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I know this may sound kind of mean at first, but I'll go ahead and say it:
To those who think that this is a bad idea because of being teased or other social implications, what's more important? The possibility of being teased or the possibility of sufferring severe health problems when you get older?
I was a chubby kid, as well. It didn't help that I was a asthmatic on steroids (and yes, they def. contribute to extreme weight gain), a nerd who hated outdoor sports and my parents and siblings all participated in sports in high school and college, only making me feel worse about being the only "fat one" in the family. Initially, they weren't as concerned, thinking maybe it was just baby fat, that I would possibly grow out of it, or become active in sports, just as the rest of my family had. Around third or fourth grade year, my pediatrician informed my parents that if I didn't watch it, my weight was going to sprial out of control and I was going to have bigger issues than just periodic asthma attacks at recess.
The remedy? Getting me involved beyond the academic extra-curricular scope and being more cognizant of the bigger picture: that despite the fact that I hated being the object of jokes, and hated playing dodgeball, I had to GET OVER IT and GET HEALTHY! I ran track, got a 13-speed bike, was encouraged to ride with my parents and sometimes even race them to the local high school track, and eventually developed some athletic (and social skills) that carried with me to high school, where I played field hockey, ran track, did well in school and eventually "grew out" of my asthmatic complications(still medicated, but only in a "need to" basis). Not to mention, I felt better and the pediatrician wasn't telling my parents to be careful anymore; they were writing participation release forms for me to be active in varsity sports.
I said all of that to say this: Of course, there are parents who don't think that their kids are fat, who don't care that their dietary habits (fast food, too little concern to prepared meals) are going to lead their "little darlings" to maybe an early grave or heavily medicated in their adult years, but just because they are ignoring this integral part of their children's lives (or maybe aren't educated on the detrimental role they are playing in their childrens' health), the school doesn't need to address it, because it isn't their role? Then whose role is it? Do we ignore it? Certainly not. If a little bit of embarrassment is enough for the parents to be OUTRAGED at the school for caring enough about the well-being of their child to send a note home saying "Dear Mr and Mrs---Your child is fat---GET A MOVE ON IT, PRONTO!", then so be it. I am sure that there are more creative and kindlier ways to alert the parents of these issues, but at this state of alarming rates of child obesity, we no longer need to be NICE, we need to be aggressively combating this disease, and starting when they are young. It's KILLING people.
enigma_AKA
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