Massachusetts just can’t stop with the public shaming by way of letter-branding. First, it was the 17th-century version, with poor Hester Prynne struggling around Boston bearing a scarlet “A” on her chest. Now, it’s the 21st-century version, with poor elementary school students struggling around the playground wearing a letter from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) around their neck.
At least, that’s the story some Massachusetts parents are trying to write.
In 2009, the state government decided to improve “the screening and monitoring of the health assessment of children across the Commonwealth.” As part of that effort, the state began measuring the height and weight of public school students in certain grades and calculating their Body Mass Index, or BMI, using those numbers. The state transmitted the results to the parents of the tested students in letters mailed directly home.
Those letters are now known as the “Fat Letters.” The 2009 initiative is now being blamed for children being ostracized or becoming depressed. Proponents of the BMI tests are now being labeled as “fascists” and “Nazis”.
Let’s all take a deep breath, shall we?
Apparently, this test-and-letter practice proceeded unchallenged for three years until the mother of 10-year-old Cam Watson received The Letter. Cam is 4’7″, weighs 97 pounds, and is very physically active. He does not “look obese.” But The Letter said he was. Obese, that is.
BMI is a way to calculate a person’s body fat. It is not a perfect measurement, as it does not measure body fat directly, but it is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform screening for potential health risks associated with a suboptimal weight. Critics condemn the test because it does not account for strong bones or dense muscle mass, both of which could yield a high BMI in someone with a low fat content.
Nevertheless, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends BMI screening for children starting from the age of 2. In children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on a growth chart to determine a percentile ranking, which in turn is associated with a weight categorization ranging from underweight to obese. The MDPH relied on the CDC’s guidelines for calculating and recording students’ BMI.
When Cam Watson’s parents told him that his Letter reported a BMI indicating obesity, he “didn’t really care.” He knew he wasn’t obese. So he just crumpled The Letter up.
His mother also knew The Letter was wrong about Cam, but that didn’t mean she would let it go. She reached out to her state representative, Jim Lyons. He has now introduced legislation that would prevent MDPH from collecting information relative to students’ height, weight and BMI. Because as Representative Lyons has reasoned, the state should not be able to tell parents whether to feed their children cupcakes or broccoli.
The movement against “Fat Letters” has recently gained significant media attention. The vast majority of responses to the story seem hostile to the MDPH’s practice. Message boards are full of comments warning that the next step will be to send obese people to jail, predicting that the state will soon send home letters reporting that a child is “ugly,” and suggesting that schools stick to “educating”.
People could save themselves a lot of anger if they would just read the actual letter.
First, The Letter specifically states that “BMI may not tell the whole story about your child’s weight,” including that BMI cannot “tell the difference between muscle and fat.” What is more, The Letter explains the healthy weight range and suggests consultation with a doctor or a nurse if the child does not fall within that range. The Letter does not command that a parent do anything, however, and there is no threatened follow-up or punishment if the parent, in fact, does nothing. The Letter could not be more clearly presented as a piece of information, to be taken or left.
This is one of the most upsetting posts I’ve seen on this site – a post that essentially defends body shaming. (I won’t even get started on the picture the author used to illustrate her “point”)., Bottom line – there’s a difference between *educating* children and their parents about nutrition, and using scales to publicly humiliate children. Back in the 80′s, NYC public schools used to take “health measures” of children that included height and weight, and we were measured and weighed in front of our classmates. Results were “privately recorded” and shared with parents, and we were told not to talk about it with our fellow classmates. Have you ever told a 7-year-old not to talk about something and actually been successful? Of course we all talked about it – and for those of us that were 5, 10, 15 whatever more pounds than our slimmer counterparts – it was the entry point for years of ridiculing and bullying. “How much do you weigh?” was a question that was often bounced around by kids immediately afterwards. And back then – the only thing on our cafeteria menu was chicken nuggets, pb&j white bread sandwiches, and other crap.
It’s the school’s responsibility to EDUCATE their students, not ostracize them. They can teach about proper nutrition and the data required to calculate BMI, and give then the tools to do so, but actually subjecting students to such measurements in front of their peers and issuing these letters goes too far. Also – if the school is identifying a “problem” are they also posing solutions? Are they giving the children longer gym periods? Are they giving the children the opportunity to move around a bit during their long school day? Are they offering TRULY healthy and nutritious food and beverage options in their cafeteria? Are they providing parents with lists for options of healthier breakfast and lunch ideas and recipes? It’s easy to point a finger at a kid’s parents about BMI – but what are the schools actually DOING about it other than that?
Also – what are they doing for UNDERWEIGHT children? Are they sending letters home to those parents? Isn’t that something that is equally dangerous?
Are they notifying parents of children that are showing early signs of eating disorders?
Why are “overweight” children the only ones being singled out?
For a site that posts so much about the importance of a positive body image and advocates for the end of fat-shaming, I’m surprised that this post made it through. I’ll never read another post by “Abby” again and am thoroughly disgusted.
I love everything about this post. It’s so ridiculous that there are people who are upset about this! Childhood obesity and diabetes are on the rise and these letters are only intended to help those children and potentially avoid a dangerous diagnosis like diabetes. ALL children were tested. Not just the “fat kids.” Nobody was singled out!
Some people just like to stir up commotion that’s just completely uncalled for. Cam Watson’s parents made this a big deal, they’re the ones that are making this into something that it isn’t and shame on them.
The letters to parents are not what I take issue with. It is the testing itself. I’m certain that when administering these BMI tests they were required to tell children what they were. That in itself would lead to ostracizing of over weight children. Telling children that you are essentially testing to see who is “fat” sends the message that it is OK to single out children that don’t fit in the “norm”. My 10 year old daughter who is not one tiny bit overweight, was made fun of by a classmate for having “muffin top”. Where do you think she learned that? From her anorexically thin mother of course! Not every kid is taught kindness, compassion & tolerance at home. At school we should be teaching children tolerance and acceptance not pointing out every flaw they have.
Actually- I’m a teacher. And, no. The people administering the height and weight checks tell the students nothing about the results. The results go home in SEALED envelopes addressed to the parents. Additionally students are told not to discuss their personal information with each other. So, this is a public service meant to address health concerns. Physical Education class serves this purpose and this letter is an extension of the home communication expectations.
While it is totally unacceptable for ten year old’s to be calling each other out for having “muffin tops” and I am terribly sorry that your daughter heard that, calling that girl’s mother “anorexically thin” is not necessarily teaching your own daughter tolerance and acceptance which you rightly said ought to be taught in the home to avoid instances like this in school. Just as it isn’t okay to point out flaws associated with being overweight, it’s not okay to throw around the word anorexic as if it isn’t a serious health and mental disorder.
Is it necessary to link the same huffington post article 4 times?
The fact that people are upset about this is ridiculous. I was born and raised in MA. I had BMI testing done at school with scoliosis screening many times. When I was in 6th grade my mother received a “fat letter” stating that I was overweight. I wasn’t fat, and I knew that. I didn’t get depressed, nor did I take it to heart. All I did was lay off the fast food and eat healthier. I skateboarded more often and participated more in gym. I lost the chubby stomach I was starting to get and felt great about myself for cutting back the all of 5lbs that it was suggested I may need to shed. Here’s a newsflash, if you’re a morbidly obese child…you know it. A letter sent to your parents isn’t going to force you in to a drastic realization forcing you to plummet in to a depression.
I think that the letters are great. I won’t say that had I not received one I wouldn’t have decided to be a little healthier and more active. I’m sure I would have eventually if it had gotten out of control. But, I will say, that it could help parents who don’t think of their child as obese or out of shape, from the low end of the spectrum as I was and up to pass McDonald’s and hit Stop and Shop on the way home to make a healthier dinner for the family. Or maybe say skip the Whoppers honey, why don’t you try a salad today, or two if you’re really hungry?
And there’s still the fact that if the parents are offended, they can opt out of the testing to begin with, or simply not tell their child the results. This overreaction is asinine and they’re trying to end a constructive process.
