The Case for Opting Out of Mandated Height and Weight Checks

Imagine being weighed with a group of your friends and strangers watching. You are not sure if they can see the scale or not, but you imagine that everyone is looking. You probably feel anxious, wondering if you will be judged based on what the scale says or the “weigher’s reaction.” At Newton North High School, students involved in the Body Confidence Committee that I run with Courtney Baugher have started an awareness campaign to alert students. Kacy Sullivan of the committee says, “We understand why the state wants to have this data, but to weigh us in front of our peers is nerve wracking and we feel very harmful.”

Next week, public schools around the state will be administering these state mandated growth checks. As an organization that promotes the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating, the Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA) finds mandatory height and weight checks potentially detrimental to the emotional health and well being of Massachusetts’s schoolchildren. While we share the concern that some children do not receive annual physical exams, we do not think weighing and measuring students will encourage families to seek annual medical care. In addition, the only time this information is important for families is if a child’s weight or height veers off his or her growth curve. Unfortunately, Massachusetts’ school nurses are far too busy to track each students growth curve over the years, so often, the data is seen out of context.

The state recommendations for the screening of a child indicates that they be done in a private setting. However, due to space and time constraints, this often does not happen. Victoria Leaper, a Newton North High School sophomore and active member of the Body Confidence Committee, says “Massachusetts strives to create a safe and comfortable learning environment for students, but these screenings do quite the opposite. They alienate students and stress the importance of the number on a scale.”

In addition, height and weight checks reinforce the belief that health is based on weight, when we know from research this is not accurate. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Consistent with this definition, interventions aimed at addressing weight concerns should be constructed from a holistic perspective, where equal considerations are given to social, emotional and physical aspects of children’s health. Interventions should focus not only on providing opportunities for appropriate levels of physical activity and healthy eating, but also promote self-esteem, body satisfaction, and respect for body size diversity. Studies show that body dissatisfaction and weight-related teasing are associated with binge eating and other disordered eating behaviors, lower levels of physical activity and increased weight gain over time. Thus, constructing a social environment where all children are supported in feeling good about their bodies is essential to promoting health in youth. The mere notion of promoting height and weight checks in our communities is contraindicative to these studies.

We want to parents and students to know they have choices. Clare Donahoe, chair of the Newton North Body Confidence committee says, “Most students aren’t aware they can opt out by simply telling the nurse.” In addition, parents can ask that their child not be weighed by contacting your child’s school nurse.

You can work with trained professionals to address concerns you have regarding your child’s health (call MEDA for a referral). You can encourage schools to offer strategies to promote positive body image not stigmatization. To arrange for a Body Confidence training for your school’s staff or parent group or for a copy of “How to Build A Body Confident School” please email MEDA at education@medainc.org

Rebecca Manley, MS, CCTP

Founder, Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA)

288 Walnut Street, Suite 130

Newton, MA 02460

617-558-1881 www.medainc.org