should parents lose custody of super obese kids?

jmatthews75

, but I do believe that the government needs to interfere by forcing the parents as well as the children (depending on their age) to attend nutrition & wellness classes as well as working with a social worker so they can understand how to live a healthy life style. Yes, education is the answer but these families will not learn if no one makes them. Parents need to be aware of their childrens' individual needs; what is okay for one child may not be for another, and that is where the child abuse comes in. It is not right to expose children to environments that are unhealthy and unsafe, and if parents are allowing their children to eat themselves to death, that is abuse.

Why is it the government's job? They are not the watchdogs. How about family and friends first off. If by government you mean educators and counselors at the schools getting more involved the sure. I understand that the kid is going to die, that they are way too fat. Its a shame, but it didn't happen overnight, and nobody else steps in till now? that is a joke. Obviously the child's Dr. saw the problem, a family member... the world is to PC and someone should have slapped some sense into the parents, doesn't have to be uncle sam. it can be anyone. It could be you, would you say something to a parent with a fat kid, have you? will you? if not, then stop preaching on here that it is the governments job because you are just as bad as the parents for letting the kids get that way. Stand up people and don't be scared to let someone know when they need help.

gfergus1

I agree, other people need to step in before it gets that extreme, but the extreme cases are what we are talking about. For these extreme cases, it is absolutely the government's job since the parent's obviously are not listening to other's advice, and that's what CPS is there for. I'm not saying it was right for the doctor referred to in this article to automatically assume a case of abuse, since the mother obviously went to him for help. That's why I said, I don't believe it is right to automatically force the parents to give up custody, there needs to be an intermediate step before that decision is reached.

Brandicaloriecountess

Take away a child from an otherwise loving home because the kid is obese? No, not in my opinion. Especially as the previous poster said she was fed lots of junk food and stayed thin. Should they have been removed from their home? No? Simply because her family seems to have a high metabolism and can eat stuff and stay thin.

We're talking about 90-lb. toddlers and 400-lb. preteens, here. How is this "loving"? That's child abuse, my friend.

This isn't about pudgy kids. This is about super morbidly obese kids.

You have your opinion and I have mine. I don't think it's a reason fo remove a child from the home. Yes a parent can have a super obese child and still provide a loving home. I think it's going to do a good amount of psychological damage to tell a kid they can't be with their parent anymore bc they are too obese.

PositiveGoals

There would need to be a CPS investigation into why the child is obese, as with any other negelect or abuse case. Look in the fridge. Is there healthy food. Watch the house. Do the children ever go out to play. When I was a kid, video games were just becoming a big thing. Atari and Intelivision. I remember my Mother would force me to go outside and I had limited cartoon or game time. Often times genetics plays a role. Often time the childs ADHD or other medication has weight gain as a side effect. Often times the parent is providing the heatlhy foods at home, but it's the schools that are serving crap to our kids. Some school actually serve McDonalds. My son went to school in NY and CA and every school he has been in has had soda machines, snack machines, as well as snacks and sugar drinks for sale in the school store. Even when I was kid (I'm 40 yrs old), they had the snack counter in school. Kids take their lunch money and by chips, cookies, and candy. They choose chocolate whole milk over skim. They are offered deep friend fish sticks, Ellios style pizza, greasy 80% sloppy joe's. Unless there is obvious neglect, where the witness the parents coming home with McDonalds or Pizza every night, and the fridge is packed with junk, how do you go about taking a child away for obesity?

My son and my nephew grew up together in the same house. My twin and I lived together and raised our boys together until I married & moved across the country. My nephew got the fat gene from my family, my son was lucky enough to skip the gene. I kept my home full of healthy foods. My son, love healthy food and had embraced physical fitness. My nephew eats what ever junk he can get his hands on in school. He ballooned as a kid. As he got older, it became even harder to stop him from eating wrong. As a teen he would run around with friends, hanging out at fast food restaurants. I do not know if there an easy solution. What I do know is that morbid obesity is not something that happens to happy people. You can't lose weight until you get your head right. I do not know how ripping a child from their parents would put them in that mindset. Abandonment issues is one of the biggest reasons for emotional eating. I think that schools needs to be more involved in the counseling process. I think schools need to have healthy food only in the building. I think schools and pediatricians need to be aware of the signs of neglect or abuse related obesity. Then and only then should they involve Child Protective Services.

Scoobies87

I think any parent who neglects their child this much does not deserve to be one in the first place. Not only are they setting their child up for bullying at school and a miserable relationship with food but they are also in affect killing them. It may sound harsh and I'm sure some people will have a rant about it but that is the reality of it.

joehempel

I think any parent who neglects their child this much does not deserve to be one in the first place. Not only are they setting their child up for bullying at school and a miserable relationship with food but they are also in affect killing them. It may sound harsh and I'm sure some people will have a rant about it but that is the reality of it.

Bottom line....it starts with the parents.

Someone isn't going to get fat eating sweets during a one hour period in school.

And kids can have all the abandonment issues they want...at least they'll be alive and have a chance to deal with them rather than taking up land in a cemetray too son.

josie575

I feel this way if it is illegal to kill your kids by starving them, then the same repercussions should apply if you are killing your children by allowing them to be obese.

bcattoes

NO. simply put. Educate them, but don't take the kids away from the parents. Why punish the kids, not to mention, who is going to pick up the tab for this? We can't afford anything in this country as it is, you want to add another crazy thing into the mix? Something else to eat up taxes. Something else to take money away from public schools. Yeah, that makes sense... The moron that came up with this one probably doesn't have kids and has never lived life outside of a book. Sure the parent needs a good kick in the *kitten* if the kid is that overweight, but don't put that burden on me to pay for it. I have enough problems on my own.

Yes!! Agree completely. Punishment is not the answer. Education is. REQUIRE the parents to attend nutrition and parenting classes. Removal may be in order if they refuse the classes, but that should certainly not be the first line of intervention.

vbennett7

Another potential problem: If you took away obese kids, how do you decide where to draw the line? My daughter is a little pudgy. I know its easy to think that the line would be obvious, but how long until it started shifting?

Also, some healthy foods are affordable, but where I live a bag of potatoes compared to purchasing McDonald's French fries-the price is no where near the same. Yes, the parents need to be educated about it. And in our town, school lunches have really changed since the healthy kids act. And the vending machines at school.

All that said, it is really hard to understand why a parent would want/let their child get THAT big.

Grimmerick

I hope they consider that some of these children should be tested for Prader-Willi syndrome before they are taken from their parents. Prader-Willi syndrome is a congenital (present from birth) disease that involves obesity, decreased muscle tone, decreased mental capacity, and sex glands that produce little or no hormones. Basically these kids are always hungry they have nothing to tell them when they are full and it is very difficult for parents to control that so in that case it wouldn't be fair to the parents or children. But they should be given warnings first and if their parents do nothing about it within 6 months then they should go to the next steps. Not saying they should be taken but their parents should be penalized.

chocolatesweat

NO! Plain and simple!

bugnbeansmom

Another potential problem: If you took away obese kids, how do you decide where to draw the line? My daughter is a little pudgy. I know its easy to think that the line would be obvious, but how long until it started shifting?

Agreed. And are they going to argue that kids with eating disorders who are wasting away should be removed from the home? Probably not.

This is just another symptom of a larger problem in the US: entitlement and lack of personal responsibility. Your kid is fat? Oh blame the food companies. Your kid has an eating disorder? Must be Hollywood's fault. Your kid is not doing well in school? Maybe they have ADD? And maybe all of these things can be factors but at the end of the day, parent is not only a noun but a verb! PARENT people! Set an example. Lay down the rules and stick to them. Grow a pair and tell your kid NO! Sometimes, no is the most loving word a true parent can utter.

Do obese kids deserve to be taken away from their parents to shuffled through a less than perfect foster system. HELL NO! There for sure needs to be some coaching for the parent and the child but I don't feel it is the responsibility of the government to parent. They are there to govern.

Should foodstamps be used to buy crap? NO! There should be an approved list of foods one is allowed to purchase with them. When you use ublic funds to take care of your personal needs, you lose the right to choose without oversight. Are healthy foods too costly? For sure. I am not disputing that you can get rice and beans, apples, Wheat bread etc. for not a lot of money but do you want to eat rice beans everyday? Absolutely not.

Do these kids deserve help? For sure. Do they deserve the emotional scars of being ripped from their parents? Absolutely not.

Iluvchopsticks

This article is insane! I think parents are to blame but only to an extent. Some overindulge their children but not all parents of obese kids deserve all the blame. My youngest sister is very obese and my parents put forth a great effort trying to help her. When she was younger they would try to keep healthy foods in the house and serve balanced meals. The fact of the matter is that some kids find their own ways of stuffing themselves. My sister didn't always eat unhealthy, but she ate huge portions. She would sneak into the kitchen and fix full meals for herself. She taught herself how to cook at a very young age. My mom tried everything from doctors/nutritionists, putting her on a swim team, making her play outside. It really didn't matter, she just kept getting bigger. She would get the food from friends or at school. Unless a parent can monitor their child 100% of the time it would be nearly impossible for them to have complete control over what a child eats. Sometimes I get so mad because it seems that everyone always wants to put full blame on parents. I agree some are to blame and let their kids eat all the junk/convenience food and set a bad personal example but that is not always the case. What happened to personal accountability? You can't expect a really young child to have that but at a certain age kids can develop a little self control. As much as I love oreos, I didn't gorge on them as a child because I didn't want to get fat. Some kids (like my sister) just don't care enough to step away from the food. What are parents supposed to do when they have a child like that? Sit around and let everyone else comment on their bad parenting? That's total rubbish.

calliope_music

i'm a social worker. i say no, absolutely not. here are my reasons:

1. educate them. some people honestly have absolutely no idea what good nutrition is. i work at school and even the SCHOOL does not know what good nutrition is - a corn dog, corn, applesauce and milk is not a very healthy meal. neither is chili with fritos and tater tots.

2. make sure they have access to healthy foods. i live in a very urban area and most grocery stores with fresh produce are out in the suburbs. if there are no buses out there or the family doesn't have a car, they're going to be shopping at the convience store for their food. yes, people here do in fact shop at Walgreens and CVS for their FOOD because that's all that's available to them.

3. have farmers markets accept food stamps. i think most around here do but people don't know that. advertise. find ways to get people to farmers markets. the nearest one is about 5 miles from the neighborhood i work in, but it takes 3 buses to get there without a car.

