With programs either beginning or changing to address childhood obesity, at least one is continuing to draw fire. The so called obesity report card program started with Arkansas in 2004, with notes being sent home to students' parents listing off the child's body mass index (BMI), their target weight and where they fall in the rankings for their age group. By 2007, that state had started looking at ways to change the program and had contemplated ending it completely. Other states, including Delaware, South Carolina and Tennessee picked up a similar program at the state level. New York has discussed adding a state level obesity rating plan for schools as well. Currently, it is up to the individual school districts within the state to determine if they will use them or not.

But, some parents and health advocates are suggesting that these report cards and mass weigh ins may be causing more harm than good. In addition, some school districts that are using them are sending mixed messages by using the report cards because while they are ranking the kids and making suggestions for better health, they are serving foods that do not qualify as nutritious and are not providing any outlet for physical activity. In some school districts, physical education is only offered for half of the year or less and only a few times a week as well.

There are serious flaws with the program, starting with the numbers that are being used to get the rating in the first place. Most pediatricians and other health advocates suggest getting rid of the BMI numbers altogether, calling them imperfect and misleading at best. BMI for children does not only look at height and weight but gender and age- but it is still not the best way of determining health status related to weight. Parents are complaining about not only the confusing numbers but the inconsistent messages that are being given by the schools as well.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that it plans to study both the benefits and risks of continuing these programs for schools, focusing on the physiological and psychological impact receiving these report cards can have on the student. There was no such testing done before these reports were started.

New school lunch guidelines will start, increasing the fruits and vegetables that the kids are given, but there has been no discussion for how to address the lack of physical activity in the schools. Thirty four percent of children of kindergarten ages are either currently overweight or are at serious risk of becoming so.