Malaysia obesity campaign targets students

[alp227]

Source: BBC News

Malaysia's government has announced it will record the body mass index of students on report cards as part of a campaign to fight obesity.

The Malaysian health minister says the country has the highest percentage of obese citizens in Southeast Asia.

Teachers now have to measure students' body weight and height to see if they have a healthy amount of body fat.

The authorities say this will help parents monitor whether their child is overweight or obese.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13125559

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Report cards? And in America, dumb people complain about the First Lady just going on a healthy eating campaign and about cities banning toys from fast food meals.

[AndyTiedye]

1. "Body Mass Index" is a Bogus Measurement that Makes No Distinction Between Fat and Muscle

[antigone382]

2. It also doesn't account for different fat percentages in men and women.

As a rough measure, it's all right...but if they actually start using it to shame or force changes on people, that's a different thing.

[Gman]

3. We should do that here

and emphasize more diet and exercise. Maybe eventually the focus will be on food processors and things like high fructose corn syrup and other food processors.

[Odin2005]

4. BMI is BS.

[WatsonT]

5. % body fat is more useful

and not all that difficult to figure out.