4. ensure access to medical care. this is opening up a whole other can of worms, but if you are underinsured/uninsured, open up more free clinics. i have lots of kids with no insurance who only go to the doctor if they absolutely have to, or use the ER as their primary care doctor simply because their parents make $20 a month more than the medicaid limit. RIDICULOUS.

5. make sure they're out and active. the kids i work with aren't allowed outside sometimes due to violence. while there are access to community centers, they're not much better. more sports teams, more activities at school. this is also up to the parents - take away the video games and force your kids outside. and if it's too dangerous, go with them.

*steps off soapbox* this article pisses me off in more ways than one. it's also not always up to the parents, it's also the kid's choice. if they want to eat chips over the banana...well, if they're 10 there's really no way in stopping them. also remember that the junk foods often keep you fuller longer because of so many calories and fat. on a limited budget that's the way to go. there are a lot of other factors in here that have to be examined.

femmerides

Should foodstamps be used to buy crap? NO! There should be an approved list of foods one is allowed to purchase with them. When you use ublic funds to take care of your personal needs, you lose the right to choose without oversight. Are healthy foods too costly? For sure. I am not disputing that you can get rice and beans, apples, Wheat bread etc. for not a lot of money but do you want to eat rice beans everyday? Absolutely not.

i grew up VERY poor and we DID eat rice and beans everyday and guess what, we were okay with that because we were poor. we went to school with homemade wheat bread sandwiches with a piece of fruit everyday. how did we get the fruit? we went to food banks, we asked our church, we asked our neighbors, we mowed peoples lawns in trade of groceries, etc. EBT (food stamps) DEFINITELY needs regulation. WIC will only let you get healthy foods. That is the way EBT should be. I know people that use EBT to buy crap all the time, it disgusts me. I AM PAYING TO FEED YOU! And in return you use MY money to buy doritos??? ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME??? I don't even buy that crap for myself. WHY would i give you my money to buy that!? if i'm paying to feed you then you better be doing your damn best to do the best for you and your family with MY money.

This article is insane! I think parents are to blame but only to an extent. Some overindulge their children but not all parents of obese kids deserve all the blame. My youngest sister is very obese and my parents put forth a great effort trying to help her. When she was younger they would try to keep healthy foods in the house and serve balanced meals. The fact of the matter is that some kids find their own ways of stuffing themselves. My sister didn't always eat unhealthy, but she ate huge portions. She would sneak into the kitchen and fix full meals for herself. She taught herself how to cook at a very young age. My mom tried everything from doctors/nutritionists, putting her on a swim team, making her play outside. It really didn't matter, she just kept getting bigger. She would get the food from friends or at school. Unless a parent can monitor their child 100% of the time it would be nearly impossible for them to have complete control over what a child eats. Sometimes I get so mad because it seems that everyone always wants to put full blame on parents. I agree some are to blame and let their kids eat all the junk/convenience food and set a bad personal example but that is not always the case. What happened to personal accountability? You can't expect a really young child to have that but at a certain age kids can develop a little self control. As much as I love oreos, I didn't gorge on them as a child because I didn't want to get fat. Some kids (like my sister) just don't care enough to step away from the food. What are parents supposed to do when they have a child like that? Sit around and let everyone else comment on their bad parenting? That's total rubbish.

i have a younger sister who is extremely overweight and she ate the same stuff my other sisters and i did. she gained weight because she was lazy, she OVERATE, she hid food, etc. She also had my dad as an example though. He is extremely overweight. Do i think obese kids should be taken from their homes? no...do i think they need to be fined? yes! do i think they should have to face some consequences if they can't PROVE that they are actively trying to HELP their overweight child? yes! This also means that they can show that they have replaced all junk food with healthy food, that they go on walks with their child every day after dinner, and that they eliminate drinks that aren't water. Now, if after ALL of that the kid is not losing weight or keeps gaining, then i think the fines should stop and that the parent should SERIOUSLY consider taking their kid to Over eaters annonymous or some sort of class to figure out what the problem is. diet and exercise ALWAYS help. even with those that have conditions. gaining weight every year for the rest of your life is NOT OKAY! and these kids are given life expectancies of 30 years? that's horrible! that means i would outlive my child!

I feel this way if it is illegal to kill your kids by starving them, then the same repercussions should apply if you are killing your children by allowing them to be obese.

Thank you!

I think any parent who neglects their child this much does not deserve to be one in the first place. Not only are they setting their child up for bullying at school and a miserable relationship with food but they are also in affect killing them. It may sound harsh and I'm sure some people will have a rant about it but that is the reality of it.

Bottom line....it starts with the parents.

Someone isn't going to get fat eating sweets during a one hour period in school.

And kids can have all the abandonment issues they want...at least they'll be alive and have a chance to deal with them rather than taking up land in a cemetray too son.

kids get bullied all the time even when they're NOT overweight. i was SUPER skinny but i wore glasses and wore clothes from the thrift store and i was teasing mercilessly. parents should really do their best to keep their kids healthy. it really does help. and if they're healthy and fit, guess what, they can either out run the bullies or stand up for themselves without the fear of getting beat up because they can handle themselves.

