Proposal for nurses to weigh school children sparks “significant concerns”

A new proposal for school nurses to weigh students in a bid to tackle childhood obesity has been met with backlash.

A controversial plan for school nurses to weigh students in a bid to tackle rising obesity rates has sparked major concern among eating disorder advocacy groups.

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN), the nation’s peak body for nursing, has recommended all school-aged Aussie children should have access to nurses to help students maintain a healthy weight.

“Nurse-led interventions, which are proven effective in various settings, offer a flexible and cost-effective solution,” ACN chief executive Professor Leanne Boyd said in a statement.

“Supporting nurses with training, resources, and leadership opportunities is crucial to optimise impact in combating childhood obesity.”

The ACN is calling for every school ages child to have access to a registered nurse to help students maintain a healthy weight. Picture: iStock

The proposal, which is part of ACN’s position statement ‘Working with Children Above a Healthy Weight: Nurse-led interventions’, has also called for the “normalisation of the collection and discussion” of children’s height and weight data, and professional development for nurses to identify children at risk.

It comes as the proportion of Aussie children above a healthy weight continues to rise, with 26 per cent of children and adolescents overweight in 2022, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

ACN’s advice has sparked “significant concerns” among the Eating Disorders Alliance (an alliance of major eating disorder organisations in Australia and New Zealand) who have expressed worry it will increase stigma and encourage disordered eating.

“Shaming people for their weight does not result in increased health behaviours or weight

loss, and experiencing weight stigma can lead to adverse health consequences, such as

binge eating, increased food consumption, avoidance of physical activity, physiological

stress, weight gain, and impaired weight loss outcomes,” it said in a statement.

Butterfly Foundation CEO, Dr Jim Hungerford agreed, noting health strategies which take a weight-centric approach don’t reduce stigma, but rather reinforce it.

“Preventive health policy must align with eating disorder prevention, and we must broaden our definition of health to beyond a weight-centric, diet culture lens,” Dr Hungerford said in a statement.

The advice has sparked “significant concerns”. Picture: iStock

The Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders CEO Jade Gooding acknowledged “school-based nurses play a pivotal in enhancing the

broader healthcare system, however it’s crucial to understand that focusing solely on weight

does not improve health outcomes”.

Instead, Ms Gooding called for targeted early intervention which highlight that eating disorders can affect all ages and genders.

Eating Disorders Victoria CEO Belinda Caldwell stressed “young people deserve healthcare that helps, not harms”.

“Focusing on a number on the scales goes against everything we know

about recovery,” said Ms Caldwell.

“The ACN has an opportunity here to follow the evidence and consult with people with lived experience of eating disorders.”

EDA said it welcomed the opportunity to work with the ACN to better develop their position statements to ensure a “safer, more inclusive approach to health and wellbeing that is informed by lived experience and does not focus on weight”.

Being above a healthy weight has been linked to s number of health conditions, including chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnoea and gallbladder disease.

According to The Obesity Collective report released earlier this year, 6.3 million Aussies are currently living with obesity. In 2012, 3.9 million Australians were living with obesity.