'Fat' report cards don't make grade

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'Fat' report cards don't make grade

Capital Notebook

March 29, 2006

The " fat " report cards won't be coming - at least not this year.

Like a good liposuction, land lawmakers have exacted every last

contentious bit from bills that would have required public schools

to screen pupils for signs of heaviness and then send the results

home to parents in a " health report card. "

The changes to the legislation came after objections rolled in from

the state's major medical and psychiatry organizations as well as

school and parents groups.

Though the bill's sponsors were hoping to curb childhood obesity,

the opposition worried the screenings and report cards would make

kids feel bad about themselves.

Now the bills - one of which received preliminary approval from the

Senate yesterday - would merely form a task force to examine ways to

fight childhood obesity.

It would also require schools to keep food vending machines turned

off during school hours.