BMI Screenings

Published November 8, 2007

n an effort to improve student health, Williamson County Schools will begin calculating the Body Mass Index of children in certain grades.  Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used to give a person an idea of a healthy weight for that particular individual’s height.  The screenings will take place along the same lines as vision and hearing and will affect students in kindergarten, second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth grades.  In order to calculate a student’s BMI the following information will be entered: gender, age, height and weight.  All of this information will be collected in a confidential manner.  Prior to the screenings, the schools will send out a letter to inform parents.   

To have your BMI calculated for you, go to www.cdc.gov and scroll to the bottom of the page.  Under Tools & Resources there is a link for BMI Calculator.  Follow the directions to learn your BMI.  The first step a person should take if the BMI number places them outside the range of a healthy weight is to consult his or her doctor.