Revising The Way Schools Report Body Fat
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
State Representative Travis Boyd has filed a
bill that will revise the way Arkansas` public schools will be
required to report students` body mass index.
Under a law passed last session, schools are required to
calculate an annual body mass index, using height, weight and age
for each student`s body fat. The legislation states that the number
should be published on report cards.
Boyd -- who is from Piggott -- filed the bill on the first day
of the Legislature`s special session dedicated to education issues.
He says his constituents had concerns about privacy.
But Fay Boozman, director of the state Health Department, says
changes already have been made that require schools to send a
separate health report card to parents.
Parents would likely be sent a letter giving the student`s B-M-I
in terms of percentile compared to a national average. The letter
would also include recommendations for nutrition and exercise to
reduce body fat.
Posted by Mike Hellgren
