum@cavalierdaily.com.
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