For the past two decades, schools in Pennsylvania and across the United States have used body mass index (BMI) screenings to identify students at risk of weight-related health issues. But research shows that not only are BMI screenings ineffective at addressing childhood obesity; they can also have harmful consequences.

School BMI screenings often fail to protect the privacy of children, with students lined up in a gym or other open area to be measured in front of their peers. And relying on BMI as a standalone metric for evaluating student health can lead to inaccurate assumptions and stigmatize children with a higher BMI.

According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Policy Lab, students labeled as “overweight” are at greater risk of experiencing school-based bullying, being isolated and marginalized by their friends, and are more likely to develop disordered eating behaviors and feelings of despair, worry, low self-esteem, and anxiety.   

My proposed legislation would:

• eliminate BMI calculations from school height and weight measurements,
• require parental notification of school height and weight screenings,
• allow parents or guardians to opt children out of school height and weight screenings,
• limit state reporting of student data to aggregate data only, and
• ensure that measurements are performed only by a school nurse or other trained healthcare professional.

Because nutrition and physical activity are agreed-upon measures to promote healthy lifestyles, my legislation also adds the Department of Human Services to the existing Interagency Coordinating Council for Child Health, Nutrition and Physical Education. This will allow the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Education program to be incorporated into top-level discussions for child health.

Pennsylvania has an opportunity to join many other states like Nebraska and West Virginia in recognizing the harmful impacts that BMI measurements – especially without complete privacy protection – can have on the whole-health and well-being of our children.

Please join me in supporting this legislation to eliminate unnecessary screenings, reduce weight stigma, and break the cycle of disordered eating and other youth mental health issues associated with body image.