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Hasmonean High School drops sponsored weight loss contest after objections

Staff and parents said it was 'ill-considered given the rise in eating disorders among teenagers'

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A Jewish secondary school has withdrawn support for a sponsored weight loss contest to raise money for the school.

Hasmonean High School told parents that it would no longer promote the initiative because of objections from parents and staff.

On Thursday, Hasmonean headteacher Andrew McClusky encouraged parents to enter the “uShakedown” contest,which invites participants to “lose weight” for the charity of their choice.

Entrants were asked to compete in teams of five with a registration fee of £75 per person. The three teams with the highest weight loss in seven weeks would win additional prizes for their charity, on top of any sponsorship they raised themselves.

“This is an opportunity to get in shape for winter and raise some serious money for Hasmonean at the same time,” Mr McClusky said.

But a day later he informed parents that the school had had a change of heart and the school is now no longer promoting the initiative.

A number of staff and parents had raised concern that the initiative was “ill-considered given the rise in eating disorders among teenagers”, he explained.

The idea of entering the contest, had come from “parents within the community who wanted an incentive to lose weight themselves and to raise tzedokah in the process, and who wished to give other adults the opportunity to do the same."

Although the challenge was  open only to adults over 18 rather than children, he said: "I understand the sensitivity around promoting weight loss, and appreciate that we need to be more careful in regard to sending messages that may have unintended harmful effects."

uShakedown was launched two years ago by members of an Edgware Synagogue, Kehillas Netzach Yisroel, who wanted to promote a healthy lifestyle while raising money for charity.

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