Now we’ve all heard of “fat camp,” but things may be rising to a whole other level in dealing with kids’ out of control eating habits that parents can’t seem to handle. In an opinion piece in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), an obesity specialist and his co-author discuss the ethics and legal considerations of taking severely overweight children away from their parents. The piece is written by Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Children’s Hospital Boston and Lindsey Murtagh, a lawyer and a researcher at Harvard’s School of Public Health.
The researchers are saying the children they’re thinking about aren’t those who are a little overweight. They’re referring to those who are severely obese, who are on the brink of developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes or liver disease.
The specialists state:
“In severe instances of childhood obesity, removal from the home may be justifiable from a legal standpoint because of imminent health risks and the parents’ chronic failure to address medical problems. State intervention may serve the best interests of many children with life-threatening obesity, comprising the only realistic way to control harmful behaviors. Ultimately, government can reduce the need for such interventions through investments in the social infrastructure and policies to improve diet and promote physical activity among children.”
Today’s youth are considered the most inactive generation in history caused in part by reductions in school physical education programs and unavailable or unsafe community recreational facilities. In the U.S., only the state of Illinois requires daily physical education for students in grades K to 12.
Many adverse health effects associated with being overweight are observed in children and adolescents. Being overweight during childhood and particularly adolescence is related to increased morbidity and mortality in later life. In situations where there are serious health, psychological or social problems, parents should seek out the best possible advice.
Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious issue with many health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood. Implementing prevention programs and getting a better understanding of treatment for youngsters is important to controlling the obesity epidemic.
The percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight and obese is now higher than ever before. Poor dietary habits and inactivity are reported to contribute to the increase of obesity in youth.
Wait though; parents have the right to raise their children as they choose right? The authors say again however that there are many instances in which the state will intervene to protect a child. In cases of child abuse or neglect or severe undernourishment, child welfare workers will often step in. Severe over nourishment now may be a reason to make moves as well.
There are about 2 million children in the U.S. who are extremely obese; removing all of them from their homes simply makes no sense. Still, they say taking the kids away from their caregivers may be more ethical than recommending childhood obesity surgery.
Russell Viner and colleagues said obesity had been a factor in several child protection cases in Britain according to a British Medical Journal article. They argued that child protection services should be considered if parents are neglectful or actively reject efforts to control an extremely obese child’s weight.
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Written by Sy Kraft