And i totally agree. It's the parents responsibility to instill healthy eating and exercise habits. I have a friend who is vegan and her kids are vegan. Her son is 5 and her daughter is 3. If they are ANYWHERE outside of their home and with someone that doesn't know they're vegan, the ALWAYS ask if the food they're being served is vegan. If it isn't, they don't eat it. Period. So why can't ALL parents teach their kids to LIKE healthy food and if they go to a party and see "junk food" or go to school or WHEREVER and choose to NOT eat the crap food? My kids LOVE veggies and fruits. There are days where the ONLY thing we eat are veggies, fruits, and nuts. My daughter just turned 3 and at her birthday party we had cake. Neither of my kids ate it. They have a different palate than kids who eat that kind of stuff all the time. They LIKE the healthy food and the sugary, overprocessed stuff tastes like crap to them.

There would need to be a CPS investigation into why the child is obese, as with any other negelect or abuse case.

yes! 100%! obesity is USUALLY caused from lack of parental supervision (aka neglect). I understand we are all busy and we all need to do things for ourselves. I also know that if we focus for the first few years of our childrens lives and TEACH them how to live properly, then we won't have to work so damn hard later on to keep our kids healthy and safe. Yes, there are the exceptions. Some kids, for reasons i do not understand, are just really overweight for either health reasons or some extreme genetics. however, i can almost guarantee that if you sent one of those kids to my house, they would lose weight even though they have some sort of "excuse" for being fat. my little sister comes and lives with me every summer and always loses 15 to 20lbs. my parents feed her healthy but they also let her have seconds and sometimes thirds. so when she stays with me she gets one serving and everything is measured out.

My son and my nephew grew up together in the same house. My twin and I lived together and raised our boys together until I married & moved across the country. My nephew got the fat gene from my family, my son was lucky enough to skip the gene. I kept my home full of healthy foods. My son, love healthy food and had embraced physical fitness. My nephew eats what ever junk he can get his hands on in school. He ballooned as a kid. As he got older, it became even harder to stop him from eating wrong. As a teen he would run around with friends, hanging out at fast food restaurants.

so this i believe could have been prevented if at a young at your twin had really focused on always feeding him healthy. ALL THE TIME! honestly, if you know that obesity runs in your family or that food addiction or any other addiction runs in your family then you should do whatever you can to teach your child to NOT follow in those foot steps. Obesity is HUGE in my family but i REFUSE to let me kids follow in my family's path. Alcoholism is also really big in my family. My parents went out of their way to get my sisters and i involved in sports and really taught us how important our education was and that alcohol would interfere with our success in life. BECAUSE of that I am not an alcoholic and I know how to enjoy alcohol in moderation. I don't have to worry about getting addicted.

I feel that giving your child the tools to become obese is like giving your child the tools to become alcoholics or drug addicts. food addiction is very real. if CPS found out that your child was drinking alcohol underage or doing drugs at any age, they would remove your child immediately! so if you know your child has a problem and you don't take EXTREME measures to ensure that he/she has EVERY tool in their possession to eat healthy and exercise then you too are the problem and are feeding your childs addiction.

Why is it the government's job? They are not the watchdogs. How about family and friends first off. If by government you mean educators and counselors at the schools getting more involved the sure. I understand that the kid is going to die, that they are way too fat. Its a shame, but it didn't happen overnight, and nobody else steps in till now? that is a joke. Obviously the child's Dr. saw the problem, a family member... the world is to PC and someone should have slapped some sense into the parents, doesn't have to be uncle sam. it can be anyone. It could be you, would you say something to a parent with a fat kid, have you? will you? if not, then stop preaching on here that it is the governments job because you are just as bad as the parents for letting the kids get that way. Stand up people and don't be scared to let someone know when they need help.

i agree. people need to stop worrying about stepping on other people's toes. think about it. if someone came to you and said your child was showing signs of autism or some sort of learning disability, wouldn't you be grateful and get them tested immediately??? i would. That way you can get your child the help they need immediately to help them with whatever it is they have. so if someone comes up to you and tells you your child is showing signs of food addicition or that your child is really overweight, wouldn't you be grateful and get them help or help them yourself immediately?

Just to set the record straight, if everyone had actually read the article, the children they are referring to are not "fat", they are morbidly obese and their lives are in danger because they are so overweight. The article states that these children are at risk of dying by the age of 30! There is NO excuse for that! It has nothing to do with food companies or WIC! How expensive is a can of beans and a bag of rice? A jar of peanut butter and a loaf of wheat bread? An apple and a gallon of milk? The issue is LAZINESS. It's easier to go through the McDonald's drive-thru than prepare a balanced home cooked meal. These habits are passed down from parent to child and the children continue to eat that way once they are capable of making their own choices. And I don't believe it is right to automatically force the parents to give up custody, but I do believe that the government needs to interfere by forcing the parents as well as the children (depending on their age) to attend nutrition & wellness classes as well as working with a social worker so they can understand how to live a healthy life style. Yes, education is the answer but these families will not learn if no one makes them. Parents need to be aware of their childrens' individual needs; what is okay for one child may not be for another, and that is where the child abuse comes in. It is not right to expose children to environments that are unhealthy and unsafe, and if parents are allowing their children to eat themselves to death, that is abuse.

you took the words right out of my mouth!

