PENNSYLVANIA Schools test for weight worries

If it's successful, the program could be expanded statewide.
HARRISBURG (AP) -- The state Health Department has enlisted 10 school districts to calculate the body-mass index of each of its pupils and notify parents whether their child is deemed under- or overweight.
"Over the last five years, there's been a lot of concern about kids and their weight," department spokesman Richard McGarvey said. "It needs to be recognized at a younger age, whether children are under- or overweight. Our main goal is to help parents understand what good nutrition is and why it is needed."
If parents and districts tell the department that they benefited from the pilot program, which began in the fall, then the department could expand the survey to districts statewide next year, he said.
The response could also prompt the department to change the way the program operates, or perform another pilot, McGarvey said. The pilot is expected finish within several weeks, he said.
Pro and con
Southern Tioga School District Superintendent Joseph Kalata, whose district volunteered to participate, said he has received comments on both sides of the issue.
"The superintendents have been talking about it. I've heard those who say we have a lot of other things to do already and who question if this is really a school function," Kalata said.
But there's also the idea that "maybe we did help someone. ... I think it's still open for discussion. We need to get feedback," Kalata said.
Letters were sent to the parents of 141 students at North Penn High School.
One parent, Larry Meeker of Covington, who attended a Nov. 10 school board meeting after receiving a letter advising him to contact his 15-year-old son's doctor, questioned whether the district was qualified to determine his son's body-mass index.
Health risks
Overweight people are at an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, among other diseases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underweight people can suffer from mineral and nutritional deficiencies.
Federal studies indicate the percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s. There are signs that the percentage of obese children is increasing rapidly.
Adolescents 12 to 19 saw a greater percentage increase of obesity than did children 6 to 11, the agency said. Overall, 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight, the agency said, citing data collected in 1999 and 2000.
"Overweight adolescents are at increased risk to become overweight adults," it said.
A person's body-mass index is a number drawn from a formula based on their height and weight. The formula "projects what the amount of fat is on a body," McGarvey said.
The process
A school nurse at North Penn recorded the height and weight for the students, then determined body-mass indexes and compared them to a chart of averages designed by the CDC.
Parents of students who had measurements below the fifth percentile or above the 85th percentile of the CDC data received a letter stating in part, "Your child's [doctor] is the best person to evaluate whether or not his [or] her measurements are within a healthy range. Please share the screening results with your child's [doctor], who may suggest changes in eating or physical activity."