I truly don't get how a letter sent to parents in confidentiality, without the student knowing, would do harm to that student's self esteem. I commend the school department for communicating what they see with parents. Sometimes it takes more than one pair of eyes. Sometimes people don't pay much attention to certain trends, like the devastating increase in childhood obesity and obesity in general over the years. This is something parents should take seriously. No ridicule or judgement involved. Many times it is due to lack of understanding and that is okay because there are professionals who can help. We all love our children and want the absolute best for them, including their health. And we, as parents, cannot know everything. Maybe the issue is education? Education for parents, children and doctors.

I probably would be outraged had I received a letter regarding my child, if I still had one in the public school system. That being said. I understand the urgency of the problem. I am not sure they are going about things the right way though. In the years that my children were in school I have watched Phys Ed budgets get cut, recess and break times dwindle to almost nothing. While behavior problems increase along with Sped plans. The only chance for activity is if your child joins a sports team or does dance or gymnastics. My kids were not into any of those things, though we tried them all any way. Kids in my neighborhood were over scheduled and unvailable for just outside play..It was a constant problem. Luckily they went out and played with each other and we got through. We also did not have so many tech games, so we were lucky as I feel that is a huge cause for inactivity. Bring back phys ed in the schools on a daily basis but not team things, just have the kids move, no grades just oxygenate them and along with that do some education, bring back home economics and teach cooking and nutrition. Studies show that if kids get up and move around they concentrate better. Educating the youth and they will educate the parents...It is not rocket science...sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

The problem is that the "epidemic of obesity" among our children is based on a false narrative. No good doctor, nurtrionist, trainer, etc would use only BMI. BMI does not take into account body type, muscle mass, etc. This is not to say we are not a foast food nation or that some children are in fact obese but the numbers are skewed and misleading. We are making changes to everything (i.e. no cupcakes, sode, etc. under any circumstances) based on misleading statistics.

As an additional note....this unfunded mandate put upon us cost approcimately $15K per year for NA alone....imagine the costs statewide. Wouldn't that money be better spent on additional gym teachers or nutritionists or even adding better food to the school lunch program. Our athletes are starving at the high school level as this "obesity epidemic" has changed the lunch protion sizes....this is a far reaching issue that goes on and on and on....

Also...my son is 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 93 pounds.......with all due repsect this is not obese. BTW Tom Brady would be considered obese under BMI standards......I repreat.....false narrative......skewed statistics.

I agree Tracy, I would have been annoyed and offended had I received one of these letters. It seems that the common sense solutions are always overlooked and the highly paid over educated consultants always win out. This is the state we live in now. Mandate away progressives...You will mandate me right out of the town my husbands ancestors helped to settle...

Sigh.

The Governor just proposed some significant tax increases. If you multiply $15k by 351 cities and towns, I just found $5.2 million in savings.

Healthcare is mandatory in MA and you need a yearly health record form from your doctor before they allow you in school. This doctor should have a chart of height and weight ...

These letters are being sent home in our children's backpacks easily accessible for the children to read. Some can laugh off the fact that they are being catorgorized as being obese, when they clearly are not, while others are becoming very upset and not understanding why they are being placed into this category. I know of one athletic and muscular female student who received a "fat letter', although she is clearly not. She altered her eating habits in a very negative and harmful way. She was not taking in enough calories, vitamins etc to support her active lifestyle. This now becomes a very unhealthy situation. This is one girl,but I am sure there are many other girls and boys who took these "fat letters" to heart in a negative way.

These letters are not going to bring change. If the letter states your child is obese it advises you to make an appointment with your PC. Either the parents are bringing their children to a primary care doctor, which if there is a concern regarding the child’s weight they are already working with their doctor or they aren’t bringing their children to the doctor and this letter is not going to change that. I think that while the laws are well-intentioned, there are better ways schools can spend the money and energy to combat child obesity rather than performing these inaccurate BMI assessments. For instance, they can ensure that school lunches are nutritious and full of healthy options. They can also work to make sure that kids have enough breaks for exercise and lessons about healthy eating and fitness in their school day. Seminars can be held to inform parents on healthy eating habits and how poor habits have a negative effect on their child’s health. Those are things that everyone can use throughout their lives to make positive choices. Eating junk is bad no matter what your BMI is. It should be more about getting the junk food removed from the regular diet and adding in veggies, fruits and exercise. Not about BMI or weight. Take the money and put it into programs, like Fuel Up To Play 60. Putting the money into educating children and parents will bring us closer to healthy living. Not thses false "fat letters."

