Evaluation report from Act 1220 of 2003 (childhood obesity)

Three years ago, the UAMS College of Public Health was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to conduct interviews and an objective survey of public schools in Arkansas to determine their policies and practices related to physical activity, nutrition, and childhood obesity. Here is the report of the third year of this evaluation, which was released earlier this month.

The report concludes that there has been a continued acceptance of the BMI measurement by parents and students (and schools). The report found no evidence that BMI measurement and reporting caused increased teasing, unhealthy diet behaviors or excessive concern about weight. The Legislature, of course, repealed the BMI requirement this year (Act 201). It states that the most striking evidence of behavior change among students was in data showing changes in vending machine purchasing patterns over the past three years. It suggests that parental awareness of the health risks associated with childhood obesity has increased and that parents’ ability to accurately identify the weight status of their children also has increased.