Joanne Jacobs writes about a Texas legislator who is advocating a bill that would require all schools to measure students' Body Mass Index and place it on their report cards because "We should be just as concerned with students' physical health and performance as we are with their academic performance," said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio.
If this sounds familiar, it is because Texas is ten months behind Arkansas. Last March I wrote about an NPR report on the state of Arkansas doing essentially the same thing--wanting to weigh the kids and tell their parents if it were found that they were fat. . This is what I wrote:
"I heard [this] on NPR's Morning Edition today. Is this not a ridiculous waste of public money? Hey kid, as if your peers haven't teased you enough, you're fat, and we're telling your mommy. Hey, why not try something more practical like, removing the junk food and soda machines from the schools? Or...Having school cafeterias serve actual healthy meals. Or better yet...bring back P.E.!!!! Duh! The same public schools that have cut health and physical education programs, are now spending the money they've saved to weigh kids and tell their parents that they are fat. Brilliant. "
This is what I think the states are really up to: Covering their own ass. As I mentioned before, schools have drastically cut PE and recess, have placed junk-food machines in schools, and serve extremely fattening fried meals (especially in states like Texas and Arkansas--I know) Now, this is their "disclaimer." When the entire state wisens up and decides to sue the schools for systematically making thier kids obese, the schools can just do as the Tobacco companies have done and say "it's not like we didn't warn you!"
Dammit. Bring back recess. Reinstate PE. Serve healthy food.
Can someone in San Antonio pass this on to Senator Van de Putte?
12:07:14 AM 
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