Are primary school weigh-ins really all that bad?

I ask after it was revealed the powers that be have decided to bring back weigh-ins for primary school children from September amid fears lockdown has exacerbated the UK’s child obesity crisis.

primary school weigh-ins

Apparently the move to reintroduce weight checks, or the National Child Measurement Programme as it’s officially known, is designed to help alert parents if their child is in danger of developing or already has a weight problem.

I’ve seen lots of criticism on social media since the announcement was made, and my question is this: is it really all that bad?

Are primary school weigh-ins really all that bad?

From September I’ll have a child in year six, one in year two and one in reception and I can’t say the idea of school weigh-ins especially bothers me.

I have absolutely no idea what each of my kids weigh, but I do know they’re not over or under weight and while I *might* be guilty of serving up alphabites and beige a bit more often than I’d like I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about.

What does bother me is if the kids’ cotton on to the fact they’re being regularly weighed and monitored, especially the girls, but one would hope it is done in such a way that a big deal isn’t made of it for all the wrong reasons.

Yet some parents have accused the government of ‘fat shaming’ and using outdated ways of measuring weight, but if you feel that strongly about it you can always opt out.

primary school weigh-ins

The fact remains that if the figures are to be believed one in three kids in the UK leave primary school overweight or obese. And without some sort of monitoring or recording system the problem can’t be properly addressed or reversed.

Of course, if the powers that be were to practise what they preach and volunteer for a National Government Measurement Programme they might get a bit more support from the naysayers (I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the House of Commons on weigh-in day!) but I’m afraid the return of school weigh-ins is yet another case of the Government saying do as I say not as I do.

What do you think? Do you have a child at primary school and how do you feel about the prospect of school weigh-ins? I’d love to hear your point of view!

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