Are Fat Letters Helpful?

"Fat letters" sent to parents telling them their child is obese are not helping, say health experts.

16:53 11 November 2015

The National Child Measurement Programme, which was launched in England in 2005, works by obtaining both the height and weight of children as they join and leave primary school to track their progress and provide important data for the population.

 

Parents of children who are considered overweight or obese are sent "fat letters" which health experts described as "unhelpful."

 

The Royal Society for Public Health says that only about 50per cent of parents understand the procedure and the goal of the programme.

 

Based on figures, a fifth of UK children leaving primary school and one in 10 in reception classes are obese.

 

Shirley Cramer, RSPH chief executive, said: "Our research finds that only one-fifth of parents find the 'fat letter' useful, and we believe that the letter should be seen as the beginning of a dialogue with parents, not simply flagging whether their child is obese."

 

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Public Health England, said: "We provide local authorities with extensive guidance on how to do this sensitively and also where parents can find additional support," she said.

"The letter to parents is not a 'fat letter', as we encourage it to be sent to all parents regardless of their child's weight.

 

"It is difficult for any parent to receive information that suggests their child has excess weight, so we take great care to ensure this is done as sensitively as possible."