Mum Furious After ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ Five-Year-Old Branded Overweight by School Health Check
A mum has been left reeling after her sporty five-year-old daughter was labelled “overweight” by a school health assessment, despite being an energetic little girl who’s constantly on the go.
Willow-Iris Hill, a lively youngster who’s into everything from swimming and gymnastics to dancing and performing arts, came home with a letter that no parent expects—one warning her mum that she was two per cent over the ideal weight for her age and height, reported the Mirror.
Her mum, Natasha Hill, from Torfaen in south Wales, was completely blindsided by the news and has slammed the health check system as “cruel” and “outdated”. Speaking out, Natasha said, “I am absolutely devastated and shocked. The whole system is fundamentally flawed. BMI doesn’t take anything into account with regards to lifestyle or eating habits.”
The warning came after Willow-Iris was weighed and measured at her primary school by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board School Nursing Team, who calculated her BMI. Based on the results—112cm tall and 22.6kg in weight—the system flagged her as overweight and sent out a letter offering nutritional advice and links to healthy living websites.
But Natasha says none of this takes into account her daughter’s lifestyle or athletic abilities. “She doesn’t have an ounce of fat on her,” she said. “She trains twice a week in gymnastics, dances, swims, and attends performing arts classes. My husband and I are committed to providing her with nutritious meals and a healthy balance in life.”
Understandably upset, Natasha worries about the long-term effect these labels can have on children. “It’s absolutely demoralising. It’s so important to be careful with how we approach health in children. Being labelled like this could affect their self-esteem at such a young age.”
Now, she’s calling for a major overhaul of how these health checks are carried out and has even launched a petition. “They need to dig deeper to get a full picture,” she said. “The school’s just following the rules, but these figures aren’t telling the whole story.”
She’s suggested a more thoughtful approach, like questionnaires or more personalised assessments, rather than relying purely on BMI. “The majority of parents I know don’t think this is an acceptable approach. If you don’t advocate for your child, no one will.”
Public Health Wales responded by saying they don’t comment on individual cases and that their role is only to compile population-level data. The local council added that parents are informed in advance and can opt out of any part of the school entry review. They also clarified that the children themselves are never told their results—only the parents are notified.
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