Should parents lose custody of super obese kids?

All emotion aside, would the threat of removing children be EFFECTIVE? I don't believe it will bring about the change, which is the desired result. If we rely on the adults to seek out the education, that probably isn't going to resolve the issue either because (with the exception of the folks on this web site), most folks just go on with what they are currently doing and won't/don't/can/t take the time to educate themselves on portion sizes, nutrition and proper eating.

I'm beginning to think that to make an effective change, education for the next generation must be the target. Instead of spending money putting kids in protective custody, I'd rather see the money spent educating the kids in the classrooms and even on the TV. Remember the old "Schoolhouse Rock" ditties that played during Saturday morning cartoons? Couldn't effective, educational ditties be created to play in the same manner? They are memorable and would help to get the information across to kids. I also think they need to bring back home economics classes in schools - teach kids how to meal plan, budget for and buy wholesome foods and cook their own meals. Should be a required course.

It may just be too late to save the current generation - all of the information on obesity is out there every single day, yet adults ignore and don't make the change. But its not too late to educate and empower the kids.

i believe there are some parents who don't care but lets look at the cost here..........fruits and vegetables are highter cost then chocolate, soda, and greasy foods. Plus ....there are some peope that can't afford these items; if there was some kind of program to help families to achieve goals....i think this would help our children.

No I do not. No one is a perfect parent. And who is to say that the parent tries to suggest healthier foods and the kid sneaks junk anyway? I try to get my kids to eat healthy, but they still want their milk and cookies in the afternoon! They are nowhwere near obese though. I just do not think it is ethical to take kids away from their parents because they are overweight. Geez, what next, you take the kids away because they don't want to exercise, or don't want a haircut, or because they drink a soda? This just sounds crazy to me!

Intervention is definately needed but you can't take kids away from their parents because of "poor parenting." Both child and adult need to be educated on what is an OK diet and what isn't. What I would like to see is our SCHOOL SYSTEMS stepping in and allowing more physical education classes!! They keep cutting back on PE teachers and music teachers when in reality our kids desperately need the break from academics! Not to mention learning about physical health is (to me) just as important as math or reading! GET IT TOGETHER AMERICA!

No I do not. No one is a perfect parent. And who is to say that the parent tries to suggest healthier foods and the kid sneaks junk anyway? I try to get my kids to eat healthy, but they still want their milk and cookies in the afternoon! They are nowhwere near obese though. I just do not think it is ethical to take kids away from their parents because they are overweight. Geez, what next, you take the kids away because they don't want to exercise, or don't want a haircut, or because they drink a soda? This just sounds crazy to me!

Milk and cookes on an afternoon won't make your kids obese, thats normal kind of stuff!

It's the kids that are at risk of losing their lives due to being over fed by their parents. Parents are responsible for their kids end of and they should be in an enviroment where they are safe.

Now if they are older and earn there own money, and walk places by themselves and they are sneaking things from the shop etc then obviously not because they are old enough to look after there own bodies and there is no way in hell you can make a teenager do something that they don't want to do! I remember being one myself ;-)

Are we really suggesting that we take all the fat kids away from their families and bounce them around the already over-taxed foster care system until they are 18? Just because they're fat? All 2 million of them? I'm sure there are 2 million foster families willing to take kids who's families ABUSE them by letting them eat too much.
Or maybe we should just ship them all way to a fat camp? Yeah, lets take all 2 million fat kids in the US and ship them off to a fat camp. We can hold them hostage until they learn to diet and exercise. Then, when they meet society's current standards of health of beauty... we'll just send them back to their family to get fat again.
I bet those children will grow up to be healthy, emotionally stable citizens. With LOTS of self esteem.

It's talking about the kids who are so obese that they're at immediate risk of dying.

The big issue is these people who are on a lower income..or for that matter on welfare. When you can go to McDonalds..and feed your 3 kids off the dollar menut..for about $10..where can you do that in a grocery store..where veggies are quite expensive..

I am actually on food stamps and was on "welfare" for a couple of months but still managed to buy fresh fruits and vegetables that were ON SALE. Fast food is expensive and so is restaurant eating. I don't understand how people on welfare eat that food every day when they can buy healthier food in the store for cheaper! a loaf of bread and some lunch meat or peanut butter and jelly is 4 dollars and some change if you buy store brand, a box of low glycemic pasta and some spaghetti sauce (low sodium ragu) is 4 dollars and some change, add a pound of ground round it comes to 7.29. frozen veggies are a buck, make some hamburger patties with the hamburger, a thing of hamburger buns is a buck, 50 cents if you find them on quick sale. I find great deals all the time and I have 80 dollars a week to work with. we get 82 a month in food stamps, the rest comes out of our bank account. Finding cheap healthy meal choices are not hard. I have been doing it for over a year.

Its really about perception. I see this all the time at work (a certain fast food chain without a value menu). The sandwiches we have that are identical to other chains are priced equally, or even lower than our competitors, but over and over, customers keep saying how expensive we are. Its because they can't see anything for a dollar. Even if you don't buy the dollar items, the fact that they're available gives you the idea that this place is more affordable than eating somewhere else. It feels cheaper to buy $10 worth of food at a time, regardless of what it is, or the frequency at which you spend $10. Even though eating out 5 times might equal your weekly food budget, it feels like you've spent less. It feels like you could make $1 dollar purchases forever doesn't it? Your check is $600 every two weeks or whatever, and you think, well I only spent a few dollars, I can afford one more. The increments are perceived as so small that you don't see them add up, and then you wonder where all the money went and why you can't make ends meet.

No my mom shouldn't have lost custody of me. She had me on diets since I was two. I was still obese. My son is underweight, someone want to come take him?

Another thought on this whole topic- the poor little Anthony girl was murdered and her mom got off scott free. But now it's being debated that obese kids be taken away from their parents. WTH is wrong with this picture????????????????