Totally agree Tracy BMI measurement is not accurate. If you are going to call my child obese please call or do it face to face. A letter home is a cowards way out. The timing of these letters is also crazy. Lets weigh 4th grade girls just approaching puberty, like they don't already have low selfesteem just trying to negotiate the cliques of fourth grade. But we got rid of the presidential fitness test because it hurt feelings. These so called fat kids would kick on that fitness test, because they actually have muscle.

"Overweight and obesity have become a serious health problem in Massachusetts. Almost one-third of school-aged children are either overweight or obese. Overweight and obese children are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Helping children maintain a healthy weight can prevent potential health problems and serious diseases"
This is a direct quote from the Dept. of Health. OF COURSE one third of our kids are obese when you use only BMI......FALSE NARRATIVE

I reeally wish I could add a picture of my son to show the silliness of this all....

I bet that more people will be angry about this and that is good. If parents speak up then things might change. Take control, they work for you all and not the other way around. Bring back Gym, nutritional education and better lunches and things might look better. I have a dear friend who is in charge of an experimental lunch program at a school in Maine and the kids actually come into the kitchen to help and learn about cooking and nutrition...The kids love learning and love the food. Some have gone on to seek careers in the culinary field. I will ask her what we can do to bring a program like that here.

I will ask my friend for some info. That is great there is some light being shed on this by the news media. You are so right Tracy, the old ways are still valid and some should be brought back. If it wasn't broke why did we feel the need to fix it??

I sincerely thank all of our elected officials who have gotten involved in fighting this mandate. Let's keep pushing to get this through the Legislature; our community knows what is best for our kids far better than any state bureaucracy does.

Unfunded mandate? Everyone bought the food tax, hook line and sinker, you voted for it, and now you are paying for it.

Tracy,
Remind everyone when we can vote the meals tax off the books. Considering we had two votes to get it on the books.

How much money did the town take in for the meals tax for 2012?

Keep electing 'progressives' and eventually the 'fat letter' will be proof of child neglect.

Any money from a tax should be paying for "unfunded mandates". Yes it does have an impact. It is money that is a tax used to spend on such things.

The meals tax demands that people eat junk food in order to maintain school systems.

School system demanded the most from the meals tax.

The NO vote was not lead strongly enough. We must bring up the vote again.

Again I ask, how much money did the town of North Andover bring in for the Meals Tax?

How easy is it to find on the Town website?

When will superintendent give up rented space and work out of the high school and save the town $100,000 per year. When, I always here money is tight.

Why so long for the renovation?

The gym are is in excess - all the weight lifting equipment and wrestling area could be used for offices - inefficient use of tax at the state and local level.

How much for the renovation? Millions again?

The offices I see ceo's work out of are not as elaborate as the secretaries office at the high school.

We went to school in trailers - put a trailer onsite for them to work out of.

Sell the old police station.

More excuses for more extravagant spending on nonessential personnel.

A school with two to three story high entrance ways and no office for school department. Amazing!!

And with the elaborate gym the kids are still not fit?

Why not move into the station now with minimal renovation like companies do?

Would of cost nothing to put them at the downtown school, perfectly fine until renovations are down - years at $100,000 but who is counting?

Not the people who voted for the $1.7 million override, the CPA tax, and the meals tax and don't forget the tax on your electric bill for "underground" wires.

MikeAaa is correct about the reason that the school department is not at the high school.

Still points to poor planning, and misappropriation of tax dollars that are always in need as could be seen by the back to back voting for the meals tax.

I would also remind you that unfortunately you can't just plop folks into buildings any way we like....the state has regulations pertaining to the accessibiliyt of buildings -- whether you like it or not they are in place and we must adhere to them. We are also bound to prevailing wage -- so everything we do costs more than it should. A reason why I have fought back against prevailing wage for many years now. I know it's easy to sit and look at things from one perspective but when you have to take into account he hurdles we actually have as a municipal government you realize nothing is easy.

BMI was designed as a population measure of health, not an individual measure. BMI is useless applied to individuals, children or adult. That's not my opinion; it's Dr. David Haslam's. When he said this in 2007, he was Britain's chairman of its Obesity Council, commenting on the results of a meta-study done the prior year by Dr. Jerome Groninger. Groninger analyzed the results of BMI studies covering 33,000 U.S. adults and concluded, with typical scientific understatement, that the use of BMI for individuals was "problematic." The biggest finding Groninger made was that the BMI value associated with the lowest all-cause mortality was 26, which is still considered obese today.

