The mother of a 5-foot, 5-inch girl who weighs 124 pounds is seeing red after Florida school officials sent home a letter warning her daughter was overweight.
Naples Middle School officials sent the letter to warn of the dangers of obesity, labeling Lily Grasso, a muscular and athletic 11-year-old girl who plays volleyball, as “overweight,” according to a body mass index screening conducted by the Collier County Health Department.
The mother, Kristen Grasso, was outraged.
“My concern is kids that see the results of this test that may be classified as overweight that aren’t and the self-esteem issues that they may get,” she told a local television station. “Lily is tall, athletic, solid muscle — by no means is she overweight.”
But Lily may not have been supposed to receive the letter in the first place. The Orlando Sentinel reports a discrepancy between her height according to her mother and her height according to the form she received. On the form, she is listed as two inches shorter than her mother said. At 5’3” and 124 pounds, Lily would have a BMI of 22, which would classify her as overweight.
Schools around the nation have been sending home similar warnings — “fat letters,” as they’ve been dubbed — as part of federal and state government programs to combat youth obesity, including first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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