• About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe for Free
  • Download App
  • Anti-Racism Summit
  • Terms of Service
SWHELPER
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • LGBTQ
  • Disability
Find/Post Jobs
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • LGBTQ
  • Disability
No Result
View All Result
SWHELPER
No Result
View All Result
Home Education

“Fat Letters” How Insensitive Can You Be

Brittney CobbbyBrittney Cobb
December 6, 2013
in Education, News
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

In recent news reports, there have been many parents outraged about notes sent home to them explaining that their child is considered to be obese. “Fat letters” are what the children have deemed the notifications, and they are being sent out in children’s weekly folders in certain schools. There are currently 19 states sending these letters home, three of which include Florida, California and Massachusetts. In the letters are different methods that parents can use to help lower their child’s weight such as exercise, preparing healthier meals etc. When Lilly Grasso recently brought home a letter from her Naples, Florida middle school, her mother, Kristen Grasso, became angry. The letter claimed that Lilly’s body mass index or BMI was 22, and it indicated that she was at risk for being overweight. The 11-year-old star volleyball player carries 124 pounds on an athletic 5-foot-3 frame and eats healthy foods.

How irresponsible and  insensitive is it to send these letters out in a child’s personal folder? For one, imagine how these children must feel being considered “fat.” It is obvious that these letters are viewed by these kids prior to being sent home because they are put inside the children’s folders. Could reading these letters further damage a child’s self-esteem while dealing with puberty and other issues that may arise during the adolescence stage? Is it possible for a child who reads their “fat letter”  to make the more susceptible to bullying from other children by lowering their self-esteem even more?

According to the Center of Disease and Health Control,

  • Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.1, 2
  • The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period
  • In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese
  • Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors.3 Obesity is defined as having excess body fat
  • Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors

The facts on obesity are undisputed, but this is an issue that a child should have to read about in their personal folders. I believe this is something that teachers should be addressing with the parent on a one-on-one basis. Additionally, telling a parent they should cook more “healthy meals,”  can be taken as a little judgmental. What if a parent is receiving food stamps or other governmental assistance, it can be extremely hard to buy or afford healthy foods. Consider the parent living in a low-income neighborhood where they do not have access to Whole Foods Markets and have to choose between a costly pack of salad or a lesser expensive pack of meat.

California happens to be one of 19 states that require schools to screen for obesity, and they do so using the body mass index test (BMI), and a height-to-weight ratio measurement that is used by doctors to designate if a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Ironically, schools that have adopted this practice of sending these notifications have not managed to change any of their lunch menus while still serving fried corn dogs, pizza, fried chicken, and other unhealthy foods.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Previous Post

Confidentiality Policies that Hurt Children in Child Welfare Protection Cases

Next Post

Social Work White House Briefing Presentations Now Available

Brittney Cobb

Brittney Cobb

Brittney Cobb is a News Correspondent for Social Work Helper and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Brittney studied Criminal Justice at Saint Augustine's College and has her Masters in Social Work from North Carolina State University. She is a Behavioral Health Provider at Statesville Children's Clinic (an affiliate of Gaston Family Health Services). As a Clinical Social Worker, she provides behavioral health services in a primary care setting to children and adults. She wants to make a difference and give back to the community.

Related Posts

How Does Sex Therapy Rescue Your Love Life? – 6 Incredible Ways
Health

How Does Sex Therapy Rescue Your Love Life? – 6 Incredible Ways

June 30, 2022
55
Hate Sites Using the Wider Abortion Argument to Spread Racism and Extremism
Health

Hate Sites Using the Wider Abortion Argument to Spread Racism and Extremism

June 29, 2022
59
The Positive Impact Social Work Can Have on Public Education
Education

The Positive Impact Social Work Can Have on Public Education

June 24, 2022
100
Insult to Injury: U.S. Workers Without Paid Sick Leave Suffer from Mental Distress
Education

How Social Workers Can Practice Trauma-Informed Care

June 18, 2022
278
In A New World, Social Work Leads the Way
Criminal Justice

In A New World, Social Work Leads the Way

June 14, 2022
110
Technology and Entrepreneurship in Social Work
News

Technology and Entrepreneurship in Social Work

April 6, 2022
23
Next Post
Social Work White House Briefing Presentations Now Available

Social Work White House Briefing Presentations Now Available

Being Bad With Purpose: Joseph Morgan on Positive Women

Being Bad With Purpose: Joseph Morgan on Positive Women

Leave Comment
What Can Be Done To Solve The Foster Care Crisis?

Ending the Therapeutic Relationship: Creative Termination Activities

June 24, 2022
1.8k
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

The Importance of Mental Health Awareness

April 7, 2019
467
What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

June 19, 2022
747
What Is a Genogram and Why Do I Need to Learn How to Create One?

What Is a Genogram and Why Do I Need to Learn How to Create One?

April 7, 2019
678

Good Things Happen When
You Subscribe

Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram TikTok
SWHELPER

  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe for Free
  • Download App
  • Anti-Racism Summit
  • Terms of Service

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • News
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Politics
    • Criminal Justice
    • Social Work
    • Education
    • LGBTQ
    • Poverty
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Virtual Summit
  • Career Center
  • Download App
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Good Things Happen When
You Subscribe

Subscribe
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version
%d bloggers like this: