Prohibiting ‘weigh-ins’ is not the answer

The real problem is how society views weight issues, Barbara Madimenos argues.

Education Minister Sébastien Proulx has endorsed a recommendation by a National Assembly committee to abolish the practice of weighing students in primary and secondary schools, while it will be allowed to continue in CEGEPs as long as students give their consent.

The committee, comprised of MNAs from all parties, heard from a federation of groups behind a 4,500-name petition that said weighing students in a gym teacher’s office or in front of their peers “is very harmful for children suffering from an eating disorder and can even trigger problems in others . ... The practice is also very humiliating for the overweight and a form of intimidation.”

However, it’s important to ask: Is that the right way to look at this important issue?

There is no denying that stepping on a scale is uncomfortable for many people, especially in a public setting.

I remember my fourth year of high school. During a semester primarily focused on nutrition and lifestyle management, we were weighed in front of the class at the beginning of the term and given our Body Mass Index to provide us with an idea of what our “average and healthy” weight should be. Perhaps not surprisingly, students began comparing results, pointing to their thighs, chests and stomachs. Many of those hitting higher numbers immediately felt they needed to go on a diet.

Of course, this is a distressing scenario. But it does not mean we should ban the weighing of students in school. What it tells us is that the practice is uncomfortable because our society has made it so.

Since I was 13, I have suffered from anorexia nervosa. My illness was induced by a variety of issues, including chemical imbalances. In the end, though, the cause of my illness had nothing to do with weight issues per se.

More study is needed to help find the reasons behind why people develop eating disorders. There has been discussion about genetic factors. Some view eating disorders as extensions of other mental illnesses.

For me, the number on the scale and my appearance eventually became a large part of my sickness — but it was never the primary issue.

Our weight is not a definition of who we are. The BMI charts we are given in school serve to provide us with a rough understanding of our ideal weight as we grow from children into adults. They are benchmarks given by professionals to keep us mindful of what is considered healthy and what is not.

At the same time, our society must do a better job of driving home the message — especially among young people — that we all have different shapes, lifestyles and body mechanisms that can affect our weight, as well as discussing what is healthy for our individual selves.

So why make students feel vulnerable when they see the number on the scale go up, or have them feel like they should go on a diet because their peers are lighter than they are?

Why make those numbers seem sinful by abolishing a practice that is aimed at helping young people acquire a better understanding of the basic facts of health education and nutrition?

A ban on weighing students does not address the real problem, which is how our society looks at weight issues.

Thin is not in, and our weight does not always determine someone’s health. Retreating to a notion that a person’s weight should be kept secret could potentially push children to view the issue of weight in a negative light, and harm them even more.

A better approach would be to make the act of stepping on a scale less of a big deal.

At the same time, we must continue the conversation about what weight means and how health is defined, achieved and maintained, and how countless circumstances define a person’s overall wellness.

Thin is not in, and our weight does not always determine someone’s health.