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Should Parents of Dangerously Overweight Kids Lose Custody?
drop-in centre: overweight kids canada
(Jul.18.11)
Since Nadine has left the sweetspot.ca clan (in body but not in spirit!) us non-mom editors are tackling notions of family and parenting from our own unique view. Sam looks at the childhood obesity epidemic and what it should mean for parents.
Last week, we came across an article about severely overweight children. Dr. David Ludwig — a Harvard-based specialist — believes that the parents of dangerously overweight children should temporarily lose custody. He co-wrote an opinion-ed in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggesting that removing severely obese kids from their homes is in their best interest. But is it?
It's a tough pill to swallow. Sometimes children's weight is not completely in their parents' control. Grandparents often contribute to children's eating habits, and snack-trading is a common pastime in lunchrooms. Some kids can have a chocolate bar every day at lunch, while others can gain five pounds just looking at it.
Some kids love sports and will play a different sport each night, keeping their weight (and health) in check. Some kids are more interested in science, reading and technology (which are not very active activities). We can try and encourage (or force) those kids to do something physical for at least a little while each day, but will they ever be able to eat the same as the kid who plays sports every day? Probably not.
It's hard to hold a single factor (or person) responsible for children's weight. Yes, parents are busier now than they were 50 years ago, and they probably rely on processed foods and fast food more now than they did then, but maybe the issue is what's in our foods?
Ludwig compares childhood obesity to children who are extremely underweight, and society's response to that issue. The children who are malnourished and not being properly cared for are often placed in foster care — he suggests the same route should be taken for those who are dangerously overweight.
What do you think? Is being severely overweight and underweight the same thing? Should children who are dangerously obese be placed in protective custody?
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