Mother Gets A Letter From School Nurse Saying Her Son Is Overweight And Strikes Back

Nov 27, 2019 by apost team

A mother in the United Kingdom is using a school nurse’s mischaracterization of her son’s health to spread awareness about weight standards. 

Natasha Lees is the proud mother of four children and a student of forensic psychology. In January of last year, Natasha was shocked when she received a letter from her son Joshua’s school nurse at St. Winifred’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

During a health exam conducted by the National Health Service, or NHS, the school nurse found that Joshua was overweight. At the time, the five-year-old boy stood 3’8 and weighed 42 pounds.

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Upon reading the letter Natasha told The Sun:

 "I was shocked when I received the letter. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that he has been called overweight."

Natasha said that she and her partner, Michael, who is a fitness instructor, always make sure that their kids get enough exercise. Telling reporters that Joshua is an active, fun-loving little boy who loves swimming and football, Natasha put her foot down, saying that there was no way her son was overweight.

The 32-year-old mom questioned the NHS to The Sun saying:

"But there is not an ounce of fat on him. You can feel his collar bones and his ribs. How can he be overweight if I can feel his skeleton?"

Other words in the school’s letter also gave Natasha even more concern. The nurse noted the importance of children adopting a healthy lifestyle, pointing out that kids who are overweight usually stay overweight as adults. 

St. Winifred’s Roman Catholic Primary School responded to Natasha’s public complaints by saying that their school nurse followed directives from the National Health Service.

For their part, the Stockport National Health Service Foundation Trust said to The Sun that they were sorry that Natasha was upset by the letter. The organization clarified that the letter they sent was intended to be both sensitive and informative for families.

What do you think of Natasha’s response to the school nurse’s letter? Do you think that preoccupations with weight are doing more harm than good in society?