The Barr Code

By Truth B Known

March 7, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this

I am all for it. Lets have government track everything. They can track Sunday School and Church attendance. Success rate of the family when you go fishing. Number of hours watching TV. Which newspaper you read. What color car you have. The length of grass on your front lawn (seperate stats for the back yard). Of course we won’t have any water to drink and will be fighting with each other over the last beer on Sunday….but hey. The government is surely looking after us…or are they tracking us? Think about it.

By MamaS

March 7, 2008 8:00 AM | Link to this

The insurance companies will benefit from this. The weights will become a part of the permanent record. When the child is an adult and is applying for life insurance or health insurance these stats can be used to justify higher rates or reduced coverage due to the “pre-existing condition” of obesity.

By What?

March 7, 2008 8:23 AM | Link to this

If “fat kids” are truely a concern, daily PE and recess should be mandetory. Let’s remedy the problem, not just measure it.

By Nickie

March 7, 2008 8:25 AM | Link to this

If the legislature wants to actually do something about obesity in children a place to start is to mandate a half hour of PE per day in school. Or perhaps use the money to better the lunch program. Offer good food that kids will actually like and severely limit sweets and salty snacks. In other words, do something instead of simply making a record of what is wrong!

By Camille

March 7, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this

Will this also be a requirement at private schools?

By georgiateacher

March 7, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this

wow…I actually agree with Bob Barr on something..the world is coming to an end..

By knowitall

March 7, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this

Please tell me that the Goverment of the State of Georgia has something better to do with its time, oh wait we do, Annexation of Tennessee. Vote these people out of office when we ge the chance.

By margaret

March 7, 2008 8:40 AM | Link to this

have we lost our minds? State legislators don’t have anything better to do? It’s none of their business.

By Bob

March 7, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this

Thank you for again bringing to light a reason government school systems are due for an impolite exit from the cultural landscape of America.

By Francesco

March 7, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this

I think they somehow identified part of an issue but have the wrong remedy.

Obesity is one of the issues associated with poor nutrition in schools and measuring kids is not a solution but increasing the budget for proper food is. This is not about dieting but providing kids with safe, tasty and balanced nutrition as opposed to junk food, soda…

Lots of research has now shown that goes into our body is not only influencing our weight but our learning capabilities (Omega 3 research), the chance of getting sick later…..

So instead of measuring kids lets start by feeding them right

By swhite

March 7, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this

As an educator and a parent, P.E. once a week is a joke! In my youth, we had P.E. AND RECESS! It is not only physically healthy but mentally as well. When the SMART PEOPLE decided that more classroom time would raise test scores, somebody forgot to ask a child, “Do you believe that sitting in a classroom all day will make you a better student or a frustrated one?”. Increase phys-ed. and let teachers teach instead of TEACHING TO THE TEST and maybe things will improve…just a thought.

By Carl

March 7, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this

They don’t know simple math or how to read a ruiler, how do you think they will figure this out.

By DonA

March 7, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

This is idiocy, plain and simple. Why not pass a law requiring the parents to be responsible for once?

By Judy

March 7, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

I agree with the person who said if we are concerned why not have more p.e.? We were shocked with our oldest started high school this year - p.e. requirement - ONE SEMESTER. That was it only one semester is required. WOW, I remember having to take at least 2 - 3 years of p.e.

I also don’t understand what the BMI testing is supposed to do. Fortunately, both of my kids are within the normal range but if they weren’t do you think that I wouldn’t be aware of that? If parents ignore their children’s health daily will a paper from the school change that?

By Elle

March 7, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this

Because children don’t have enough things to be teased about already… And what are they going to do about it once they’ve determined that a child or school is “fat”?

By Dr. Craig Spinks

March 7, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this

In re: “…Georgia schools consistently rank at or near the bottom of the national scholastic scales.” Want a challenge? Try to find your school system’s results on The Iowa Test of Basic Skills(ITBS), a measure mandated for all GA school systems by the legislature. Could the inaccessibility of these results be related to the fact that the kids, particularly our 8th-graders, in many of our school systems are outperformed by most other kids tested on this nationally-normed measure? We wouldn’t want to embarrass any local educrats, now would we?

By DonA

March 7, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this

This is idiocy, plain and simple. Why not pass a law requiring the parents to be responsible for once?

By gasunshine

March 7, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this

For the first time… I actually agree with you Mr. Barr.

By mdw

March 7, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this

Schools are already responsible for many jobs parents should be doing. Do we give up teaching standards of core subjects for this weighing, measuring, extra PE and recess? I agree that school lunches need to be revamped. Check the calorie count of a daily school meal. Schools have no control over the amounts of junk they buy and allow their children to eat daily. TV and video games have replaced outside phyical play once again school have no conrol of this behavior. It is time to hold parents responsible!

By Jim

March 7, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this

Couldn’t agree more!!! When are the we “modern” society going to put the responsibility back where it belongs - the parents. If the people don’t want to incure the self-responsibility of raising children… don’t have them!!!

By Slow Frank Harrris

March 7, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

It was under the Joe Frank Harris administration that PE and Driver’s Education were dropped for the almighty Quality Based Education standards. Since then we have had teenage carnage on our highways and “fat kids” piling up at school.

Thank you Joe Frank!

By ELLE

March 7, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

This is such an intrusion.

What next… diets for those kids who are too fat? then punishment for the parents for their contribution to the kid being over-weight?

What next make the kids open their mouths to see if they flossed / brushed?

Followed by… did you wipe / not wipe?

With our test scores so low, drop out rates so high, over-crowding, and other problems… our elected officials went for this one? Amazing!

By Mike

March 7, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this

I believe that parents should be responsible for the education of their children, including health, and that schools are one of the primary tools parents can use in accomplishing that goal. However, when it comes to health education, the majority of parents are woefully unprepared and unwilling to teach their children the proper lessons in regards to healthy habits. This fact is evidenced by the number of children developing childhood obesity along with other chronic diseases such as diabetes due to diets full of overly processed foods coupled with a lack of physical activity. If parents are unable to teach healthful habits to their children, then the schools should take the initiative.

I commonly hear excuses such as “He/She won’t eat anything but (insert refined processed food)” or “He/She won’t eat any vegetables.” Parents who make these types of excuses are being lazy, and are simply avoiding confrontation with their children. Do any of you actually think that a child would willingly starve itself by refusing to eat forever if nothing but whole foods were presented at meal times? Furthermore, many parents are passively encouraging their children to live slothful lifestyles by allowing them to sit around playing video games and watching TV rather than playing outside.

Granted, these problems will not be solved by tracking the growing waistlines of your fat little children, but I like the idea that the schools are taking some initiative in tracking the problem. Information is the key to solving problems, and by tracking the results of parents’ efforts to fatten their children the government is taking the first step toward tackling the problem. The next steps would be to require at least 1 hour of physical activity during the school day along with only providing whole, nutritious foods for lunch. By nutritious I mean vegetables that have not been cooked to oblivion and whole grains. Maybe once the children have learned some healthy habits at school they can go home and teach their parents.

By Pepsi-Coke

March 7, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this

Just a little suggestion. Why not place drink and snack machines in public schools in a central location rather than all over the schools themselves? They could also then be placed on a dedicated circuit to turn them off thus preventing their usage at unauthorized times.

Just trying to find a solution, one step at a time.

By Linda

March 7, 2008 9:10 AM | Link to this

Hmmmmm, shouldn’t we be spending more time worrying about the graduation rate and the teacher shortages in Georgia? Let’s allow Mommy and Daddy worry about their children’s weight.

By Harper's Mama

March 7, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this

I think that many people are missing the point of Mr. Barr’s editorial…or maybe I just want him to think like I do: Schools and teachers are becoming more and more responsible for the wellbeing of students. We are required to go behind them and make sure they did their work; we are responsible for calling and emailing parents the students’ progress, even though it can be seen via internet; we are required to fill out forms for everything from testing to detention. It’s no wonder that Georgia is at the bottom or that students are failing in college. Schools don’t have time to adequately teach the students, as educators are bogged down with all of the other things that are now required of them. NOWHERE in No Child Left Behind does it make parents responisble for taking their child to school. NOWHERE does it say that if a child is absent, doesn’t graduate, or is a chronic behavior problem, that the parents should be more vigilant in their care of their child.
It’s another thing that the government wants for teachers and schools to do because the parents are too lazy, too inept, or simply too wrapped up in their own selves to look after the success of their child at school.
Sure! Let’s weight them! Then maybe we can teach them how to spell.

By ML

March 7, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this

Great now we get to keep track of your child’s weight, on top of feeding them breakfast, teaching them manners, teaching them lifeskills, sex education, social skills and holding them in the office when they are sick because the parents won’t come and get them. Why not just let the schools raise the children, why bother to even have parents?????

