Life is a therapist...

Hello everyone who reads this blog on a regular basis! Yes, all three of you! :) Just a short note to say that I've not forgotten about this blog. ... okay, maybe I did, just a little, over the holidays. But then I remembered, but then life became (and continues to be) a little bit stressful, leaving little time nor motivation to think of fun, creative, thought-provoking things to write about here. But it's my post-new-year's resolution to get back into blogging as soon as things settle down a little bit, so please, stay tuned. And share this link with your like-minded "helping profession" friends, with promises of good things to come in 2012. Thanks!

It was suggested by celebrity diet guru Pierre Dukan that childhood obesity in France be resolved by offering extra exam grades to students who participate in an "ideal weight" program, who slim down, and who maintain a BMI within a certain range. To see the full story,  Click Here . First of all, let me say that I absolutely support any program that would provide students with opportunities to learn about healthy eating habits, nutrition, exercise, and physical health in general; I'm also very much in favour of schools offering healthier choices to students in cafeterias, vending machines, etc.  However, I wonder about the potential short- and long-term consequences of implementing a system of reward that is based solely on whether students meet a specified weight goal, particularly one that is determined by a tool that has widely been considered arbitrary and inadequate -- the BMI index.  It's been argued time and again that BMIs and "skinniness&q