BMI testing required for public schools

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - It's called BMI screening. Every public school in the state is supposed to be doing it or collecting data from individual physicians. 22News found out that's not the case.  

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health required every public school in the state to begin recording Body Mass Index levels by last June. Tuesday night, one local superintendent who began his job after that deadline told 22News, he didn't believe a program was implemented at his school. 22News found out that some of the schools that were doing it, weren't getting the message across.  
 
The Body Mass Index or BMI conversation got kicked started after a 2007 National Survey of Children's Health showed that 13.3 percent of 10-17 year-olds in Massachusetts were obese and 31 percent were overweight. The state department of Public Health then required B-M-I tests, which measures body fat based on height and weight.  

"I'd say that's something parents should opt into. I think if it's in the interest of health, then I'm sure they have some plan behind it," says Northampton's Joshua Carrig.

All 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th grade public school students in Massachusetts have to get a Body Mass Index taken, but the parents and students 22News talked with were confused as to why.

"I think it just slipped under the radar, I don't think anyone really talked about it. I didn't hear about it," says West Springfield High School senior Elizabeth Cone.

The hope is that families will takes steps to fight obesity and avoid the health problems linked to it, if they learn about it early enough. But that's not how Brooke Barthelette told 22News it was explained to her when she was in the Springfield Schools.  

"They should at least tell them what it's for, what's it's about, why they're doing it. Many kids at my school were confused," says Barthelette.

Brooke's mother Sarah Carmen didn't want to go on camera, but she did say she didn't know the BMI test was happening until she got a letter at home after the fact. She believes getting kids even talking about Body Mass Index at a younger age, could backfire.  

"I didn't think it was necessary at that age at all. Especially going into pre-teens and stuff, I just think its weird at that age," says Carmen.