Opinion Talk

By OneForTheRoad

March 13, 2008 7:19 AM | Link to this

I think a set of scales should be placed at the golden dome and the display should be shown live on youtube.

By rdhood

March 13, 2008 7:49 AM | Link to this

Kids who are overweight know it. Parents of kids who are overweight know it. Friends of kids who are overweight know it. What is to be served by making a spectacle of it?

There are far more important things to be done at school than monitoring a child’s BMI. Reading, writing, math, and science all come to mind. There are far more important things to spend our school dollars on than determining the BMI of students… which can’t be done with a simple scale and pinch test. If Georgia was #1 in the nation in academic achievement and we had a surplus of tax dollars, I might say “go for it”. But we are such a LONG way from there that we should concentrate on covering the basics, and getting an academic return on our property tax dollars.

By Vicki

March 13, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this

I feel if the students are going to be subjected to the BMI test, how about including all the teachers, administration, school boards, and all the lawmakers who support these types of big brother laws.

By Teacher

March 13, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this

Vicki, Lashing out at law makers is one thing, but lashing out at administrators and teachers is pointless. If we had any say in what we are forced to do/ teach do you honestly think NCLB would still be around? I understand that teachers are the face of the school and administrators run the school, but what we care about has about as much influence on law making as test taking does on learning.

By Lee

March 13, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this

I agree that there simply is not enough of humiliation, ridicule and shame in our public schools. Certainly, shildren should be taught new ways to despise themselves and their public schools. After all, embarrassing the students in public is more important than math or science. Now, who else can we turn on and embararrass in public?

By MADMOMMY

March 13, 2008 9:09 AM | Link to this

To put this on our schools and the children is just plan silly. If they are really that worried about our kids health they should add in more PE and recess time in order to get kids moving. There have been reports done that kids who get my physical activity durning the school day perform better and have less behavioral issues in the classroom. I can’t imagine what my childhood would have been like without all of our play. We played before school, in the mid-morning, at lunch, mid-afternoon and after school. I wonder how much kids are playing these days? Not much I can tell you that. Gone are the days where you see a group of kids playing football or baseball in the middle of the street having to pause the game to allow a car to pass. I don’t think I have ever had to do that as an adult and it is just plan sad.

Lets do something real to help the kids, bring back PE and recess! Parents, get your kids out of the house and moving.

By Darrel

March 13, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

How about making PE MANDATORY up through high school like it was when some of us “more weathered” ones were in school? That would do more good than weighing and worrying about BMI numbers. That would do more good than anything!

Oh, and yes, while you’re at it, DO set those scales up under the golden dome and hook up the results to You tube with a live feed. And make that manadatory for all of the state politicians to have to step on the scale each time they go into the capitol building.

By Charles

March 13, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

More nanny state nonsense. That anyone would actualy endorse it is outrageous as is the REPUBLICAN who proposes it.

By ghoyle

March 13, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

To keep track of of a childs weight is not what our school systems are there for. I totally believe in good health habits but that is not for the school to determine.Everyone who has eyes can see when a child is overweight. Weighing in is something that needs to be addressed at home, not in school where the child can be singled out even more! Nothing wrong with getting educated in healthy eating but to have children weigh in is way over what our schools should be focusing on which is EDUCATION ACADEMICALLY not weigh watching!

By Anthony

March 13, 2008 11:29 AM | Link to this

We have one of the worst public school systems in the country. This is not the job of the government. They need to focus on the dropout rate, GED’s, SAT’s. I don’t want my tax dollars wasted on a program that is only going to make the children hate the system even more. This is moronic. I agree with the other commenter’s. It’s no wonder our kids have weight problems. HELLO….you took away PE. Plus, the parents need to step up and take control of the situation.

By bob

March 13, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this

Well Senator Carter*, you wanted comment on what people think of your proposal. Now do the right thing and rescind this stupidity!

By jpw

March 13, 2008 11:39 AM | Link to this

If children are overweight, shouldn’t the parent’s be targeted. Medical issues notwithstanding, childhood obesity is a result of poor parenting. The government should skip the BMI’s at school and start regulating an individual’s right to procreate. There are too many terrible parents in our society.

By Filster

March 13, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

Stupid is as stupid does. The BMI is simply a height vs. weight chart with no distinction for body characteristics. Thus, a six foot tall man who weighs 240 pounds who has a 48” chest and a 32” waist receives the same BMI score as a six foot tall man who weighs 240 pounds and has a 32” chest and a 48” waist. Both are scored obese. With all the problems Georgia has withits educational system, healthcare, and the list goes on, Rep. Carter’s “health” initiative would have been far better spent on something like banning cigarette smoking or upgrading Georgia’s curriculum, but then again, I’m sure the Gold Dome receives ample contributions from the cigarette makers and teachers unions. Thanks once again for making Georgia a national laughing stock.

By Camille

March 13, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

After reading the explanation, it appears that the compilation of the BMI scores is just to allow the individual school systems make a determination on whether or not they need to institute more PE and/or healthier meals. That sounds very brilliant. Let’s not do anything unless there is a significant proportion of the student population that appears to be overweight.

By OneForTheRoad

March 13, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this

Dear Sen. Carter,

We look forward to your future request for comments on your modified proposal that includes, for example, methods to increase physical activity for our school-aged children and increased awareness of healthy dietary choices.

We thank you for your concern and for giving us, politic’s inflicted, an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. Please feel free to share this process with your associates.

Yours Truly, Just Another Taxpaying Georgia Voter

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