Why weighing primary pupils may only make them even fatter

A FLAGSHIP policy to identify children at risk of becoming obese may actually be making youngsters fatter, scientists fear.

Research being presented at a leading medical conference shows that children put on more weight if their parents believe they are overweight.

The finding calls into question the National Child Measurement Programme, in which a million primary school children are weighed and measured each year – and their parents told the results in ‘feedback’ letters.

It was introduced ten years ago in the belief that if parents realise their child has a weight problem, they will be better placed to tackle it. The new research suggests that stigmatising children in this way may only succeed in pushing them into comfort eating.

More than one in five English children are overweight on starting school and previous research shows many parents dismiss dangerous levels of plumpness as puppy fat. However, the child measurement programme has come in for widespread criticism, with parents saying it is ‘disgusting’ to label children as young as four as fat.

There are also concerns that the measurements are inaccurate and public health experts have described the warning letters to parents as a waste of time. The latest research, from Liverpool University, adds fuel to their arguments.

Psychologist Eric Robinson analysed data on more than 3,500 Australian schoolchildren.

The boys and girls were weighed and measured every two years from the age of four or five until they were 12 or 13.

Plus, their parents were asked whether they thought their child was underweight, of normal weight or overweight.

All of the children put on weight – but those whose parents perceived them as being too heavy put on the most.

Interestingly, the phenomenon didn’t only apply to youngsters who were overweight. Children whose weight was normal but whose parents believed them to be fat, also piled on the pounds.

This suggests that the parents’ perception of their child’s weight is key. The European Obesity Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, heard that the stigma attached to being labelled overweight might drive children to comfort eat.

Parents might also believe their child is too big to exercise or simply give them bigger portions of food in the belief they need them. A second study, presented at the same meeting, found that 82 per cent of parents of overweight or obese children underestimated their weight.

Dr Robinson, and co-researcher Dr Angela Sutin from Florida State University in the US, said: ‘ Contrary to popular belief, parental identification of a child being overweight is not protec- tive against further weight gain, rather it is associated with more weight gain across childhood.

‘There is a greater need than ever to systematically assess the effectiveness of child measurement and screening interventions delivered to parents.’

Tam Fry, of the Child Growth Foundation and the National Obesity Forum, described the results as intriguing but said more research is needed.

He believes the problem to lie not in the measurement programme itself but in how parents then tell their children they need to lose weight. He said that rather than being authoritarian, parents should approach the issue with ‘understanding and care’.

Public Health England, which runs the National Child Measurement Programme, said the fact the data was collected in Australia made it hard to know if it was relevant to the UK.

The NHS says the checks are important because overweight children are much more likely to be overweight as adults, putting them at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

At least 923 NHS staff were injured while caring for obese patients between 2011 and 2015, Freedom of Information data shows. Injuries included neck and back sprains, hernias, muscle tears and slipped discs.

‘Perception of weight is key’