School obesity tests distorted (in the UK)

[Demi]

The Independent on Sunday
London, UK
17 December, 2006

Parents of fat children are being blamed by ministers for the failure of an attempt to measure the nation's childhood obesity crisis.

The results of a survey that was supposed to weigh and measure every reception class pupil suggested children are getting lighter. But data was distorted as not enough local health trusts did the tests and, where they did, parents of fat children refused to give permission for them to be weighed.

The Public Health minister, Caroline Flint, will be forced to admit to the shambles when she releases the National Childhood Obesity Database on Wednesday. She will say that in future, trusts will be formally required to carry out annual weighing and measuring of four- and five-year-olds, to build up a more accurate picture.


http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2081667.ece

[liddie01]

Here in the US my GS brought home a paper that said the 95th percentile was considered obese and he is in the 96th, so we are to restrict his food intake, it seemed to kill his self esteem though, he read it on the way home and it took a lot of reassurance from me to try to stop him putting himself down, he is 8 years old.

[LC FP]

95th percentile was considered obese
In pediatrics the 95th to 99th %ile has been labelled "overweight"and the 85-94%ile is "at risk for overweight". I guess they are more gentle labels, for the kids.

Does Pennsylvania call them obese? I wasn't aware of that. Not labelling them obese is one element of political correctness that I can agree with.