The Student Body Page #6

more psychological harm

than physical wellbeing.

You know, we hear

so much in the news now

about the obesity epidemic.

And this is not to minimize

the seriousness of it,

but we also have an epidemic

of eating disorders.

And we need to make sure

that in our efforts

to confront one epidemic,

we're not adding

fuel to the fire

of another one which is what

we're hearing so much

that this, perhaps,

well-intentioned,

but incredibly

misguided approach

of screening kids for BMI

and sending home letters

is actually triggering

eating disorders

and stoking

an intense fear of fat

in young children

who don't need

to be thinking about that.

It's very toxic,

kind of, thinking for kids.

It was actually

getting this letter

that then made her question,

is she overweight?

Which made her then

examine her body,

you know, asking, "is it this?

Is it my thigh?

Is it my stomach?"

And then,

it was a frantic feeling almost

of me trying to...

Trying to tell like,

"no, no, everything's fine.

"No, that's perfect.

"You're perfect.

That's fine.

Don't worry about that.

That's not what they mean."

And all this encouraging.

That is what...

Was most disturbing

about the whole thing.

Is that now, you just put this

into my nine-year-old's head.

You put this thought

into her head.

Are you against

vision screenings at school?

Are you against

hearing screenings at school?

Are you against

scoliosis screenings at school?

I'm not. I think it's great

that our schools help us

out in that way.

And the thing

about children's weight

is study after study show

that parents don't recognize

their children's

weight problems.

You just kind of don't see it.

You think your kid

is kind of normal, and so...

Well, that may be true,

but how did these studies

define obesity?

I mean, would we even agree

with the definition

or would we be counted

as fat blind?

Like these parents

who also received letters

calling their kids overweight.

But apparently,

they just don't see it.

And he came home and said,

"I'm fat."

I said, "you're not fat.

That's... where did

you hear that?"

He said, "from school.

"I opened up my fitness gram

and it said I'm fat."

Clearly, this mother

is delusional

and can't see

her own son's obesity

the same way the state does.

Does that make you feel

really bad about yourself, too?

Did you look at yourself

in the mirror...

Yes.

You did?

The thing about

the BMI screening

is that the reason the parents

are in an uproar over it,

the f isn't for fat.

The f is for parenting.

Those letters come home

and parents feel like

it's an indictment

on them and it is.

You know, what's for them to say

that my daughter is overweight?

Yeah.

My daughter is actually active.

She's black belt,

not everybody is going to have

the model image, skinny

that the government

or whoever say

that they need to be skinny.

I don't think she's overweight.

I think she's fine

the way she is.

Well, they said I was obese.

I thought, "oh, my gosh,

why are they thinking

like this?"

I felt like I was...

I wanted to cry.

Go straight to my room and cry.

Just do what I did.

They don't...

They don't know us.

You did when you got home?

Yeah, but I was

thinking to myself,

I was remembering

what I eat every night,

a daily serving

of veggies and fruits.

So, I was like,

"if I have my fruits

and veggies,

why do they

call me obese?"

Yeah.

There's no reason

for saying that.

It's like they called

everybody that.

Each one of these kids

received a fat letter.

Like, they had

a little measurement,

but they were called overweight.

The focus on body shape

and body image in our society

has become very extreme.

And, you know,

it's not improved a lot

over the years

where young women particularly,

but I always have to mention

young men are forced

into categories.

Well, that's what

they think of us.

Yeah.

It's not like they're judging us

by who we really are.

Kids, yeah, you can

make health fun with them.

And it doesn't have

to be accusatory,

it doesn't have to blame,

and it doesn't have

to make a poor child

grab the body fat on their side

and say, "this is

what they're talking about."

I've brought a scale

right here

and I was wondering

if you'd like to participate

in my own private BMI test.

Come back in three months

when I've had time

to lose a few.

You're fine.

No one else has

wanted to be weighed.

I don't blame you.

All right.

Through this experience,

I've talked to many kids

and a lot of them

are very healthy.

And they even say

when they go to school

they feel really embarrassed.

Even though they're healthy,

they feel embarrassed

to get on the scale

at the school setting.

What do you think about this?

Well, weight has become

a stigmatized subject

because a lot of people are

embarrassed about their weight

and children are taught

that you don't discuss weight.

You're not allowed to ask

people's age and weight,

it's so silly.

These are just numbers,

- these are just facts.

- Yeah.

How old you are,

how tall you are,

how much you weigh

are just numbers.

And so we sort if spread this,

discomfort about our weight

even for people who have,

like, what?

I'm this number

- and it means nothing to me.

- Yeah.

We make them feel,

I think a little

uncomfortable about it

because society's uncomfortable

- about the subject of weight.

- Yeah.

Now, everyone I interview,

I conduct my own BMI test.

Ah.

Yeah. And so,

I mean, just to be fair,

I'm gonna ask you.

I have a scale here today.

Oh, no, I have to weigh today?

If you want,

I'll give you a choice.

I have a scale here,

and would you want

to participate

in my own BMI test?

So this would be

between me and you.

Not really.

It... that is

perfectly okay.

No one had said yes.

I have to think about that.

I have to think about... that's...

No, no, no,

everyone had said no.

Everyone had said no?

No one wants to go on the scale.

Because they don't wanna weigh?

Yeah.

Yeah, and even you said

the one thing you wished

when BMI was in school

is that they weigh the kid...

Privately.

Privately, not in front

of their friends.

Yeah.

Very, very private, you know.

Yeah, I do...

I do think it's private,

- but for me, right now.

- Yeah...

This minute, this week,

I happen to know

that I'm really heavy for me.

Otherwise, I'd be jumping

on your scale,

like, of course I'd be happy.

Yeah.

So, I feel

like it's terrible of me

to not really want to.

Yeah.

But it's because I don't

wanna face reality

that I already know,

which I'm about five pounds

heavier than I should be.

Yeah.

And I know exactly why.

I know Halloween.

Yeah, exactly.

I know the fudge tart cookies,

I know the nutter butters.

Uh-huh.

I know why.

And, so I think that's why

- I don't wanna deal with it.

- Yeah.

But, i...

But I don't think it's fair.

I think I should get

on your scale.

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