Well, I did say above about the cost to the public. I stand by it, not that it has been challenged yet in this forum. I would rather pay my money to public education. Make good eating principles part of the educational system starting in Pre K. Let kids know what is good to eat. And the public is to blame as much as the parents. Look back in time a couple years, you used to be able to tell a friend that his or her kids were getting fat and to get them in gear, We have become so PC now that people are just scared to talk the truth. Well ladies and gentlemen, the truth is staring us in the face right now. if your neighbors kid is getting fat, tell the neighbor. If they don't listen, talk to the kid about it. Stop looking for someone else to solve all the problems, stand up and make a change. One person really can make a difference. If you don't like the choices at your childs school for lunches, send them with one. get other parents involved. Children are our future and there should be enough time in your day to make sure your kids have everything they need to succeed in life. Bottom line, get off your lazy *kitten* and go outside with your kids and stop making excuses. By the way, if I offended you in this message, maybe you're the lazy one that needs to go for walks with your kids.

well said my friend! if you REALLY care about your child, you will take the time to pack them lunches, go on walks with them in the morning or after school. if you REALLY love your child you will SACRIFICE whatever you need to sacrifice to make sure they have the best options for food or sports or whatever. if that means you sacrifice you nights going on walks with them and cooking healthy meals that take time or staying up late and making them healthy lunches for the next day, then so be it! It's so worth it! YOUR KIDS ARE WORTH YOUR TIME!!!

I don't think food companies are to blame at all. Nobody forces somebody to buy a frozen pizza rather than the makings of a healthy soup. People can afford to eat healthier, they just don't feel like cooking or would rather eat things that 'taste better.' Rolled oats are cheaper than Coco Puffs, salad is cheaper than Cheetos, a bag of potatoes costs about the same as a large fry from McDonalds, dry beans are super healthy and cost pennies per serving. Blaming food companies and being low income is a cop out.

yup. i eat the same meals EVERYDAY because they're healthy, well balanced and awesome! do i get bored??? yes. but do i go out and get a cheeseburger? no. i go to the grocery store and buy something healthy as the alternate of whatever i am craving and then i go right back in to eating my healthy, boring, well balanced meals.

I don't think the government should be paying for food at all. You don't work - you don't eat. I personally LOATHE the welfare system - I've seen it abused far too many times. Want to take care of national debt? Start eliminating government assistance programs and make people work for their food like they used to.

I understand that there are legitimate cases of people actually needing help, and I'm perfectly fine with those people receiving help - it's the ones that abuse the system that I can't stand. If you were able to weed out all the abusers, maybe then the people that actually NEED help could get it.

i am poor. i live in silicon valley and my husband works and i stay at home with our two kids. we have a VERY small income. we live within our means. money is always tight. i use WIC for our kids and i am SO grateful for that. if it wasn't for WIC, then we would be living 100% on beans and rice. my husband and i used to make A LOT of money and it was an insane adjustment when i decided to become a stay at home mom. i made 3 times as much as my husband but our kids were more important than all the money in the world. Because of our financial situation, we have become so much more healthier than we were. Gas is expensive so I walk or run every where with the kids in a stroller. we go to the grocery store every few days to buy fresh, healthy food and we use coupons or we buy store brand or we buy on sale. We have a very specific budget that we can never go above because we have no wiggle room. we walk everywhere even if that means i'm walking or running 8 miles that day. if they have a doctor appointment, i walk the 5 miles there and the 5 miles back. yes, i know that because i'm a stay at home mom i have the "time" but i'm also in school full time, i also am a full time mom, housekeeper, wife, financial guru, and supermom! i do arts and crafts with my kids every day. i make them 3 balanced meals a day. i play with them. i teach them the alphabet and numbers in multiple languages. i also cook, clean, exercise, study, play, teach, do exams, grocery shop, etc. on a daily basis. People say they don't have time. What they're REALLY saying is that they don't want to MAKE the time. Guess what people, i only have 24 hours in my day too! We all have the same hours in a day and we can all make time for our kids.

I know i probably stepped on a lot of people's toes but I have been overweight for about 7 years now and i have changed my entire world for my kids because i don't want them to have the same struggles i had. i want them to want to be healthy. i want them to LOVE healthy food. i want them to WANT to exercise. Do it for your kids people. Stop being selfish.

srshufelt

I too don't believe the children should be taken (at least not without warning, and several chances, it only hurts the family). I think that maybe it would be a good idea for the government to allow only healthy food choices for food stamps. If people, (all people, rich and poor) were educated about the CRAPPY foods that are allowed on our grocery shelves they might think twice about putting it in their mouths. People simply go for what taste good (fat and salt) and whats cheapier.They don't always realize the impact those poor choices are doing to their bodies. Produce only appears to be expensive and is maybe not as flavorful perhaps as oreos cookies. Produce needs to be purchased a little more often. It can not sit on your shelf that long without going bad. A salad takes a little longer to prepare than slapping something in the microwave. The food companies that have center isle items are always trying to lower their cost so they put cheapier (and unheatlier) stuff in their products. And what do people do? They buy the crap. One more note. If we forced (don't really like to use the word forced, perhaps educate is better) these parents to purchase healthier option for their children we would probably be saving $ in the long run. Then these children would not grow up to be unhealthy adults with heart disese, diabeties, high blood pressure, ashma, hip/knee replacement and 10 different medications to be on. Maybe we should put warning labels on some of our prepackage foods like they do on cigerettes. Also it's not always just the poor who make poor food choices. I'm sure the rich do also. They can afford to purchase what ever they want to eat. We should also make learning about foods (and I mean REALLY learn) a required course in our schools.

