Body Mass Index and Student Recording

Over the past 10 years the PEP Grant (Carol M. White grant) was the major funding vehicle for physical education in America. While obesity continues to increase among youth and adults, school districts continue to refuse increased spending in the one area that can positively impact the nation as a whole and academic performance on individual level. The obvious excuse now is the bad economy but even in the 'good old days' this single funding source provided the majority of impetus in innovation, technology and application of structured physical education.

The funding for PEP 2011/2012 is still being debated but guidelines were provided should the legislation approve funding. Major changes from past practices are evident, the first being " Program Specific Assurances for Competitive Preference # 1 - Collection of Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement". This is a shot across the bow to ensure data gathering and empirical evidence that can show any intervention to have a positive impact on the major reason for funding: fighting obesity and improving fitness.

The issue of measuring body fat  in some form or another has been controversial in our politically correct society since scientists developed protocols for it. At best, it is an elective practice in some schools or school districts around the country. But other countries, who are serious about the health of their nation, simply legislate interventions such as body fat percentage measurements or Body Mass Index (ratio of height to weight) data collection. Malaysia is the most recent country that will display BMI on report cards of all students in addition to curricular subjects.

As part of Malaysia's fight against obesity, school cafeterias will be banned from selling sugary soft drinks or fattening junk foods. Food vendors selling sugary fried snacks will be discouraged (read removed) from setting up outside playgrounds after school. According to the country's health minister, almost one-third of Malaysians are overweight while a further third are obese (1.7 million below the age of 18 are obese). This is not as bad as the situation in America but the Malaysian government acted sternly and aggressively, using BMI to educate parents about ideal weight, overweight or being obese.

On serious issues such as these, where many parents are in denial, they should be applauded for doing the right thing. I predict that Malasia will drop in the Asian obesity rankings (6th currently) in one generation.
Michael Cordier

Menu Labeling and other Headaches

Those who like the government to dictate and intervene on micro level applauded the draft rules released by the Food and Drug Administration last week that will require the disclosure of calorie and nutritional information on menus or menu boards in chain restaurants and retail food establishments - including calorie posting for food sold through vending machines. Those seeing these rules authorized by the Affordable Care Act as another intrusion of governmnet on personal choice and daily behavior in strongly against it. A case can be made on both sides but it is safe to bet that either menu choices are going to shrink in our favorite restaurants or menus will start to look like encyclopedias.

This is in addition to another food fight looming with the first re-write of school-menu rules in 15 years.
The skirmish is over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts, prompted by the recent passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, to rewrite the rules about meals served through the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs. At stake is what will and won’t be offered in the breakfasts and lunches schools serve millions of children every weekday. (Education Week 4/5/11). Stakeholders include farmers, food companies, cafeteria managers and off course, lobbyists with the occasional celebrity chef weighing in. This update is long overdue and much needed as such a large percentage of our student population receive their primary meals from the school cafeteria.

With budgets being cut in all public schools and events such as the veto by a state governor recently on a passed bill to mandate physical education in one state, it is encouraging to learn about a new Physical Activity Initiative by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell. The group aims to develop policy solutions across political party lines. The goal is to make policy recommendations on food, health, fitness and nutrition issues. Let's hope they ask for input from folks with boots on the ground!
Michael Cordier