Should extremely obese children be taken into care?

[Maggy J]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19267308

Does allowing a child to become morbidly obese qualify as child abuse? Some health and social care professionals believe it is a question that needs to be considered more seriously.

"It is my view that child obesity should be treated as a form of child mistreatment, as any type of under-feeding is," says Joanna Nicholas, a child protection consultant who has been a social worker for 17 years.
"If a child is obese it is a form of abuse because of the physical impact on the child, the implications for their future health and the psychological impact," she told Radio 4's The Report.

I can see why but I'm not sure that I think that removing the child is the right thing to do.I'm very dubious about it..We already have a vast number of children in care..some from some really serious abuse situations.

What do you lot think?

[danielf]

It depends on the definition of morbidly/extremely obese. I'm not a great fan of the government poking their nose in too much, but I guess there are extreme cases where it is justified.

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19267308



I can see why but I'm not sure that I think that removing the child is the right thing to do.I'm very dubious about it..We already have a vast number of children in care..some from some really serious abuse situations.

What do you lot think?

I agree many reason for abesety not always is it for 1 thing that many assume its over eating. Certain medical conditions or medication can cause obesety or anorexia.

Now if kids forced fed or denied food/abused then social services have the right to investigate/act to take into care.

[joglynne]

I think it could be a solution but... only when every effort has been made to support the patents to try to get the whole family reeducated and only then if it is clinically proven that there is no underlying medical condition. To take a child into care with no other criteria than obesity, and without extensive attempts to solve the problem in the home environment could very well place further physiological problems on to a child already medically at risk.

[Pierre]

No.

Yes let's take the kid away from his family. That'll do him the world on good.

By putting him/her into the care system they'll be on drugs before you know it.........as well as fat

[RizzyKing]

Absolutely not despite what the "professionals" say and like to think the care system in this country is appaling and does more damage to those in it then good. Whilst i know it is easy for them to say "take the kids away" here is an idea how about putting aside the quick fix get to know the family properly their circumstances and help them that way because not only will it benefit the kid it will benefit the whole family and allow those kids to see how to do things properly knowledge they can take with them when they have a family. I was in a pretty good part of the care system as a teenager but good as it was compared to others it still hasn't resulted in solving the problems it was to be honest warehousing of problems in one location rather then 30.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pierre

No.

Yes let's take the kid away from his family. That'll do him the world on good.

By putting him/her into the care system they'll be on drugs before you know it.........as well as fat

Heroins great for weight loss...

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Heroins great for weight loss...

Too much though, and you look like an ill skeleton.

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Too much though, and you look like an ill skeleton.

as opposed to a healthy looking skeleton?

Surely the Government must fund some research to ascertain the correct balance between happy meals and heroin use.

[Jimmy-J]

If this did happen, then where would it stop? Take parents who put their children's health at risk by smoking around them in the home or the car, I think we'd need to build a good few more care homes to accommodate them all.

[idi banashapan]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

If this did happen, then where would it stop? Take parents who put their children's health at risk by smoking around them in the home or the car, I think we'd need to build a good few more care homes to accommodate them all.

nail on the head right there. for those children who are obese not through illness, we need to look at their caregivers and educate them, not remove the child from their home. yes, it's a hard thing to do, educate. it's also costly and resource intensive. but it's also the only way we can effectively and thoroughly eradicate such institutionalised behaviours, in my opinion. it also takes steps from other sources, such as food suppliers and governments who have allowed the cost of poor quality foods to drop well below the price of fresh fruit and veg.

all in all, it's a long process and involves many parties. but it boils down to the fact parents need to be taught how they can help. the government has obviously, in recent years, pushed a new initiative (the adverts being the ones with the Plasticine family - you know the ones), which is a step in the right direction, however more needs to be done.

we also need to introduce a far more in depth and proactive approach in the schools to educate children in healthy eating and exercise. again, hard work to implement (Jamie Oliver did his bit), but if we can instill a thought process at an early age whereby fresh food is nicer and better and far more versatile, the children are more likely to continue those eating habits into adulthood.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19267308



I can see why but I'm not sure that I think that removing the child is the right thing to do.I'm very dubious about it..We already have a vast number of children in care..some from some really serious abuse situations.

What do you lot think?

I think we need to be very, very wary of social workers shouting 'abuse' in any situation, doubly so when they start trying to get an entire category (i.e. 'excessively fat') labelled as such.

The State is not a good parent and taking children into care should always be an absolute last resort, assessed by the courts on a case by case basis.

[SMG]

No. Children eat a lot of fast food because its tasty & quick to prepare. Parents (not all) just want to keep the kids quiet & fed. After the meal, kids go off to play X box, or some other non physical game. That`s one recipe for Obesity.

In my opinion, all manufactured foods should be reviewed, there is too much sugar & fat in our food. Manufacturers can make anything taste nice by lacing it with sugar, fats & all sorts of chemicles, but its not nutritional at all. Parents need educating to ensure their children's diet is correct. Perhaps in extreme cases, doctors should be consulted & reccomend a diet. I don't believe its "Abuse" to allow your child to become obese, but its certainly not in the child's best interests.

[martyh]

most idiotic suggestion ......ever