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September
3, 2003
Little
Rock -- Act
1220, passed by the Arkansas General Assembly in
2003, mandates that parents
shall be provided with an annual Body Mass
Index (BMI) of their child, as well as an explanation
of what the BMI means and health effects associated
with obesity. The Arkansas Child Health Advisory
Committee, a committee charged with making
recommendations
on the implementation of Act 1220, today endorsed
working principles for Body Mass Index Assessments
recommended by the BMI Task Force.
The committee decided that parents will receive
information regarding their child's body mass
index on a confidential
health report card. This card will be separate from
the child’s grade report card, will be communicated
directly
to the parent(s) in a private and confidential manner,
and include recommendations and resources available
to parents.
The
BMI Task Force, led by the Arkansas Center for Health
Improvement, in partnership with
local school
districts,
the Arkansas Department of Education, the Arkansas
Department of Health and the UAMS College of Public
Health has been
given the task of developing and implementing statewide
BMI assessments and reporting. This information will
provide parents with important knowledge regarding
any health risks their child may incur as a result
of being
over or underweight. Reports such as these are recommended
by the American Academy of Pediatrics for all children
every year.
“Clearly
this was our intent,” commented Representative Jay
Bradford, lead sponsor of Act 1220. “The Committee
is shaping the mechanics of how this important
message will be delivered to parents about
the health risks
of their children.”
A
child’s BMI will be determined by measuring their
height and weight and knowing their age and gender,
not using
calipers or other instruments.
“Many parents do not understand
the risks of childhood obesity,” commented Fay Boozman,
MD, Director of the Arkansas Department of Health.
“Parents want and deserve to be informed if their children
are at risk for developing health problems.”
The BMI Task Force is seeking private funding to minimize
the cost burden to the individual school districts.
Pilot projects will begin as early as this fall in
schools around the state.
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