HOUSE BILL NO. 338 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 5, 2006 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 22.1-273.2, relating to annual measure of the body mass index. ---------- Patron-- Orrock ---------- Referred to Committee on Education ----------

Whereas, BMI (referred to as BMI-for-age for children and teens) is used differently with children than adults because, in children, it is used to assess underweight, overweight, and risk of overweight and is gender and age specific; and

Whereas, BMI-for-age can be used as a reference beyond puberty with children, compares favorably to laboratory body fat measures, and may be used to track body size; and

Whereas, body mass index (BMI) measures weight relative to height and provides a reliable indicator of total body fat, thereby indicating risks of certain diseases; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 22.1-273.2 as follows:

§ 22.1-273.2. Assessment of body mass index (BMI) required.

A. Pursuant to regulations adopted by the Board of Education in consultation with the State Health Commissioner, the principal of each school shall (i) provide an annual assessment of the body mass index (BMI) of each student in the school; (ii) notify the parent or guardian, in writing, of the annual BMI percentile by age for the relevant student; and (iii) provide the parent or guardian of the relevant student with information explaining the use of BMI in identifying underweight and overweight in children and the potential health risks of various growth patterns.