The Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action more than two years ago adopted a policy statement opposing the "growing problem of mandatory school weigh-ins."
Too bad officials in Tennessee and other states apparently aren't aware of the coalition's position, since the movement to weigh & measure children in the name of fighting "childhood obesity" continues to grow.
A Nov. 4, 2004 article on the coalition's website reports that the EDC Board of Directors "voted in favor of a statement that denounces the efforts of school personnel to use mandatory weigh-ins and calculations of body fat in the fight against childhood obesity."
The Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action opposes the practice of mandatory body fat testing, weigh-ins, or calculations of Body Mass Index (BMI) by school personnel, because of the risk of inadvertently promoting eating disorders. In the event of testing or calculation school officials should be 1) be trained about eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorders, 2) receive written parental permission prior to conducting these practices, and 3) respect the right to refuse such screening by parents or students.
Posted by: |