By Jana

March 7, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

I wonder how long it will take someone to sue over this law.

In the medical/diet community there is debate that BMI is not an appropriate measure of obeseity, because muscle weighs more than fat. A highly muscular person’s BMI will be higher, because on average he will weight more, but he won’t necessarily be obese. So is BMI even an appropriate measure of obeseity?

By Dusty

March 7, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

Bob Barr sounds very practical to me. Well, most of the time. This one is right on target.

What I wonder is; how do schools that excel on all standards (something Georgia never achieves) solve all problems? Is there some secret that we are missing?

Georgia schools will be the next health spa for healthy, poorly educated children. Our children are now graded “ignorant”. Let’s work on that problem first although we may have to start with the parent’s lack of education.

As many have said, it all boils down to being “good” parents who are responsible for their children.

By Pavel

March 7, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

1) Part of fixing a problem is to measure it. You can’t fix something you don’t know about. So yes, I support BMI reporting. 2) Absolutely make PE a DAILY requirement. 3) The obesity problem is BIGGER than whether some kid knows who discovered America. This health issue will cost this country BILLIONS in the very near future unless it is addressed. If we have to spend money on childhood diabetes, that’s less we can spend on teachers.

By Katie

March 7, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this

Not only do the children need ‘fat’ monitors, the parents need it too. So do nurses, teachers, bus drivers and everyone else. Fat is bad!! Get out, exercise, eat less, boycott fast food and lose some weight people.

By wakeup

March 7, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this

People are only complaining because it doesnt benefit the PARENTS. No one complains when the school steps in to do the parents’ jobs that the parents do not want to do…examples:

Free Lunch for kids (parents that demand it).

Free SAT/ACT testing for kids that have parents demand it. (others have to pay)

Eye and Hearing testing (elementary school)…why doesn’t anyone complain about this. Shouldn’t the parent have this done for their child?

School supplies (for parents that will not provide them to their children but of course have cell phones and cable tv)

Glasses! (I know several teachers that have taken and paid for students’ glasses to be repaired because the parents wouldnt do it)

The BMI is not a grade, it is not shared with the class and it is not used to make fun of the child. The BMI will help a responsible parent be aware that healthy eating (not dieting, there is a difference) and excercise plan may be needed.

A fat kid will be picked on and have more self esteem issues than they would ever have dealing with the issue of learning to live healthy.

By sansho1

March 7, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this

Bob Barr is so right. I remember doing this as a part of health class in my public school over 25 years ago. I was so exhausted by the thirty seconds it required that I could barely drag myself to history class later that same day, only to discover that the entire history department had been replaced by a giant nutrition scale. Aiieeeeee!!!!

By Rae

March 7, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this

Why not put together a health and safety program to have children walk to and from school?

By Red

March 7, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this

The Republicans are continuing to tighten control over our private lives. I can’t imagine where we will be with another four or eight years of their drive toward totalitarianism.

By wrkgma3

March 7, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this

This is absolutely ridiculous to me as a future educator and parent of 3 (2 school-age) children. What ever happened to the days of mom or dad taking the children to the DOCTOR?? I believe it is still standard practive to weigh and measure each patient. Why the need for this in schools? Georgia is one of the states that certainly needs better educators in order to make better students and productive members of society. Weighing and measuring BMI will certainly NOT help make our students more competitive in the real world. Let’s concentrate on bringing up reading, writing and ‘rithmetic scores! Don’t get me started on No Child Let Behind— speaking of scores!

By dionysis

March 7, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

The next time you see a fat blubbery brat in the mall, look at the mom. Guaranteed she is single, fat and blubbery too.

By Jana

March 7, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

Pavel I disagree that the obeseity problem will cost the nation billions. Maybe in the short run with treating the disease. However over time it will equal out. Obese people have a much shorter life span than those of a normal weight. so we may have to treat their problems now, but in the future, they will die out and we won’t have to support them in their old age through social security, medicaid, assisted living, nursing home care, etc…

By formula

March 7, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

Our legislators will probably just declare that the fat part of students actually resides in Tennessee.

Bob’s right on this one.

By John

March 7, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

We’re paying our legislators to do this?! I know right where the fat needs to be cut!

By hrw

March 7, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this

Someone or somebody other than parents are looking to the world of US. Fat children. However, that must start at home with every parent. We talk about getting the government out of our business; now, since we are not doing that job, they have elected to jump right in! We can’t have it both ways. I am indeed concerned about our children taking on weight at a rate that has criple their health. How can a country like our be so unconcerned about the health of our own children, yet, we spend Millions of Dollars in other countries trying to correct their problems. I have never understood this!

