The proposal to weigh children at school is misguided

The proposal to weigh children in school is justified by Professor Allender on the grounds that it works well in the United States and the United Kingdom.

This raises the question: how to work? Given that the United States has the highest rate of obesity in OECD countries, it is quite difficult to prove that weighing children contributes a lot to reducing obesity. The United Kingdom ranks sixth among OECD countries.

But I may not be using the right metric. Maybe it works in terms of juicy data collection for researchers.

What we do know is that weighing children certainly does not work to reduce childhood obesity or improve children's psychological health. will have a negative impact on these children, "said Sarah McMahon, psychologist and director of BodyMatters Australasia. "They will be encouraged to continue weight loss at any cost, by putting up a myriad of problems, including weight cycling and increased risk of eating disorders." In the end, and ironically, these kids are likely to worship themselves big. "

Professor Allender assures parents that his school weighing plan is voluntary, proposing an opt-out approach. "No one is forced to do anything, it's still an active decision," says Professor Allender.

But all those who attended a school recently, or even remember to have gone to school, know that The form is not going to stop the constant evaluation, discussion and comparison children who are at the wrong end of the scale. This is likely to give bullies more ammunition to victimize them.

Although steps are being taken to "protect" children from the negative effects of their weighing at school – as engaging clinicians rather than teachers to weigh and maintain anonymity with results – Sarah McMahon says that weighing children sends a terrible message to children and their parents about weight and health.

"Focusing on weight confuses the idea that low weight and low health are synonymous. The fact is that many people indulge in unhealthy practices like smoking, purging or misusing diet pills to maintain a low body weight and this is just not healthy, "says McMahon, holds a master's degree in public health.

"There are also people who are fat and fit.As we know that a lower body weight does not necessarily mean that a person is healthier, send the toxic message. that a higher body weight is a time bomb will only serve to shame children who naturally sit at a higher weight. "[19659006] You do not need to look very far to know that not all protective measures in the world will repair the stigma attached to heavy children.

As Tracey Smith, a mother from California told Proud2beme, "My daughter told me that ALL her friends were terrified of being weighed in. They said, 'Can we miss the baby? "School that day?" says Smith. "It's so humiliating and you can hear the kids talking and say," Well, what do you think she's weighing? "or" She's so big, I bet she's weighing a ton "or" Look like she's skinny – she's anorexic "."

If the experts enter the school to turn our kids into data points in a great experience, they could lay the foundation for permanent bodily insecurity and a toxic relationship with food and exercise.

We should give these obese researchers the benefit of the doubt and allow them to collect more data. But here's the thing: obesity researchers do not deserve our trust.

For decades, they provided advice and influenced government policies based on studies that in recent years have been proven to be flawed. Remember when we were told to avoid fat, including eggs and dairy with full cream and sugar barely rated a mention? Well, now it is upside down.

Professor Allender and his colleagues may not be responsible for such studies. But they should know that when it comes to giving practical advice on nutrition, obese researchers have almost no credibility in the general population. And despite decades of measurements and billions of dollars in funding, obesity research has not reduced rates of obesity.

If these researchers want to get closer to our children, they need more than 50 years of failure.