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Sorry, I'm NEVER going to agree with this. So you think we should start removing kids from their homes because most obese children have neglectful parents? What about the parents who aren't neglectful? Oh well, remove the kid anyway? How would we police this? Not to mention, I've known way too many heavy people who diet and eat salad all the time and way too many skinny people who eat garbage. So its o.k. for a kid to eat garbage as long as they were blessed with a great metabolism? Or should we remove them too? Not to mention, I certainly don't trust the government to handle this. No way.
Me neither!
I have to tell you my youngest is chubby. Not fat but chubby (5', 120 lb). My middle is thin. Again, not unhealthy, but thin (5'10, 135 lb). My youngest eats a more healthy diet, he eats less, and he plays sports all year (football, wrestling, lacrosse). Yet he remains on the chubby side while his junk food eating, sedentary brother remains thin. Hmmmmmm......Maybe it's not parenting.
I sent my kids to summer camp at the Y a few years ago and almost every day they were given some sort of junk food. When they play on sports teams, parents always bring treats for the kids for after the game, ice-cream, lolipops, and the coaches bring Gatoraide. Then there are the relatives who nag them not to eat too much after bringing them treats that they are not allowed to have, and vending machines at school, and bake sales, ugh! I could keep them in the house more but then they would be couch potatoes! One of my kids is average size and the other is a tiny bit chubby by the way, I am just making the point that it is hard to control everything.
I also wonder how they will make sure that the foster parents can do better? Do they screen foster parents for activity level, eating habits, and if they can afford healthy food? Have they ever done studies about kids weight before and after foster care?
I have my thoughts on how kids should be raised. They should be kept skinny on restrictive diets, skimpy clothes, physical punishment and lots of outdoor physical exercise etc etc etc.
I do not think that the government should get too involved.
We obviously have some government involvement in our lives and every time some kid dies we ask where were the authorities.
The problem is where should the balance be?
Personally I lean away from too much government involvement and so even though I dispair at the fat kids I see, I also do not see that we should be doing any more than encouraging and educating and if some of them die early of a heart attack then so be it.
I think this is a MYOB issue. Kids who are being abused or neglected are those who are in IMMINENT danger. Clearly, fat kids are not in any imminent danger from their parents.
At what point do you say a child should be removed? There has to be a legal definition. What would you propose?
If you believe that, you have a lot to learn about biology, chemistry, and medicine.
But keep that ignorant head in the sand...that will help kids and society.
Frankly, I think the government needs to stay out of everything, including paying for your kid's diabetes medicines once he gets sick from the way he's been fed.
I hate that people want it both ways. They want all the freedom but they want no responsibility. Don't worry...some safety net will save you from all your poor decisions!
This is tough. There are so many kids that need homes as it is. & I'm the pot as my kids' diets aren't good at all. I'm lucky my kids are skinny. They eat alot (well, not like a ton, but not like birds lol) & they are skin & bones. I was too as a kid though. I'm still thin. It doesn't mean myself or my kids are more healthy than people bigger than us.
However, hubby's Mother was obese, so, that running in our family kinda scares me. His sister has yo yo-ed with her weight since she was about 20ish, & gained alot. Hubby isn't the smallest guy himself (I love him no matter his weight =) , & he's dieted & yo yo-ed as well. He loses 50lbs & gains it back slowly, then eats better, & loses.
So, if it's really abuse, perhaps, but, some kids bigger than mine probably eat better than mine do. I was at Disneyland & saw a heavy girl, who was about 5 or 6, in a stroller, so, no exercise by walking in the park, & her Mom was literally stuffing cotton candy in her mouth. I also have a friend who's best friend has twins that are very obese. She stuffs food on them, but starves herself (so, she has food issues anyway) .
My DH has quite possibly the worst eating habits ever. He is a pleasure to cook for, let me tell you. He does not eat vegetables. At all. He hates them and eating anything green is a fate worth than death for him. He won't even eat potatoes, unless they are french fries. He likes red meat and hot dogs. He rarely ever drinks milk or water. He prefers coke and beer. And you know what? He is 5'9" and weighs 140 lbs. The man does not have an ounce of fat on his body. His whole family is very thin. Its genetics. What I'm saying is thin doesn't always = healthy, good eating habits and overweight doesn't always = constant binging on fast food and junk. So those in favor of this, do we remove the skinny kids who have poor eating habits too? Because there are a lot of them out there...
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He does not eat vegetables. At all. He hates them and eating anything green is a fate worth than death for him. He won't even eat potatoes, unless they are french fries. He likes red meat and hot dogs. He rarely ever drinks milk or water. He prefers coke and beer. And you know what? He is 5'9" and weighs 140 lbs. The man does not have an ounce of fat on his body. His whole family is very thin. Its genetics. What I'm saying is thin doesn't always = healthy, good eating habits and overweight doesn't always = constant binging on fast food and junk. So those in favor of this, do we remove the skinny kids who have poor eating habits too? Because there are a lot of them out there...