Cost more money of $150K and two years. When was the high school completed? Only now the town is getting to this? That $150 wasn't paid for by the meals tax because the school department took more than half.

Again poor planning and more wasted money. When can we vote out the meals tax?

CAM media - GAS prices sky rocketting - guess what I gave up - CABLE!! Cancel CAM media and use the room. Again what does it cost to up keep those treadmills everyone is using at the school gym? If they are being used - there must be a cost of maintenance?

Why does the high school have two and three story foyers and no offices for the school department? Why weren't they considered during the planning? Why does renovating a simple, simple, building take so much time - school departments have existed for years, schools have had to ramp up classrooms with trailers as needed very quickly- this is nothing new folks.

My company runs with minimal stuff. The state and town governments can too.
You are creating the hurdles and throwing more money at it makes more hurdles.
I was at a meeting of the Common Wealth Institute where Deval Patrick claimed major changes in the health insurance agency by saying no to funding 10% increases. But he doesn't use that logic when comes to taxes.

The one perspective I have was constant and consistent begging for money and people getting it easy.
What I haven't seen or heard is the date I can vote against the meals tax publicized on CAM.

Why of all things - the part of the town that takes the most money - not have a place to go? Foolish. They could go into the Bradstreet building and build a ramp for the handicap and make accommodations. There is no reason they can't be in the highschool or that building.

Our offices hold 7 chemists in about 200 sq ft. I have seen some where all they get is a bench with a computer - no office. Executives sharing those offices until and if the business grows.

Let's see some of that.

So Tracy -
With all that you said - no one should ask for more money for the wasteful spending and hurdles you have pointed out. I agree with you.

We should be the first town to cut that fat cat part of the budget and force the issue.

Karin,

The vote wasn't fought hard second time around - it was not publicized, I learned of it very just before the vote. Also it was never mentioned the during that meeting that the town was about to raise the tax rate. That would of made a big difference but it was silenced.

Karin,
So about $200 -$400 ($400? really) from the meals tax, where are you getting the data?
I remember seeing documents early on that showed the school department was looking to grab that money.
There are many things that are not quite "transparent". Like the grading system, these "fat letters", etc. etc.
So again, 2 years from now we can vote against the meals tax. Let's keep promoting that, often.

Carl,
200k - 400k. You missed the 'thousand part'.

OK - STUPID. FIRST: TEACHING BY EXAMPLE, PLEASE START THIS PROGRAM BY FIRING OR SENDING HOME ALL FAT TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS (and the proably anorexic chick who designed the letter) who are the most direct educational examples to students. Given the fact that OVERWEIGHT can lead to being stimatized by Hollywood types (and fans) and that excess weight can lead to heart disease, there is merot in supporting the kids, but not stigmatizing them.etc. IS this just a stab at parents, but again noNOT THE TEACHERS? That another beaurecratic government, tax funded agency spends money to tell FAT PARENTS thay HAVE FAT KIDS is kind of like telling smoking parents, beer parents, sugar parents, meat parents, fast food parents, salt parents, non-exercising parents that their kid is really a reflection of slobbish mentallity, stigmatizing lifestyles. Take the money spend used here and show pics of a famous and gifted people like: fat Einstein, Gov. Christie, Jackie Gleason, John Wayne, George Washington, John Adams, Elvis, Marlon Brando, Ruben Studdard, Kathy Bates, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Oprah (90% of the time)
Can't they better spend time and money on better books that teach about the Constitution and not soocial medias. Stick that in your tweet.

Jim Lyons, are you aware that approximately 300,000 deaths a year in the United States are attributed to obesity and furthermore, approximately 55% of the U.S. population is overweight, and almost one in five is obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics 2010). Or according to the World Health Organization (WHO) the United States spent 148 billion dollars last year treating obesity related medical conditions? Not to mention, the United States only spent 91 billion treating smoking related medical conditions the same year? Do the math and tell me this isn’t a problem. So let me ask you this simple question, if I let my child of 8 years old smoke cigarettes would I be charged with a crime such as child neglect? Also, if a parent enable a child by being in control with the child eats and the child is extremely overweight and as a result comes down with type 2 diabetes. Would I also be charged with child neglect in this issue? I control what I buy for the child to eat? As a result of my actions the child came down with a medical condition which in some cases could be for life due to my actions. I would really like to hear your feedback on this issue especially with the analogy I just gave you?