By jc

March 7, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this

Barr for President in 2012

By annoyed

March 7, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this

Georgia schools add more PE into our kids curriculum. In Health classes promote nutrition to our children. It’s none of their business what our kids BMI is. I don’t see the great importance of knowing this. I speak for the many parents who are involved in their kids life, well being, health, etc. We do take our kids to the pediatrician for physicals and when they are sick. It’s the parents job and our doctors should only have this information. Georgia legislators smarten up. Schools were designed for learning and to prepare our children for the future. Our kids have enough worries and peer pressure. This may be a violation of rights under the Privacy Act. I applaude Mr Bob Barr for tackling this one.

By Ona Rant

March 7, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this

The schools have enough on their plate without telling me what to put on my childs (pun intended). We have heard the gov’t point of view, let me offer a parents perspective. The obesity rate has been deemed a health issue, clearly it is, but it is also an ECONOMIC issue. It takes more money to eat healthy than it does to just eat. Ground beef and potatos are cheap; lean cuts of meat, fresh vegetables, low fat/sodium products are not. The difference may mean that a family chooses to feed four people meat loaf and mashed potatos or one person a boneless skinless chicken breast and steamed vegetables. Unless you have been there, you may not understand, but it is a real issue facing lower and middle class families today. When money is tight, you have to make sacrifices and make do with what you have. It may not be that the parents are lazy and don’t care, it could just be that they are worried about providing a roof, lights, and hot water for their family.

By sansho1

March 7, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this

The other day a representative of the government knocked on my door and told me that, due to the results of the BMI test I was administered at Chamblee High in 1982, I am now required to submit to a “Former Fat Kid” headstamping. Needless to say, I shot him. USA! USA!

By Amy

March 7, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this

Where do these laws come from? Everyone on this blog is against this BMI law, so who thinks this stuff up and gets it through the legislature? Vote these bafoons out.

By Ryan

March 7, 2008 10:58 AM | Link to this

BMI is not an accurate way to measure if kids are fat or not. Unless school’s are going to pony up and get a DEXA machine to scan these kids actual body fat percentages its a useless system.

By Richard

March 7, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this

This law needs to be overturned by the courts. I suggest that schools, school personnel as well as parents and students simply ignore the law and refuse to cooperate. Peaceful resistance for now and retribution at the next election.

By Xerox

March 7, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this

I want to measure government officials’ BMI. They all need to strip naked and be monitored in a gym. I’m sick of paying for their healthcare and sick of looking at their sagging old bodies. Where is the PE in a legislator’s schedule? Why are legislators eating fatty buttery food at restaurants?

By mamaj

March 7, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this

If the so-called lazy parents aren’t getting involved in their children’s education, why would they give a flip about you measuring their child’s BMI, considering if they even knew what that was. The common sense things that have been mentioned here like P.E. and healthy lunches, would be the obvious places to start, so it suggests to me that something else is afoot here—and it stinks to high heaven!!

By DDT

March 7, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this

The government causes the problem by subsidizing meat and corn syrup production. The government does not subsidize fruits and vegetables. Then, it blames individuals for getting fat. People got much fatter with the introduction of corn syrup into soft drinks. I just went to Guatemala, and there were no fat people. There were fruit stands everywhere you turned, and so people ate apples for snacks. All restaurants served black bean soups and plantains. Everyone walked because everything was zoned within walking distance of something. I got back to America and tried to buy refried black beans. It was $3 for one serving at the farmer’s market.

By Jana

March 7, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this

Mamaj trust me, even if the parents aren’t involved,the momma knows exactly what a bmi is, and where she falls on the scale

By Goat

March 7, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this

It’s time to get the kids back out for recess and in PE more than once a week. To all of you who think your kids will die if they go outside if it’s cooler than 50 degrees, they’ll make it. Not only will recess give then a release of pent up energy (maybe not so many kids with ADD??), it will give them a chance to socialize with their peers. And don’t worry if they fall down and don’t have a helmet on, most of us made it our entire childhood without helmets or pads. Kids are tough, let them get the exercise they need and they won’t be so FAT !!

