Parents say kids are triggered by teachers talking about fat, so they want Colorado to change standards

Colorado parents are asking the state to make teachers stop talking about nutrition in ways that "trigger" them into body image and health crises.

One parent told the Colorado State Board of Education that his daughter was triggered by a teacher remarking that fat in food becomes fat in the body.

The Denver Post explained helpfully that this was medically inaccurate, since a "body stores any calories beyond its needs as fat, and our bodies need some fat stores for insulation and to protect our organs."

Another father said his daughter was triggered when a teacher made their students use an app to count caloric intake.

Doug Salg said his high school daughter had body image issues that worsened with the lesson.

She had to spend 10 weeks learning about nutrition at the Children's Hospital Colorado because of the caloric intake app.

Another example of "triggering" classroom lessons was one where students lined up to have their body mass percentage measured.

Nearly a third of American children and teens are overweight or obese. That rate is nearly three times as high as it was in 1963.

School board officials say they will review nutrition curriculum standards with mental health specialists in order to prevent triggering students who are on the edge of unhealthy eating habits or disorders.

Here's a debate on the fat acceptance movement: