Childhood Obesity -- Should it be a crime?

[Daseal]

Curious how you guys feel. Pretty straight forward, should parents that allow their children to get obese be prosecuted? Personally, I think absolutely they should. I see it as child abuse feeding your child McDonalds sometimes up to 4x a day, and never making them go outside and play. Adults are welcome to make their own decisions, but children need to eat better so they don't start having massive health problems, etc young. These parents are shaving years of the lives of their children.

[SeanTaylor21]

If it's a kid with jelly rolls like that yeah, but if it is a slighlty, like 10-15 pound overweight kid, then I don't think it's a huge problem.

[EternalEnigma21]

it's not always as cut and dry, but it definitely should be looked upon as a form of neglect and abuse, and investigated by child protective services, with help for the problem offered before punishment is dealt.

So, yes I agree a much bigger deal should be made, but do you cut it off and take a child away from a loving family because the parent doesn't have discipline? And at what point do you enforce the law... there's a lot of gray area there, in which you may do a child more harm than good in punishing the family (and the kid) for the actions of the parents.

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by EternalEnigma21

it's not always as cut and dry, but it definitely should be looked upon as a form of neglect and abuse, and investigated by child protective services, with help for the problem offered before punishment is dealt.

So, yes I agree a much bigger deal should be made, but do you cut it off and take a child away from a loving family because the parent doesn't have discipline? And at what point do you enforce the law... there's a lot of gray area there, in which you may do a child more harm than good in punishing the family (and the kid) for the actions of the parents.

I agree pretty much 100% with this post. There's no way you can just prosecute without investigating the circumstances, and education should always be the first step. But if education is given and the situation continues, then prosecution should absolutely be an option.

[Daseal]

EE21: If the child has some sort of disability / health problem, then there's a different story there. However, just because a parent is loving doesn't mean they're doing the best for that child. In fact I'd argue most of the people that let their children get that big are loving, but they are doing a disservice to their children.

A few lbs overweight, no. I'm talking obese. I was chunky as a kid even though I never ate fast food and I was constantly outside running around being active. I was far from obese though. I don't know what they'd base it off of, maybe BMI, etc. The health-nuts in here could tell you more about measuring obesity than I can.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Unless a parent is outright beating or sexually abusing a child, the government has no place charging them with criminal offenses because they are not doing a great job.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Unless a parent is outright beating or sexually abusing a child, the government has no place charging them with criminal offenses because they are not doing a great job.

But, and I might be mistaken here, but haven't criminal charges been filed against parents for malnourishing their kids (i.e not giving them enough to eat)? Is this much different, or is it now about how much they are given to eat but given the right things to eat?

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

But, and I might be mistaken here, but haven't criminal charges been filed against parents for malnourishing their kids (i.e not giving them enough to eat)? Is this much different, or is it now about how much they are given to eat but given the right things to eat?

Great point. My understanding is that such charges are typically filed when the child is on death's door. Whereas a child can die within a matter of weeks from severe malnutrition, kids are not likely to die within a matter of weeks from being overfed. Moreover, whereas the failure to adequately feed a child is usually a sign of serious neglect, overfeeding a child is typically just a sign of a lack of education. It's one thing to punish people for seriously neglecting their kids, it's quite another IMO to punish them for being ignorant.

Even assuming legislatures started enacting such legislation, how would it be enforced? Do you just start pulling heavy kids off the street and locking up their parents? How would authorities determine who is to blame for the overfeeding? Do they lock up both parents even though only one controls the child's diet? Do they lock up the parents when the child's obesity is due to the kind of food that the child is buying or getting from other places (friends' houses)?

[EternalEnigma21]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Even assuming legislatures started enacting such legislation, how would it be enforced? Do you just start pulling heavy kids off the street and locking up their parents? How would authorities determine who is to blame for the overfeeding? Do they lock up both parents even though only one controls the child's diet? Do they lock up the parents when the child's obesity is due to the kind of food that the child is buying or getting from other places (friends' houses)?

that was my question. I don't think kids should be removed from homes (except in extreme cases) or that the parents should face jail time, but just as in homes where neglect is suspected, social services should be called in to monitor and attempt to help the situation while the threat of re-housing a child looms as motivation. My mother in law was a CASA for a while and, while I agree obesity is a big american problem, there are far worse things going on in homes than over eating that take up a lot of their time. Many times courts would allow children to stay in homes with open heavy drug use, and repeat offenders, even though she had lined up foster homes that were apparently more than capable and willing to offer the children a better life.