By gvitarest

March 7, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this

By Eleanor

March 7, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

Well once again these morons think they know what is best for everyone so they stick their nose where it don’t belong. Now let’s get a law passed that each one of the lawmakers that backed this: have to invite at least 50 students and their family to their house for one meal a day at the lawmaker’s expense; another 50 and their family for another meal the same day at the lawmaker’s expense; and another 50 and their for the third meal of the day at the lawmaker’s expense. This goes on every day until every family in the state of Georgia has eaten a meal at the lawmaker’s house, at their expense. Wonder how soon they would repeal this stupid, moronic law?

By Andrew

March 7, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

Once again the legislature is an embarrassment to Georgia.

By KCL

March 7, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this

While it is preferable for the government to not do involve themselves in things like this our parents have demonstrated a total lack of understanding for the nutrition and exercise needs of our children (yes I am a parent of a 13 and 10 year old so I’m not just speaking about others). However, nutrition and exercise are vital in the ability of children to learn. Additionally, children need quality nutrition and exercise in order to avoid being diagnosed with ADD, etc. and stay off of the drugs that our doctors are so willing to dole out. Before you write a stupid article like this again why don’t you take a walk down the hallways of one of our public schools and look at the size of the students (and teachers). No this type of thing shouldn’t be needed but the results show that parents and educators will not do what is needed on their own. I’m still impressed with the Green County school board that made a decision to do something truly different, gender specific education, to make a positive difference. I’m sure you don’t agree with them doing that either. Negative attitudes about anything different like this are the reason I’ve had to spend thousands of dollars I shouldn’t have had to in order to send my children to private school. Do this, add PE back into the program at least four times a week, require parents and teachers to sit through a nutritional needs presentation, require uniforms in school as well as parent teacher conferences at least twice per year and you’ve got a start – not a silver bullet that everyone seems to want. Try making a 10% change in at least 10 things vs. looking for one thing that will create a 100% difference.

By Ml

March 7, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

How about parents letting the kids go outside and play instead of plunking them down in front of a TV or video game.

By Eleanor

March 7, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

Oh and while we are at it, how about all these big lobbyist meals these legislators’ receive - sure cuts down on their grocery budget doesn’t it? What about seniors, raising grandchildren, on fixed incomes? If they are lucky they get the equivalent of $60.00 per child to feed them for a month with food stamps. Let’s see them eat on that amount and no cheating with big expensive meals out with lobbyists, or big chow downs during the legislative season. Eat on $60.00 a month idiots and then you’ll be a little more understanding about the real facts. On the other hand they could raise food stamp allotments couldn’t they? Whoops - that might take away of their pork projects.

By KCL

March 7, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this

Excellent point MI!! However, the parents may have to go outside then and quite a few of them don’t want to - they are too tired because they are overweight.

By Tom

March 7, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this

I have already instructed my 2 kids to not participate in this government intrusion. If they are physically forced to step on the scales they were told to resist.

You people need to see that this is just another step in the government taking control of your life. Once you let this happen, there will be another “law” passed that requires you give up yet another freedom.

By Wil

March 7, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this

I’ve had weight issues at times in my life—and you know—I never needed a monitor to make me aware of it.

Besides mirrors, classmates and “peers” were always quite eager to point out things. And no matter what phase of life you’re in—people in general always seem to feel free to “weigh in” with opinions.

By Pat

March 7, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this

Okay, let’s get off the pity pot for children that are obese and eating one meal a day, 5 days a week at school. What about the other meals. Obesity is not the schools problem and shouldn’t be their concern, it’s the parent’s. It’s a first in all of history that a country would have a problem where people are too fat. A lot of it is the amount people eat, glutony and nutrition. This is not the government’s or the school’s problem and we shoulnd’t be wasting money on it.

By MC

March 7, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this

The outrage incited by this bill shows precisely how necessary it is.

By CH

March 7, 2008 2:07 PM | Link to this

Everyone keeps saying that a student’s BMI is none of the school’s business. If that is so, why should it be the school’s responsibility to keep kids in good physcial condition? Schools are not gyms. They are for education. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that physical education is necessary, but stop yelling for more PE. It all falls on the parents that won’t their kids involved in physical activities outside of school. Plus, this whole issue is for child obesity. You’d be surprised how many parents don’t know that their kid in elementary school is obese. Those parents are probably obese themselves and think its just normal. School nutrition is just fine considering it should only be one meal a day. What about the other 8 hours a day a kid is at home. Schools weren’t created to keep kids in shape, but they do plenty enough PE in order to not take away from other parts of education. So if the school wants to measure BMI, whats the big deal? It should be the same thing as the school already having your age and height on record. Parents need to know where their kid’s BMI falls with everyone else, cause I guarantee most parents have never had their kid tested in the first place.