busub

NO. simply put. Educate them, but don't take the kids away from the parents. Why punish the kids, not to mention, who is going to pick up the tab for this? We can't afford anything in this country as it is, you want to add another crazy thing into the mix? Something else to eat up taxes. Something else to take money away from public schools. Yeah, that makes sense... The moron that came up with this one probably doesn't have kids and has never lived life outside of a book. Sure the parent needs a good kick in the *kitten* if the kid is that overweight, but don't put that burden on me to pay for it. I have enough problems on my own.

You're probably ALREADY paying for that kid. Unfortunately a lot of these obese children are welfare babies and mom and dad use their food stamp money to buy nothing but CRAP. I think the food stamp system should be like WIC - only certain foods are allowed and only for a certain amount of time. This would also help with the national healthcare issue - if you don't have as many people sick because they're not obese, diabetic, or whatever, we wouldn't have to worry about trying to figure out a way to pay for their medical bills, too. We have too many government assistance programs as it is - taking these children out of their homes would just add to that problem. Education is key. Children and parents alike need to be taught about sustaining a healthy lifestyle. If you're an adult and you can't take care of yourself, you shouldn't be having children. Unfortunately, a good portion of the US is too stupid to realize that.

You kinda took the words right outta my mouth, but I have been blasted so bad for saying this in the past. If it were more regulated to only allow certain items, I think it would help A LOT. But then people argued (on the debate board I'm on), that the government shouldn't be paying for high priced "health" foods. It's a double edged sword to get into it, really...

I don't think the government should be paying for food at all. You don't work - you don't eat. I personally LOATHE the welfare system - I've seen it abused far too many times. Want to take care of national debt? Start eliminating government assistance programs and make people work for their food like they used to.

I understand that there are legitimate cases of people actually needing help, and I'm perfectly fine with those people receiving help - it's the ones that abuse the system that I can't stand. If you were able to weed out all the abusers, maybe then the people that actually NEED help could get it.

You can't have both. You either kill the program outright or let it exist where fraud is inevitable. Besides, your comment is rich w/ unsupported dramatic hyperbole (I've seen it abused far too many times... really? A recent GAO study reported about a 3% overpayment of SNAP benefits SO MUCH FRAUD!!!). The vast majority of welfare users, use it as intended, for temporary assistance during a rough transitional period of their lives. Since welfare reform in the 90's, welfare caseloads have diminished greatly, and is largely considered successful (less than 2% of all TANF benefit discontinuation was due to reaching the federal 5 year limit).

Over the course of your life time, you may very well need welfare assuming you live long enough. What do you think Medicare and Social Security are? Want to collect Unemployment Benefits? All social welfare programs.

Otherwise I agree with many of your statements. Education is key, as is the availability/affordability of fresh produce. Paying for higher end, quality foods will save money long term in the form of decreased health costs (that darn medicaid comes outta yer pocket too....). Same w/ having available preventative medical care, but that's another debate.

At any rate... source for much of my info: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/data-reports/annualreport8/ar8index.htm

femmerides

i'm a social worker. i say no, absolutely not. here are my reasons:

1. educate them. some people honestly have absolutely no idea what good nutrition is. i work at school and even the SCHOOL does not know what good nutrition is - a corn dog, corn, applesauce and milk is not a very healthy meal. neither is chili with fritos and tater tots.

i agree. schools need to change their menus. if the school can't afford it then have weekly bake sales and car washes and just fundraise like crazy and use those funds for healthier meals. OR make your kid a healthy bag lunch.

2. make sure they have access to healthy foods. i live in a very urban area and most grocery stores with fresh produce are out in the suburbs. if there are no buses out there or the family doesn't have a car, they're going to be shopping at the convience store for their food. yes, people here do in fact shop at Walgreens and CVS for their FOOD because that's all that's available to them.

target has groceries now and healthy options. also there are grocery delivery options that sometimes offer free delivery. Plus, there are still healthy options at walgreens, cvs, etc.

3. have farmers markets accept food stamps. i think most around here do but people don't know that. advertise. find ways to get people to farmers markets. the nearest one is about 5 miles from the neighborhood i work in, but it takes 3 buses to get there without a car.

walking 5 miles is like an hour there and an hour back and then you're done exercising for the day! live in a bad neighborhood? then go with someone who can protect you or get a gun license and a CCW or take self defense classes or go in the day time and carry a whistle and pepper spray, etc.

4. ensure access to medical care. this is opening up a whole other can of worms, but if you are underinsured/uninsured, open up more free clinics. i have lots of kids with no insurance who only go to the doctor if they absolutely have to, or use the ER as their primary care doctor simply because their parents make $20 a month more than the medicaid limit. RIDICULOUS.

yes

5. make sure they're out and active. the kids i work with aren't allowed outside sometimes due to violence. while there are access to community centers, they're not much better. more sports teams, more activities at school. this is also up to the parents - take away the video games and force your kids outside. and if it's too dangerous, go with them.

i grew up in a very bad neighborhood with LOTS of gang violence so we just played in our yard or we would do our own version of gymnastics in our living room for fun but we would do it for hours. plus, a lot of game systems are making video games exercise friendly. so that's another option.