Not to mention that Jim Lyons by looking at his photos has some overweight issues as well. Nice triple chins you have there your honorable State Representative Jim Lyons.

How make Democrats has Tracy voted for over the years? As the saying goes 'If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas'.

I propose the Affordable Nutritious Food Act.

All the states will operate cafeterias where all citizens (the dream food act to follow later) are given three nutritious meals a day (two on weekends and holidays) free of charge. This program won't be much different from the meal provided over the summer on the Lawrence schools.

The program will be funded by the savings resulting from removing the inefficiency of our current food distribution systems and having food preparation areas in every home.. Expert chefs and state of the art cafeteria kitchens will replace the need for kitchens in homes and restaurants. And we will no longer need convenience stores on every block and redundant supermarkets. And the many amateur cooks - in addition to the time savings - will no longer have to eat their own cooking or rely on canned items, junk food, or expensive restaurant meals.

Those who work at full time jobs will get meals paid by their employers are company operated cafeterias.

More to follow ...

Desc BMI on NAPS website: http://www.northandoverpublicschools.com/cms_files/resources/Body%20Mass%20Index%20screening%20program.docx. Note there is no mention how to 'opt out'.

"Body Mass Index screening program

In accordance with the Mass Dept of Public Health (MDPH), schools are required to perform height, weight and body mass index (BMI) screenings for students in grade 1,4,7 & 10 and send home the results to parents and guardians. The purpose of the screening program is to give parents additional information about their child’s weight status and ideas for living a healthy life.

BMI is a measurement that is used to show a person’s “weight for height for age.” It is calculated using a formula that includes an individual’s height and weight. Just like a blood pressure reading or an eye screening test, a BMI can be a useful tool in identifying possible health risks.

BMI does not tell the whole story about a child’s health status. BMI does not distinguish between fat and muscle. For example, if a child is very athletic and has a lot of muscle, his or her BMI may be high even though he or she is not overweight. That is why parents are encouraged to share the results with their child’s health care provider and have them explain the results of their child’s BMI screening. They are in the best position to evaluate a child’s overall health.

Please visit the MDPH website at www.mass.gov for Frequently Asked Questions about BMI and Mass in Motion. "

Really Tracy? Last time I check first impression meant everything in our society? The comment wasn’t actually directed to him, but to show what other people feels in this issue and how others perceives others and you just reply to it. Now you know what overweight & obese people feels & what your state health department is trying to prevent. Look at the magazines, TV commercials, even your local fast food commercials. You don’t see overweight or obese people in them. Overweight people are discriminated all the time in this world. Employers are more likely not to hire them because they may think they are lazy and not productive and in the healthcare field they are often given the stigma that if they don’t bother to take care better self of themselves then why should we encourage the additional teaching to help them which is wrong but it does happen. All your state is trying to do is break this chain of events from happening and all you want to do is stop it. You can stop the letters maybe but you can’t stop the general public and their views on the issues. What you should be doing with Mr. Lyons is enforcing better parenting skills for those kids parents who are overweight because in my opinion if your child is overweight or obese & you control what the child eats than that is child abuse & neglect and if you’re not being a responsible adult to feed your children the right foods verse junk food than perhaps your child should be raised by someone else who can do this.

Another case of Teaparty politics... You'll get nowhere with Chainsmoking Tracey Watson... But thanks Terence for enlightening others. Any efforts to stop the cycle of obesity AND Parents SMOKING WITH CHILDREN IN THEIR CAR is money well spent!

We all remember Tracy in Richard Tsei's ad claiming to be an average voter who always voted for Tierney... That precancerous voice reminded me of Marge Simpson's sisters. Find it hard to believe a Teaparty stalwart like Watson ever voted for a dem. Just glad there's a Gordon back in NA politics to keep these crazies in check!

Sorry, I just find it funny that a tobacco user would have any valid criticism of public heath policies... Only on Faux! :-) For the majority of children, BMI is actually a cheap and effective way to identify obesity.

Where is the data for the meals tax - does the town have this?

Why do they allow junk food at the sporting events? The town meals tax is a joke and anyone who supports overrides should really consider how wasteful town, state and fed government is.

Imagine the trickery to allow the meals tax. Quietly, and without much information was voted in.

An under ride to remove the $1.7 million voted for should be out, meals tax when it gets a chance should be voted out.

