2 min readKuala LumpurApr 18, 2011 03:44 PM IST
First published on: Apr 18, 2011 at 03:44 PM IST
Moving to check child obesity,schools across Malaysia have started grading children on their weight along with academic performance.
Effective immediately,school report cards will now include the student’s body mass index BMI as a way for teachers to monitor the student’s health,Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.
Lai said the measure had been adopted to keep parents abreast of their children’s health and to let them know whether their kids were overweight or obese.
The decision reached during a Cabinet meeting earlier this month follows the government ban on school cafeteria from selling junk foods and sugar laden soft drinks.
“The BMI will indicate if the child is overweight or obese. If the child is overweight,the teacher will advise the parents to get help from the nearest clinic,” the minister said.
Liow said the measures were necessary because of the increase in the number of obese and overweight children.
Malaysia is currently ranked sixth among Asian countries and first in Southeast Asia for a high percentage of obese citizens.
Though the measure has been widely hailed by the parents,but it appears school children would have another reason to dread the report card.
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