The House is voting this week on a bill backed by New Hampshire’s first lady that would require schools to record students’ body mass index, an indicator of obesity.
Dr. Susan Lynch believes the measurement is more helpful than simply looking at a child’s weight to determine health risks of being under- or overweight. She says schools are a good place to screen children because not all of them have doctors to take the measurement.
But a majority of the House Education Committee doesn’t agree and is recommending killing the bill. Opponents argue it could harm children by singling them out. They also say BMI ignores other important factors of body composition.