*steps off soapbox* this article pisses me off in more ways than one. it's also not always up to the parents, it's also the kid's choice. if they want to eat chips over the banana...well, if they're 10 there's really no way in stopping them. also remember that the junk foods often keep you fuller longer because of so many calories and fat. on a limited budget that's the way to go. there are a lot of other factors in here that have to be examined.

junk food keeps you full longer???? what? no...that is not true. 1/2 cup of oatmeal is WAY more filling than any junk food. Oatmeal is DIRT cheap. Beans and rice and really filling. pb&j's with whole wheat bread is pretty filling too. a bag of cheetos will make you hungrier because of all the crap in it.

ladybg81

Goodness! I can not imagine a 3 year old weighing 90 lbs. My 2.5 year old weighs 32 lbs and barely eats enough to keep him alive! His daycare does not feed them great meals but they are starting to improve. I have always been crazy about what he eats and do my very best to get him to eat as much good stuff as possible. It is hard, but we have to do our best.

redheadmommy

I think there should be a point when the kids had to be taken away. Of course not right away, but if constant warrnign, educational and nutritional support doesn't help, they had to be taken away, otherwise some of them won;t even reach adulthood.

Really this shouldn't be different then malnourishing a kid. If a kid is severly underweight, doctors/social workers etc have to interfere and help the family. They should provide guidance, education, nutritional or even financial help if needed. However, if those thing doesn't solve a problem, the system would take away the malnourished children, wouln't they?
I think morbidly obese children case should be the same.

again we are not talking a few extra pounds here, but extreme cases when situation is damaging the child health.

Qarol

It does disgust me when I see an obsese child because that's 100% the parents' fault. (Kind of like when I see an obese pet.) But I think removing a child should be a last resort. Education is the way to go. Intervene and tell the parents what's right and wrong when it comes to feeding your child. Give them a chance to correct the situation. Then, if they don't, we must place the child elsewhere.

calliope_music

i'm a social worker. i say no, absolutely not. here are my reasons:

1. educate them. some people honestly have absolutely no idea what good nutrition is. i work at school and even the SCHOOL does not know what good nutrition is - a corn dog, corn, applesauce and milk is not a very healthy meal. neither is chili with fritos and tater tots.

i agree. schools need to change their menus. if the school can't afford it then have weekly bake sales and car washes and just fundraise like crazy and use those funds for healthier meals. OR make your kid a healthy bag lunch.

2. make sure they have access to healthy foods. i live in a very urban area and most grocery stores with fresh produce are out in the suburbs. if there are no buses out there or the family doesn't have a car, they're going to be shopping at the convience store for their food. yes, people here do in fact shop at Walgreens and CVS for their FOOD because that's all that's available to them.

target has groceries now and healthy options. also there are grocery delivery options that sometimes offer free delivery. Plus, there are still healthy options at walgreens, cvs, etc.

3. have farmers markets accept food stamps. i think most around here do but people don't know that. advertise. find ways to get people to farmers markets. the nearest one is about 5 miles from the neighborhood i work in, but it takes 3 buses to get there without a car.

walking 5 miles is like an hour there and an hour back and then you're done exercising for the day! live in a bad neighborhood? then go with someone who can protect you or get a gun license and a CCW or take self defense classes or go in the day time and carry a whistle and pepper spray, etc.

4. ensure access to medical care. this is opening up a whole other can of worms, but if you are underinsured/uninsured, open up more free clinics. i have lots of kids with no insurance who only go to the doctor if they absolutely have to, or use the ER as their primary care doctor simply because their parents make $20 a month more than the medicaid limit. RIDICULOUS.

yes

5. make sure they're out and active. the kids i work with aren't allowed outside sometimes due to violence. while there are access to community centers, they're not much better. more sports teams, more activities at school. this is also up to the parents - take away the video games and force your kids outside. and if it's too dangerous, go with them.

i grew up in a very bad neighborhood with LOTS of gang violence so we just played in our yard or we would do our own version of gymnastics in our living room for fun but we would do it for hours. plus, a lot of game systems are making video games exercise friendly. so that's another option.

*steps off soapbox* this article pisses me off in more ways than one. it's also not always up to the parents, it's also the kid's choice. if they want to eat chips over the banana...well, if they're 10 there's really no way in stopping them. also remember that the junk foods often keep you fuller longer because of so many calories and fat. on a limited budget that's the way to go. there are a lot of other factors in here that have to be examined.

junk food keeps you full longer???? what? no...that is not true. 1/2 cup of oatmeal is WAY more filling than any junk food. Oatmeal is DIRT cheap. Beans and rice and really filling. pb&j's with whole wheat bread is pretty filling too. a bag of cheetos will make you hungrier because of all the crap in it.

your responses were awesome, but i have some questions/comments

1. what about the schools who can't afford it? i mean, honestly cannot afford it. i live in Cleveland, we can't even afford buses for our kindergarteners who have to walk 2 miles to school in the freezing cold. (Cleveland has a myriad of other issues so i won't get into those...lol). you also have to examine the environment of the school and the neighborhood. could we have bake sales? sure, but what would you sell there except other fattening junk? plus, where would people get the money to buy stuff? we had one at the school i work at and made 100 bucks the entire day. i agree, make your child a bag lunch. but again, what if there are no healthy options in the house? i do think school lunch needs to be revamped though, it is effing nasty. i remember having a yummy lunch and actually wanting to eat it. i wouldn't feed this crap to my cat.

