Instead, she stresses attendance in her classes, as well as exercise frequency, duration, and intensity -- the three fitness goals recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
And she says that while scales can be traumatic for some, they also motivate others. She says one of her students, excited at the prospect of weighing herself, couldn't get to the scale fast enough. Cruthird weighs her students on a monthly basis and tells them the numbers -- along with their attendance figures -- so that they can see their progress.
But while scales are part of the picture, Cruthird says that parental involvement in fitness and nutrition is crucial to her students' success.
"Weight loss in general doesn't work unless the person is ready to make change...and then you have to respect the process, that it's not going to happen overnight," she says.
Although occasional weighing can give positive feedback, it can have its downsides, too.
"Most eating disorders start with an attempt to lose weight, typically in 7th or 8th grade," says Mary Beth Kavanagh, an instructor of nutrition at Case Western University. "Rapid weight loss, obsession with food and calories, and cutting out entire food groups can be signs that an eating disorder is developing.
"Parents should carefully monitor their teens' dieting behaviors in a non-invasive way and consult a physician at the first signs of unusual behaviors."
She adds that teens are still building bone mass, and if they abandon certain foods such as dairy products in order to lose weight, they may harm themselves.
"Teens who are overweight should consult with a registered dietitian, perhaps in a group class, in order to monitor intake of important nutrients and the rate of weight loss."
Kavanagh says patients with eating disorders often avoid weighing themselves altogether, as they often have an intense fear of weight gain.
Despite these caveats, Kavanagh argues, "most people can benefit from daily weighing. Weight tends to creep up slowly, and discovering small three- to five-pound gains allows for adjusting eating and exercise behaviors to reverse small gains before they become 20-pound gains, which are harder to reverse."
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