[GMScud]

To answer the question of the thread, no, it shouldn't be a crime. But it's a shame to see how fat American's have become. I spent most of the last 9 years in the south (Gainesville, Fl), and it's even worse down there because of all the sweet tea and fried crap.

I know a lot of people have disorders, disabilities, or genetic predispositions that cause them to be overweight or obese, and for those people I feel sorry.

But a lot of America's weight problem is just laziness. It's much easier to swing through the McDonald's drive through than it is to go to the grocery store, buy food, and make yourself a sensible meal. My two best friends struggle with weight issues, and they often use the excuse of "it's so cheap to hit up a fast food joint," or "it's just easier to eat out." But I call BS. If you go the grocery store once a week, it's much easier to buy healthy food, and your average cost per meal will go WAY down. Sure it may take you an hour or two on Saturday or Sunday, but then you can prepare every meal at home throughout the week and eat much healthier. But you have to want to.

Children pattern themselves after their parents. If mom and dad are fat and lazy, so often the children are too. It's starts with the 'rents. Step it up.

My girlfriend is Operations Manager and a personal trainer at Bethesda Sport & Health here in the DC area, and she has been helping my friends plan smart meals and workouts. It's much, much easier than people think to eat and live healthy. People just have to want to. Too many Americans just don't care.

And Quake, if you can run a mile in 7:58 then I can eat 10 Big Mac's in 10 minutes. I'm no body builder or tri-athlete, but I spend about 9-12 hours a week in the gym, both lifting and running, and I can barely hit an 8 minute mile. I'm 6'3 220 and only 7% body fat. But hey, if you're for real then maybe should head over to the Swamp and try out for the mighty Gator football team!

I heard a lot of people asking if they are overweight-
Here a few links to Body-Mass Index (BMI) info. The first is a BMI calculator, the second is some Wikipedia info.

Advanced bmi calculator of Body Mass Index
Body mass index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's pretty cool, but you have to take into account muscle mass, too.

Also, glycemic index (GI) is very important in your diet as well. Eating foods low on the GI help keep you trim. I'm no expert on this, but I've learned a lot from my girlfriend. Just trying to pass along info.

The Glycemic Index

[724Skinsfan]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Unless a parent is outright beating or sexually abusing a child, the government has no place charging them with criminal offenses because they are not doing a great job.

I agree. Social stigma should be enough punishment for both parents and the kids. Some figure it out later on in life, others unfortunately do not. I think that since the "abuse" is not intentional or thought to be some form of severe punishment then our government has no place to enforce their (our?)physical standards upon foolish parents.

If anything pediatricians should be able to effectively encourage their parents to alter the kids diet and physical activity. Setting up some type of voluntary after school exercise camp may provide some help. I say voluntary because there's no way in Hades that public education can afford to put funds into something like that.

[EARTHQUAKE2689]

I am technically obese cause I am more than 20% overweight but I always have been big but I am not unhealthy per se:

I am 311 pounds 6'2" i bench 385 and I run the mile in 7:58 so I guess I am just lucky then.

[SeanTaylor21]

Originally Posted by EARTHQUAKE2689

I am technically obese cause I am more than 20% overweight but I always have been big but I am not unhealthy per se:

I am not 311 pounds 6'2" i bench 385 and I run the mile in 7:58 so I guess I am just lucky then.

I am 6'2 185 pounds, and bench 180. If I way that much does it mean I'm overweight.

[EternalEnigma21]

I know a little girl who is extremely obese. Her mom is single and gives the girl food and tv to get her out of her hair. This situation screams for some attention from a governing body, because the girl is a beautiful smart little girl who will never know what it's like to live a normal life. She is treated poorly by her peers and has no self esteem, which only aids to her overeating... and she's 13 years old at 280 lbs. She's been obese her entire life. In this case I may indeed condone the relocation (or legitimate threat thereof) for the betterment of the child.

[hooskins]

Quake you run a 8 min mile while over 300lbs? I am sure you are in shape, but I am still in disbelief. It just doesn't physically possible to me.