School Sends Home Letter to Mother Classifying Athletic 11-Year-Old as Overweight

A Florida mom might have consented to a health screening that would take place at her daughter's school, but she was surprised to find out that the 11-year-old girl's weight being classified as "at-risk."

Kristen Grasso told WFTX-TV late last month her daughter, Lily, brought home a letter from the Collier County Health Department that classified the middle school student's BMI as overweight.

A health screening calculating Lily Grasso's BMI found that she would be considered "at risk" and overweight. (Image source: WFTX video screenshot)

"Lily is tall, athletic, solid muscle by no means is she overweight," Grasso told the local news station.

Lily, who the form lists as  5'3" and her mother says in the report is 5'5", weighs 124 pounds. This would put her BMI at 22 and as "at risk" in the weight category.

Lily brought her mother this letter from the county after school in late September. (Image source: WFTX video screenshot)

Grasso said she worries about the self-esteem issues that might arise with letters like this classifying children who are technically healthy as overweight.

In addition to the mother disagreeing with the assessment of her daughter's health, she also said she was surprised weight was recorded in the first place. The form she saw before the screening said it would evaluate vision, hearing, growth and other development, according to WFTX.

The news station reported that such health screenings are state law, but parents have the opportunity to opt their children out. Grasso though called this "opt out" form long and difficult to understand.

Watch WFTX's report about the controversial letter:

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(H/T: Daily Mail)

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