A divisive idea to have school nurses weigh students as a way to address obesity.

As the issue of childhood obesity continues to grow, there has been a controversial new plan proposed for school nurses to help combat this problem. The Australian College of Nursing, the country's peak body for nurses, has recommended that every school-aged child in Australia should have access to a nurse for regular check-ups, which would include recording their weight.

According to ACN chief executive Professor Leanne Boyd, nurses are in a unique position to identify at-risk children and are equipped to handle the complexities of weight stigma. In a statement, she emphasized that nurse-led interventions have been proven effective in various settings and offer a flexible and cost-effective solution. However, she also stressed the importance of providing nurses with proper training, resources, and leadership opportunities to optimize their impact in fighting childhood obesity.

The ACN's proposal is part of their statement on Working With Children Above a Healthy Weight: Nurse-led Interventions, which comes at a time when the number of children with obesity in Australia is on the rise. The proposed reform includes a policy that would ensure every child has access to a qualified nurse. In their report, the ACN also highlights the importance of discussing weight in terms of "growing into" a healthy weight, rather than focusing on restrictive diets.

While this weight-focused recommendation has been welcomed by many in the industry, it has also been met with some criticism. Dr Zali Yager, the executive director of body image advocacy group The Embrace Collective, believes that the focus should be on healthcare rather than weight. She supports the idea of every school-aged child having access to a qualified nurse, but suggests that the focus should be on supporting their overall health, rather than solely on their weight. She also points out that the US has recently scaled back their widespread BMI screening programs, as they were found to be harmful to children's psychological health and not effective in promoting weight loss.

A report by the ACN revealed that one in four children aged between four and 15 in Australia are either obese or overweight. This alarming statistic is expected to double worldwide by 2035. With this in mind, the ACN's proposal for school nurses to play a role in addressing childhood obesity is a timely and important one. However, it is essential to ensure that the focus remains on overall health and well-being, rather than solely on weight.

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