Fat letter infuriates parents

Lily Grasso is 11 years old. The sixth-grade star volleyball player is -- at least according to her school -- at risk for being fat.

The Naples, Fla., preteen was sent home with a letter from the Collier County Health Department that said Lily's body mass index found her to be at risk for becoming overweight -- a letter known disparagingly as a "fat letter."

"It says 'at risk,' and then it tells you to go to their website. When you do that the 'at risk' turns to ‘Lily is overweight,'" said Lily's mom, Kristen Grasso. "Lily is athletic, tall, plays volleyball six days a week for two different teams. She's not overweight."

Florida state law requires schools to screen students at the start of each year, and encourages parents to follow up with visits to a doctor. It does caution that athletes like Lily -- who is 5'3'', 127 pounds and certainly not fat -- might see a skewed BMI.

"We always want parents to realize that it says so in a letter, and it's only a screening tool," said Deb Millsap, a spokeswoman for the state's health department. "Every parent, [even] if a child's screening is normal, receives a letter so no child is singled out."

With growing obesity nationwide, and especially in children, these kinds of screenings can serve an important educational purpose.

"They're a great idea," said Dr. Stephen Pont, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Provisional Section on Obesity. "I very much hope all parents can become aware."

But others are concerned these letters, well-meaning though they may be, might actually encourage unhealthy thinking in an already difficult time in kids' lives.

“I would like to see BMI testing in schools banned,” said Claire Mysko of the National Eating Disorders Association. “For those who are already insecure about their weight, these tests can … potentially trigger an eating disorder.”

Fo her part, Lily knows she's not fat, but she worries about the effect on others.

"This whole thing is stupid,” Lily said. “It can hurt people. It can break their courage."