THANK YOU! I’m glad someone else agrees.
I am overweight, as I have been most of my life. I WISH they had done something like this to wake my Southern, fried food-thusiasts parents know what was going on and the importance of the matter.. I completely agree that this practice should continue and I ,for one, am SO SICK of American parents/”people” getting SO disgusted at the mere MENTION that not EVERYONE is perfect or good at EVERYTHING. Your kid may be overweight. That IS a reflection of you, but moreover when you deny this fact and get angry about it… what do you think that relays to others? You’re doing your children a disservice.
Read this article and once agaon when I get to the writer I tell myself why am I not surprised…I agree with the first comment it was as always with this writer to put a picture that has nothing to do with the article in front…also at the end of the article where she writes it would save people anger…look if your child who you
Perfect no matter what defects sociery seems to diagnose him with send you a letter telling you this is their opinion I would hope as a good mother you’d flip the h out…people don’t send their children to school to be ostricised they send th
em there to learn…on top of children running the risk of being bullied by their peers their now getting letters sent home
Additionally- Bullies?! They are part of LIFE. I find it simultaneously hilarious and repulsive that people try to eradicate them. Does it suck?! Absolutely. I had an older female bully (The worst kind) when I was in 7th grade. We are animals, lady. Only the strong are supposed to survive. What are you doing by raising your kids to think that everyone is going to be friends and nice and no matter what they’re the most special, awesome, amazing, wonderful little so-in-sos in the whole wide world and everyone, everywhere will think so?! Nothing good. The world in which we live is very different than that which we were raised to believe. Maybe instead of making it worse we should focus on improving conditions. Including accepting bullies, teaching our children how to “fight back” (non-violently, unless confronted with violence), accepting that people are not going to be nice to you for being overweight and teaching them to avoid said dangers. What is your alternative? Trying to remove all danger. Good luck.
I’m a mother and I hope my child has people looking out for her. Not just pumping her full of food and bullshit. Kids need to be prepared for the world in which we actually live, not the fantasy people like you have dreamed up to sleep at night about raising your children to be ineffectual.
Exactly what I thought, Rachel.
Although I agree with what you were saying with this article, I have to question the picture that was chosen to accompany it. It seems somewhat hypocritical to pair an article about fat shaming with a picture of two overweight kids eating Mcdonald’s. This is something that’s been bothering me, since I see this picture a lot around the internet in regards to things like childhood obesity, and that just seems exceptionally cruel to me. I cannot imagine being one of those kids and finding my picture splattered everywhere with people I don’t even know talking about how fat I am. This article discussed the fact that it’s perfectly reasonable for both school officials and parents to take an interest in their kid’s weight, but it shouldn’t be complete stranger’s business if some overweight kids eat cheeseburgers. It just seems ridiculously cruel to me to make some poor child synonymous with the word “obese.”
Hi Rachel (and Sarina),
You raise a good point about the picture. Part of why I chose it was that it ran with many of the articles that reported on this story. My reaction to it was somewhat similar to yours – it seemed to be used only because it is visually provocative. I used it with my post to allude to the discrepancy between how people were interpreting the letter – as if it was trying to identify children like the ones pictured with eating habits like the ones implied – when in reality the letter was addressed to every body “type” and therefore every eating habit. The intent was to highlight the contrast between perception and reality, not to be cruel. Intentions, though, only count for so much – I recognize that.
Also, I agree with you that it’s not my business whether children of any size eat cheeseburgers or not. Hence, my post nowhere makes that argument.
Thanks again for your feedback about using the picture, though. It’s helpful.
Best,
Abby
abby, does hellogiggles allow for captions? if so, I don’t see any reason for not making use of that option, since you apparently have editorial thoughts on the image as it relates to the article.
also, the lots of other articles used the picture defense is not a good one, especially since you apparently disagreed with their use of the image. so you showed your disapproval by doing the same thing, with no explanation in the article or as a caption, and expected us to glean your intention? that seems like either you added the image thoughtlessly, or you’re trying to back-peddle.