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LAURA ATHERTON SAID SHE BELIEVES THE 'OUTDATED' BMI TESTS COULD HAVE A 'DETRIMENTAL IMPACT' ON CHILDREN'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOOD 11:11, 29 May 2025 A Cheshire mum

has hit out at 'barbaric' and 'dangerous' BMI tests after her 'sporty' five-year-old was classed as overweight during a school check-up. Laura Atherton had

given permission for son Jack Atherton to take part in the National Child Measurement Programme at his primary school in April. However, the 34-year-old was left gobsmacked when she received

a results letter from Halton Borough Council, Cheshire, last Wednesday (May 21) declaring Jack as 'overweight'. The mum-of-two said her 'sporty' son plays football once

a week and has been going swimming since he was two months old, adding people may think she has 'rose-tinted glasses on' but insisting there is 'nothing to him'. She

uploaded the letter to TikTok alongside a picture of Jack, and users were quick to agree with her saying Jack looked like a 'very healthy boy'. Angry Laura blames the

'outdated' BMI (body mass index) system for not understanding 'kids grow at different rates'. Article continues below She says the system is 'dangerous' for

impressionable parents, who could put their children on unnecessary diets and for children's confidence if they're told the results. Jack is 3ft 5in and weighs 3.5st, which puts

him in the 97th percentile for his age and in the 'overweight' bracket (91 and above). Laura, from Widnes, Cheshire, said: "I laughed when I saw it and said 'it's

got to be a joke'. Once it settled I thought classifying him as that was really bad. "It's barbaric and horrendous. _JOIN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS WHATSAPP GROUP HERE_

"He's very active and he's always been active. He's been swimming since he was a couple of months old. He still goes swimming every week on a Saturday and he goes to

football every Monday. He's a normal-build five-year-old and he's wearing age 4-5 clothes. "People might think I've got rose-tinted glasses on and 'maybe he's a

bit chubby but she doesn't see it' but he isn't chubby at all. There's nothing to him. "If I fed him less he'd be hungry. He's a growing lad and

that's obviously not something I'm going to do." Laura said the letter has seen her question her own choices around feeding her growing son. "When Jack came home last

night and asked for a biscuit I wondered if he should, but why was I thinking that? It's impacted me as well, it's ridiculous," she said. "I don't want him to be

overweight and that's a choice we make every day through his meals and making sure we get fruit and veg down him. "Jack doesn't know about it and he won't know about it

either, he doesn't need to." Laura, who also lives with her husband Sam, 36, and their other son George, one, insists Jack's weight hasn't been brought up by medical

professionals before. The National Child Measurement Programme measures the height and weight of children in reception class (aged 4-5) and year six (aged 10-11) to assess overweight and

obesity levels in primary school children. The programme uses BMI for the programme, which is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height, and includes a QR code on the

results letter to advise parents. Laura believes such tests should be done at clinics rather than schools but doesn't feel BMI is fit for purpose anyway. Laura said: "I'm not

a doctor but I don't think BMI is fit for purpose. I think it's dangerous and outdated. "Some parents are really impressionable and if they didn't feel as strongly as I

did then their kids might be going on a diet unnecessarily. "If you're a child and you're told you're overweight then that could have a real detrimental impact on their

confidence and their relationship with food. "I think it's a terrible idea [to weigh kids in school]. The next check is when they go into high school and that's such an

impressionable age and they'll be talking about it. "I agree with it in the correct environment for children that need help so I think these checks need to be through the doctors

and school isn't the right setting. "It's created a world of worry I didn't need." Laura's TikTok video, captioned 'I'm fuming', has been viewed

almost half a million times. Many viewers have supported her, writing: "I am gobsmacked. He looks like a very healthy boy! I'm shocked that schools can do this." Another

wrote: "As a nurse, I've always strongly disagreed with the BMI chart and its terminology. It is SO outdated and it does not consider weight in line with height and muscle to fat

ratio. "I'm overweight according to it and I'm a size 8-10 and 5ft 10in! it needs to be scrapped completely!" One wrote: "No, I see what they are saying. it is

important to monitor it from an early age." A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "The National Childhood Measurement Programme (NCMP) is vital to inform action

to improve the health of all children and promote a healthier weight. "We recognise that weight and growth can be very sensitive for some children, and their wellbeing is our priority.

The privacy and dignity of children must be safeguarded at all times, and no child is forced to take part. "School nursing teams and NCMP delivery staff measure children in a sensitive

way, in private and away from other children, with weight and height information shared only with the parent or carer in a feedback letter. Article continues below "This government is

shifting focus from sickness to prevention under our 10 Year Health Plan to meet our ambition of raising the healthiest generation of children ever."