And someone should file a lawsuit against the school department for selling junk at all sporting events. Parents should boycott all fund raisers at local restaurants and have fund raisers at their homes, with home cooked meals.

Anyone run the bmi for a ten year old, 93lbs, 58 inches tall? Comes up with bmi of 19, which is healthy.... hmmmm. What am I missing??

Robert,
Thank you. I have contacted the town manager by email and nothing, selectman nothing, school department nothing.
I have questioned the school budget of what I see as $100K for telephones - seems high.

And, the question was here let the selectman respond and make it more public.

Revenue from meals tax according to the finance page you sent has the town at $230K in 6 months. And note it has it as revenue, like any revenue, yet they seem to have spent it before they got it, $150K to plan, $100 K for school department lease etc.

We didn't need the meals tax, we don't need to keep funding Stevens Estate - remember new growth is more money. CPA should be cut completely or at least in half, - anything historical allowed to be torn down and new rebuilt as new growth generates more money.

Budgets may be on track but they constantly want more, and the town just like anyone needs to be careful with every penny they collect. Not just ask for more and have programs like the people here are complaining about run at any cost without accountability.

@Fritz, because you didn't calculate it right..You have percentage range in Peds and have to calculate the predictability of puberty and growth spurts which is not required in adults. I did the math and not knowing his parents height so I made him 6 feet tall and at current course of action at the age and current weight would weigh 263.35 pounds at the age of 18.

But the health dept should make their own employees walk the walk if they are going to talk the talk...For example, almost fifty-four percent of healthcare providers are overweight or obese. According to Brown, I., & Thompson J., (2011) fifty-three percent of nurses are overweight but lack the motivation to make lifestyle changes. Although ninety-three percent of nurses acknowledge that overweight and obesity are diagnoses requiring intervention, seventy-six percent do not pursue the topic with overweight and obese patients(Sally, K., & Patricia, T., 2010). So this is the fact what happens. You get a fat letter, go see your doc, all he will say is eat more greens and exercise more..Really that's all you will get..You only have a 24% chance of actually finding someone who care to take the time to help. As this is America and its all about how many patients you can see in a day and how much you can make in a day... Last time you go see your PCP just watch its blah blah blah and out the door... So if you get a fat letter, don't waste your money going to see your doc because you won't find help there either bc he is either fat himself or doesn't know what to tell you anyways...

Terence-. Thank you. My calc was not factoring parents measurements.

Terence, it's less about the letters and MORE about the study... Please read my comments under the follow up article Bryan wrote. This initiative is part of Michelle Obama's fitness effort and includes lots of free money for schools that apply. Our school got a nutritionist AND a STAFFED salad bar for the school lunch program. The Ymca, Blue Cross, and the CDC ponied up almost 200k in grants.

Imagine if these politicians focused on improving their own town rather than starting a smear campaign for the demise of a much needed study... They too might have a salad bar! Which is an undeniable improvement! Our slad bar visits make up a third of all students!!
Also, look at Mississippi who had the fattest kids on the planet. They took advantage of this grant program in a big way and are already realizing a statistically signifigant improvement!

In the pediatric office I work in I have literally seen a fat kid sitting on the exam table,flab hanging over the wasteband of his underwear,double chin, and the parent saying she just does not see a weight problem.

well Paula, society has gotten a custom to seeing overweight people and fat people like to hang around fat people. You see a heavy person say all the time they would like to lose weight but when ask what they do and you get a nothing replied. Americans are very lazy anymore. As for Michelle Obama's fitness, well school isnt the answer because you still have classes all day and the problem still lay with the parents. They are in control of what they buy the kids to eat,and they have the power to tell the kids to turn off the video games and go outside....

From July 2012 till Feb 2013, approximately $230,000 in revenue from the meals tax, a tax that is 0.75 percent of the sale of a prepared meal; to achieve that revenue approximately $31 million had to be pent in this town alone; Peabody and Danvers each nearly at $70-90 million sales in each town to achieve their meals tax dollar revenues.

May be the government should raise the tax high enough to keep people from eating bad food, just like cigarettes, maybe a MacMeal for $5 should cost you $25.

Remember, Tracy mentioned saving $15000 by not having these "fat letters". $15000 is nothing, the state government and school department don't really care. The money is so big, who wouldn't want slice of that pie.

This is why we should have voted no to the meals tax in a much bigger way.

I stated similar figures at the No vote second vote meals tax session.

I think Tracy Watson's hot... in a Kathleen Turner sort of way.