The Student Body Page #9

at this during the bill

couple of years ago

and I'd like to get

his perspective on it.

And he was like,

"oh, sure, yeah,

we can do that."

And then turned around.

He didn't seem like he wanted

to talk right now.

It's kind of awkward.

I stayed in there

for a little bit, like,

"I guess this conversation

is over."

I was just like,

"um, don't get up.

I can see myself out."

Six.

Okay. Upstairs?

Ground floor and

okay. Cool.

Six.

Here we are.

Senator Kearney's office.

I can't believe it.

Senator, minority leader.

Let's get the interview.

Hi. Mr. senator.

I got the interview.

We're gonna schedule.

I'm gonna scoop out some areas

in place.

They're really nice.

And, oh, yeah, that's not all.

I met with senator Kearney,

he was right there.

He just kind of came in

and then I introduced myself

and I kind of was surprised.

They're gonna email me back

and we'll pick the location

and we're gonna pick a date,

so I'm gonna get the interview.

Hi, Bailey. How are you?

Very good.

Hi. Yeah, tell me

what I should do.

Okay. Would you mind

sitting there?

I'll sit wherever you tell me.

Okay. Cool.

Okay.

Is this all good?

And, like, I watched

the hearings and stuff

and so, yeah. Yeah.

Oh, you did?

They're online.

Oh.

And so... yeah,

so I became,

like, very knowledgeable

about all of that.

We have limited time.

I'm gonna, kind of,

skip the first part.

Do you still recommend

that schools continue to do

BMI tests and send out letters

to kids who are overweight?

Yes, I think BMI testing

is very important

and the way that it was designed

was... schools

wouldn't report

by school districts or by, um,

or by individual schools,

they will report by county.

And so that way,

we could get the data,

the state could have

that information

and we could see if over time,

the things that we're doing,

the steps that we're taking

like incorporating gym class,

reducing the availability

of sugary drinks,

including healthy food

during lunchtime,

if that's working,

and if Ohio's children's BMI

is going down.

So I still support it.

Once you find out

some health information

about a student

that their BMI is elevated

or above the acceptable range,

we felt it was a responsible

thing to do

to inform the parent

and let the parent

make the decision.

Are you saying,

like, that parents,

like, they don't know

that their child is overweight?

Well, they may not know

that their child is overweight

compared to certain statistics.

So for instance,

you might look at someone

and look at your child

and think,

"oh, my child

is perfectly healthy,"

and not realize that,

well, there's certain

health risks

that may be associated

with their current weight

or body.

So it's just to inform them

about it.

Okay.

And like, you know,

like kids go to doctors,

are you saying that,

like, the doctors

don't know

that they're overweight?

Well, doctors may know

but doctors may not inform them

that the BMI is above

an acceptable range

or that the child is overweight

and what to do about it.

I know that when I take

my children

to the pediatrician,

the pediatrician

takes their weight,

writes it down

on a piece of paper,

and that's the last

you hear about it.

Oh, yeah.

So they never talk

about the weight, um...

And my school

did BMI testing on us.

Lots of kids got these letters

including my friend, Maddie.

Uh-hmm.

This is the letter she received.

Here.

Oh, okay.

I take it Maddie

didn't like this letter.

No.

Yeah, she got this letter

in her report card.

She was so excite

to see her grades.

She's an a student.

And she see...

She pulls out the letter,

as frustrated

as she was already,

she just ripped it up

and threw it in the trash can.

And her mom found it

and taped it together

and almost made her

go into depression

and she... it ruined

her entire summer.

It was pretty hard for her.

Okay. So, she didn't like

getting the letter at all.

No, she was already aware

and this did nothing

to help her.

Hmm. Well, I'm sorry

about your friend, Maddie.

Yes.

And it seems like it was

very disturbing

by, um, by the letter

but I mean, hmm,

some of the...

Some of the things

that the letter says is,

um, well,

I can't read all of it

because, you know,

part of it is missing.

Yeah, it says not go on a diet

and to see her doctor.

Uh-hmm.

But other than that,

there's nothing else

that is helping her

like an educational tool

besides saying,

"you're high in your weight,"

like it even

highlights it there.

Yeah, right.

So, her mom

was pretty upset by it

and how, kind of...

Oh, she was?

Yeah.

Uh-hmm.

She... they're very aware.

And actually, her mom,

she knows a lot about health

and they have a garden

in their backyard.

Can you, like, understand

how they might feel

and how these letters

might be going out

to kids who aren't

necessarily healthy

and actually shouldn't be

getting the letter?

No, I think everyone

should get the letter

if they went through

the BMI test,

because it just says

whether you're above,

below, or in the...

In the acceptable range,

that's all it says.

And what you do with it

or how you react to it

is something...

Is something different.

I can perfectly understand

how some people

would be offended by the...

By the letter, but overall,

I think that the goal

of what we're trying

to accomplish through the bill

and the implementation

of the law,

are worthwhile goals.

I guess just Maddie

and kids who are like Maddie

are just, kind of,

collateral damage

in this study?

Well, I wouldn't call them

collateral damage,

I mean, I'm very sorry

that Maddie feels this way

but I think that there are

some good things

that the bill is trying

to accomplish.

Perhaps the execution

wasn't the way

that we envisioned

but, certainly, I wouldn't...

I wouldn't use that phrase

as collateral damage.

Okay.

I don't... no,

I don't think of them that way.

Okay.

So you just wish

that never happened to her

and people who are like her?

Well, I wish her reaction

weren't the...

Weren't the way that it happened

- and I wish that...

- Wow,

the senator's constant

blaming is unbearable.

Parents are clueless.

Doctors are incompetent.

And if you're upset

about being profiled

and bullied,

you're just reacting

the wrong way.

But of everything that was said,

this was the most bizarre.

Yeah, we should find out

why they're sending

those letters out.

Wait, what?

Why are they sending

these letters out?

You've written a law

forcing them to.

That's it.

It's time to do

what I came here for.

I'm gonna get something.

So, just like you did,

I'm doing my own BMI study

with my documentary.

Uh-hmm.

If you wouldn't mind,

would you please step

on the scale?

Why?

Because I'm doing my own

private BMI test.

I don't understand.

I mean, with everybody

I interview, I ask them

if they would like

to get on the scale,

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