Coming soon to a classroom (or physician's office) near you?
"They look like happy, healthy children - and that is exactly what they are ... Yesterday their parents told how they were sent letters which began with the stark warning: 'Your child is overweight for their age and sex."
Turns out, the MVNHS© is using something called the Body Mass Index, ostensibly a measure of one's overall health based on height, weight and percent of body fat. Which sounds reasonable, until one considers:
"Those of you who are in great shape yet feel betrayed — and baffled — by your BMI, take heart. A study released earlier this month by the American College of Sports Medicine finds that you can be in great shape, yet deemed overweight by your BMI."
Confused? Wondering why we even bring it up?
Well, it's about to get murkier:
"New federal regulations issued this week stipulate that the electronic health records ... record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the Body Mass Index: a measure of obesity."
"This week?!" Wasn't ObamaCare@ passed months ago?
Yes, yes it was. These new reg's are part of the new Stimulus Bill that extended unemployment benefits. And yes, I'm as confused as you as to what one has to do with the other.
To paraphrase Bob, Poppa Washington: Less common sense, more nanny state.
UPDATE [7/26/10]: It appears that Germany's weighing in on this issue, as well:
"Marco Wanderwitz, a conservative member of parliament ... said it is unfair and unsustainable for the taxpayer to carry the entire cost of treating obesity-related illnesses ... The German teachers association recently called for school kids to be weighed each day ... fat kids could then be reported to social services."
There appears to be ever-growing concern over this weighty issue; assuming our readers can stomach it, we'll continue to provide the skinny as best we can.
[Hat Tip: Bob V]
"They look like happy, healthy children - and that is exactly what they are ... Yesterday their parents told how they were sent letters which began with the stark warning: 'Your child is overweight for their age and sex."
Turns out, the MVNHS© is using something called the Body Mass Index, ostensibly a measure of one's overall health based on height, weight and percent of body fat. Which sounds reasonable, until one considers:
"Those of you who are in great shape yet feel betrayed — and baffled — by your BMI, take heart. A study released earlier this month by the American College of Sports Medicine finds that you can be in great shape, yet deemed overweight by your BMI."
Confused? Wondering why we even bring it up?
Well, it's about to get murkier:
"New federal regulations issued this week stipulate that the electronic health records ... record not only the traditional measures of height and weight, but also the Body Mass Index: a measure of obesity."
"This week?!" Wasn't ObamaCare@ passed months ago?
Yes, yes it was. These new reg's are part of the new Stimulus Bill that extended unemployment benefits. And yes, I'm as confused as you as to what one has to do with the other.
To paraphrase Bob, Poppa Washington: Less common sense, more nanny state.
UPDATE [7/26/10]: It appears that Germany's weighing in on this issue, as well:
"Marco Wanderwitz, a conservative member of parliament ... said it is unfair and unsustainable for the taxpayer to carry the entire cost of treating obesity-related illnesses ... The German teachers association recently called for school kids to be weighed each day ... fat kids could then be reported to social services."
There appears to be ever-growing concern over this weighty issue; assuming our readers can stomach it, we'll continue to provide the skinny as best we can.
[Hat Tip: Bob V]
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