By Charles

March 7, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this

Teachers are not as honest as they were thirty eight years ago. Perhaps teachers are not as smart either. There are two things that several of our teachers conveyed to us during my freshman year in high school; those two comments I shall never forget.

The first comment that my teachers made for class discussion is that the civil rights workers sold the masses of Negroes out, integration, for personal gains. Martin Luther King Jr. had to be murdered because of his integrity. Because he would not have permitted the so-called elite Negroes to betray the Negro masses for jobs, money, status, etc. With that understanding, Negroes within the civil rights family betrayed him into the hands of his enemies.

I will comment on my sophomoric response to my teachers on another occasion.

The second comment made by teachers thirty eight years ago is that upon graduation from high school, students should attain a college degree. If for no other purpose they said, people in society will automatically believe that you are very smart if you receive a degree from a college or university.

Even as a child, I’ve always considered myself not less than brilliant. But to say that people will believe that you are smart simply because one has attained a degree from a college or university was knowledge that a freshman in high school was not prepared to digest. I believed that people in general could discern between brilliance and lunacy. I was wrong. Attaining a degree from a college or university distorts the judgment of the masses. My teachers were right. People in society will automatically believe that you are smart if you receive a degree from a college or university.

The reality my friends is that students can be smart but don’t have good study habits; the results are bad grades. On the contrary, a student can have good study habits, good grades, and as dumb as dodo. But there is an ideal. A student can be smart, have good study habits, and as a consequence good grades.

I think we need to address this deception in our schools by setting the record straight. If we adults are hell-bent on feeding our children lies, “familiar spirits” will influence them to eat themselves beyond obesity and worse. Maybe we adults are too socially engineered, dumbed down, fat, possessed, that we don’t understand the unforeseen consequences of deception in any form.

By MrHughes

March 7, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this

It’s funny to hear people talk about about government intrusion in terms of BMI… But, don’t object when schools test children for learning disabilities, head lice, their hearing/sight, or scoliosis. Where’s the cry of “go to the doctor”, or “my civil liberties are being violated”. The insurance company doesn’t need this information just like they don’t need your child’s height, weight, and what they ate for lunch. The parents are always much more interested in a parents habits versus an 8-year-old. The simple fact is that schools already test height and weight and provide a full time nurse. This really isn’t too hard to acomplish.

By BiteMe

March 7, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this

BMI testing in schools…….Man, I’m glad I’m not a kid anymore…….peers were cruel enough! I can only imagine how this is going to change things…..forget the jocks, nerds, geeks, goths, etc……the new school cliques will either be the Fat Crowd or the Non-Fat Crowd……charming!

By MeMe Roth

March 7, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this

Child Obesity is a public health crisis, and there’s nothing wrong with our public schools providing aggregate data to the gov’t and critical data to parents. Studies show the majority of parents with overweight children fail to recognize the degree of their child’s obesity. Plus, in states already doing BMI Screenings, they’ve seen an immediate impact. Regardless, parents hate BMI screenings. Why? Results reflect on THEM. Let’s stop worrying about hurting parents’ feelings and instead focus on the dangerous level of body-fat hurting America’s children.

MeMe Roth President www.actionagainstobesity.com www.MeMeRoth.net

Walton HS Grad UGA Grad

By Concerned Citizen

March 7, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this

If any of you think things are bad NOW with obesity and health problems, please realize that the FDA just approved cloned meats and milk in all of the food sources in America…..starting NEXT MONTH……..and they are approving it’s use WITHOUT tracking which products will be using this cloned crap…..so when everyone starts getting sick there will be NO WAY to recall the product or trace it to it’s source. As disturbing as that is in itself, contemplate the fact that cloned “creatures” are born deformed, unhealthy, and die early on. And there is nothing that we can do about what they are about to install into our daily lives (starting in APRIL, people!), as money and these big lab corporation have too much power.

I truly believe it’s not so much people’s fault in the obesity epidemic as much as it is what the government is allowing into our foods. Corn syrup being the most disruptive, I dare you to find a restaurant that does NOT have that ingredient in their foods.

We are doomed either way. Although I don’t eat meat or fast foods anymore, I do love my dairy! Looks like I will be going back to being a vegan next month.

Get rid of fast foods and stop eating whatever you think is safe just ‘cause the government says it is. We really have NO clue what they are letting us eat. And they don’t care, either. We are nothing but an experiment.