2. there aren't any Targets in the hood. at all. no Wal-Marts either. the nearest one is 5 miles from MY house and i live in the burbs. also, grocery delivery services are an awesome idea, but that's assuming you have a grocery store nearby and they will deliver for free, most of them around here won't. there is not a grocery store within walking distance of the school i work in and i'm in the edge of the suburbs.

3. walking 5 miles is a great workout, but not when it's 5 below zero with 2 foot high snowpiles on the sidewalk and 4 kids under the age of 10 to bring with you, including a baby, because you can't get anyone to watch them. same goes when it's 95 degrees out and they're whining. and i honestly don't think toting a gun is the right answer.

4. i was looking at junk food from a pure calorie standpoint. i personally stay full longer on a McDonald's value meal that on oatmeal with fruit. that could just be me though.

you raised some great points, but every area of the country will be different. these are my thoughts purely from the area i live in which is probably pretty different from everywhere else.

MrsChasteen

Take the children away. OBESITY IS KILLING PEOPLE. How do they not realize they are hurting their children??? It is silly to say that people do not know what nutrition is. Obesity is a major problem constantly broadcasted all over the media. Also keep in mind these children have doctors. I'm sure the parents have been told countless times by their doctors that their weight is dangerous.

femmerides

your responses were awesome, but i have some questions/comments

1. what about the schools who can't afford it? i mean, honestly cannot afford it. i live in Cleveland, we can't even afford buses for our kindergarteners who have to walk 2 miles to school in the freezing cold. (Cleveland has a myriad of other issues so i won't get into those...lol). you also have to examine the environment of the school and the neighborhood. could we have bake sales? sure, but what would you sell there except other fattening junk? plus, where would people get the money to buy stuff? we had one at the school i work at and made 100 bucks the entire day. i agree, make your child a bag lunch. but again, what if there are no healthy options in the house? i do think school lunch needs to be revamped though, it is effing nasty. i remember having a yummy lunch and actually wanting to eat it. i wouldn't feed this crap to my cat.

2. there aren't any Targets in the hood. at all. no Wal-Marts either. the nearest one is 5 miles from MY house and i live in the burbs. also, grocery delivery services are an awesome idea, but that's assuming you have a grocery store nearby and they will deliver for free, most of them around here won't. there is not a grocery store within walking distance of the school i work in and i'm in the edge of the suburbs.

3. walking 5 miles is a great workout, but not when it's 5 below zero with 2 foot high snowpiles on the sidewalk and 4 kids under the age of 10 to bring with you, including a baby, because you can't get anyone to watch them. same goes when it's 95 degrees out and they're whining. and i honestly don't think toting a gun is the right answer.

4. i was looking at junk food from a pure calorie standpoint. i personally stay full longer on a McDonald's value meal that on oatmeal with fruit. that could just be me though.

you raised some great points, but every area of the country will be different. these are my thoughts purely from the area i live in which is probably pretty different from everywhere else.

ya, i was in a total rush this morning when i did that response and later on in the day i thought about it and realized there are A LOT of areas in the country that deal with freezing temps, dangerously hot days, tornadoes, thunder/lightning storms, etc. even so, i just think a lot of people make a lot of excuses. there are those people who genuinely try to do what's best and do the best they can with what they have but the whole point of this article is that these people DO have the money...i mean come on...how do you get to 400lbs by the age of 14 if you're too poor for healthy food? if you're really THAT poor than even IF you go to fast food, you're only getting one or two things MAX. that's not 400lbs worth of food...

josie575

Absolutely. If it is a crime to starve your children, it should also be a crime to kill them with too much food and the wrong kinds of food. It is shocking to know that most overweight and obese children are sometimes more malnourished than children living under famine conditions!

zorbaru

and another thing, blame the food companies as well.

i think this is a major cop out.

everyone wants to blame someone else these days. the food companies arent forcing people to eat their food, and no where (in australia anyway) have i seen macdonalds or anyone else claim that their food is healthy and should be eaten every day.

if a 3 year old kid is morbidly obese, then it is the parents fault, plain and simple. kid wants maccas? say no. kid wont eat healthy food, thats not a reason to give them crap, it means you need to stand tought. when they get hungry they will eat it. kid watches tv all day? turn it off and tell them to go outside.

yes, i think they should lose custody, but should be given the opportunity to fix the situation first. if after 1 year or whatever, no improvements have been made, then bye bye.

sure that might sound harsh, but if the parent really doesnt want to lose the kid, they will make the changes necessary. if they dont, then they really shouldnt be having kids to begin with.


***puts on flame suit***

bmqbonnie

No one would hesitate if the kids were comparatively emaciated. A 90 lb toddler is just ridiculous and that kid is in serious danger.

CPS doesn't have the resources to take away every kid that gets a little pudgy. This is an extreme in which action should absolutely be taken.