The NOF position on this revised guidance governing the measurement of children’s heights and weights in Reception Yr and Yr 6 in UK primary schools is that you should “ buy “ it – warts and all.  It is by no means a perfect document but it is strides ahead of the 2006 guidance, “Measuring Childhood Obesity “, which resulted in only 48% of the target children being measured.  Notably, the word “ obesity “ is nowhere to be found in the narrative of the new document.

The substantive improvement in the Programme is that measuring children for public health reasons does not require formal parental consent.  Giving parents the “ right “ to opt their children out from last year’s measuring was widely regarded as being a key reason why so few overweight or fat children showed up for it.  This biased the figures and made the exercise virtually meaningless.  The Department of Health is requiring a minimum of 80% of children to be measured in 2007 and, in an update of the Programme anticipated for September, NOF will argue for a higher rate.  Tam Fry is the NOF Board member in touch with the DH on his issue.  For a critique of the Programme, contact the Child Growth Foundation, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it