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Teens often compare test scores, sports achievements and even looks.
But what might happen if schools started recording students’ weight? Even if the goal is to help pupils take care of themselves, 16-year-old Heer Donda worries it would just give her peers another metric to stress about.
“Speaking as a teenager, I know that if schools hold a ‘BMI [body mass index] checking day’, students will inevitably compare results,” said the pupil at King George V School in Hong Kong.
Heer added that teens are already self-conscious. Focusing too much on weight could lead to low self-esteem, anxiety and eating disorders.
Last month, the Hong Kong government launched an action plan for managing people’s weight. The plan will promote healthy lifestyles and food choices. It will also offer advice on managing weight through public healthcare services.
Schools have been encouraged to buy equipment to monitor weight. This is meant to help students develop tracking habits.
The three-year plan follows a report from the Department of Health. It found that 51 per cent of the city’s adult population is classified as overweight or obese.
Dr Stephanie Ng is the founder of Body Banter, a charity that starts conversations about body image and mental health with young people. She also has a PhD in sociolinguistics and psychology. She said telling teenagers to monitor their weight could lead to other problems.
It could cause more harm than good.
“I am excited to see that this plan places a clear emphasis on supporting youth well-being,” Ng said. “But weight-monitoring behaviours can promote hypervigilance surrounding body weight and shape.”
She added that weigh-ins and body measurements at school could lead to students obsessing over their looks.
More than a number
The risk of students being bullied for their weight is also troubling to Manem Sai Shiv Sri Mrudulasya. She is a 14-year-old student at Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College.
Mrudulasya said she is worried that students who fall outside the “acceptable” BMI range may feel shame about their bodies.
They could also become targets of teasing or bullying.
The city is “already known for academic pressure and rigid beauty standards”, the pupil said. “Layering weight‑based monitoring onto young people’s daily lives may push vulnerable students towards silent emotional distress rather than healthier habits.”
Ng warned that students’ sense of worth could become linked to their weight. She said this would promote habits driven by guilt. For example, they might exercise only to burn calories or choose low-calorie foods over options with more nutrients.
A better action plan
Ng said the city needed to shift the focus from the scale to a holistic view of health.
Children do not need to be taught to follow strict meal schedules, she said. Instead, they should learn to recognise when they are hungry or comfortably full. Physical activity should also be about teamwork and fun, not metrics like calories burned.
Ng also said that schools should avoid labelling foods as “good” or “bad” based on their calories.
“Some foods are a better source of energy, but they are not better than foods that provide enjoyment or cultural connection,” she said.
Most importantly, schools need to consider student mental health.
“We need to recognise that weight concerns may signal that a student needs additional emotional support, rather than simply a more stringent diet or exercise plan,” she said.
