Student Well-Being

Arkansas Faces a Weighty Issue

By Laura Greifner — February 13, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Stung by criticism from parents and some lawmakers concerned about children’s self-esteem, Arkansas is considering repealing part of its first-in-the-nation, 2003 law that mandates an obesity screening for all public school students.

Supporters of the law say the percentage of schoolchildren classified as overweight or at risk of becoming overweight has decreased since Arkansas adopted its school-based anti-obesity program. But opponents say that the practice of sending home “obesity report cards” has had unintended negative consequences, such as hurting children’s self-images.

The Arkansas House approved a bill Jan. 25 that would repeal the mandatory body-mass-index screening, but would leave intact other parts of the law, such as offering more fruits and vegetables on lunch menus and banning the use of food as rewards.

The Arkansas mandate was pushed along by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, who made the anti-obesity crusade a focus of his administration. In 2004, a statewide study revealed that nearly 40 percent of Arkansas students were overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.

Since Arkansas enacted the screening requirement, several other states have begun similar efforts, and more are considering them.

But such programs have run into criticism elsewhere as well.

In Barnstable County, Mass., for example, some parents complained that sending letters home with students who had high body-mass indexes humiliated them and caused them undue stress. The Barnstable schools decided to send the letters to parents via mail instead.

In Arkansas, Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat who was inaugurated last month, has objected to some aspects of the current body-mass index screening system. He also noted that while parents can opt out of the screening, the law is less than clear about the process.

“As long as we let parents know that there are options to having their child participate in the Body Mass Index study, parents can make that decision for their own children,” the governor said in a statement released by his office.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the February 14, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being All Public Schools Can Now Get Free COVID-19 Tests. Here's How
The Education Department is encouraging schools to share the COVID-19 tests with staff, families, and the broader community.
2 min read
COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result are photographed in New York on April 5, 2023.
COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result are photographed in New York on April 5, 2023.
Patrick Sison/AP
Student Well-Being Teletherapy Challenges: Schools Share How to Navigate Mental Health Support
Schools need to invest in the right ingredients to make their teletherapy sessions useful for students.
7 min read
A tele-therapy session at Kershaw County School District in Kershaw County, South Carolina.
A teletherapy session at the Kershaw County school district in South Carolina.
Courtesy of Presence
Student Well-Being Q&A What Is Driving Youth Mental Health Problems? It's Not Just About Social Media
Focusing too much on one potential cause of the youth mental health crisis could backfire.
3 min read
Teenage girl looking at smart phone
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says CDC: Child, Teen Suicide Rates Fell in 2022
While adult suicide rates are still climbing, those for school- and college-age Americans dropped.
2 min read
conceptual illustration of an umbrella opening clear skies in a storm
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty