Most American schools weigh students in P.E. class, which can be extremely harmful for young teens with body image issues and/or pre-existing eating disorders. It is unnecessary for teachers to be weighing children, as this should be left to healthcare professionals and the students’ pediatricians. It is common for P.E. teachers to use the outdated BMI system to screen for weight categories, which has been proven to be an inaccurate representation of one’s health. When told that their body mass index is “overweight” this can spark a weight loss interest in a young person, often causing them to under-eat or lose weight in other damaging ways, without a doctor’s supervision. Keep in mind, gym class weigh-ins are public, meaning students are subject to their classmates possible comments about their weight. P.E. teachers should be teaching children to get their bodies moving and to nourish their bodies with whole foods and a balanced diet, not bringing weight into any of this. That is a job for doctors.