Should Schools Be Going to Such Extreme Measures in Support of Student Health?

The case for child health (and against child obesity) has always been a controversial topic. The topic itself isn’t controversial, as it is clear that we all want what’s best for our children in terms of their health and wellbeing. The part of the topic that is highly debated is whose responsibility it is to enforce healthy eating habits. Many schools in Canada and the U.S. have taken it upon themselves to create healthier options for school children to select from, but many people have been asking the question, “how far is too far?”

An article posted on the Globe and Mail online asks this very question in relation to schools that are measuring student BMI (body mass index), and banning junk food in their cafeterias and vending machines. “Around the world, children are being weighed and measured by their educators – and that information is being tallied alongside their grades on report cards,” the article states. The article argues that the debate is not about whether or not this is healthy for children, but if it is really the school’s role to make sure that kids are physically healthy. The article goes on the say, “some felt that parents, not schools, should take the lead in making sure their kids were healthy.”

What do you think? Have schools gone too far in measuring BMI, or is this decision in the best interest of our children’s health?

To read the full article on the Globe and Mail online, click here.