In 2007, legislation was enacted that facilitates the assessment of obesity among New York’s children. The legislation requires that a student health appraisal or certificate include Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight status category based on BMI-for-age percentiles.
A sample of schools will be selected each year and notified that they will be required to submit aggregated weight status data for students in pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten and grades 2, 4, 7, and 10 to the State Department of Health. The reporting must be conducted consistent with confidentiality requirements of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
