- 23 Sep 2005
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As the title says, Are parents who let their children become obese guilty of child abuse? What do you think?
I've thought long and hard about this, and although i know my conclusion may sound harsh to some, my answer is "yes".
Some news articles for thought;
"Who is responsible for our diets?";
BBC NEWS | UK | Who is responsible for our diets?
"'Even toddlers' could reduce fats";
BBC NEWS | Health | 'Even toddlers' could reduce fats
"Child obesity 'doubles in decade'";
BBC NEWS | Health | Child obesity 'doubles in decade'
The way i see it is that a parent is responsible for the upbringing of their child and the welfare of their child. While numerous obese adults may make a multitude of excuses/reasons/whatever for why they are obese, IMHO if a young child becomes obese then it is the parents fault and responsibility- the parent brings home the money to buy the food to put on the table. If a child becomes obese, it is not really the child's fault (who are they to know better, particularly when at a very young age?) but rather the parent for feeding their child too much.
So the parent is responsible for their child's diet, and if the child becomes obese, then it can only be the parent who is responsible.
But when it comes to abuse, how do we define child abuse?
Child abuse to define is a very complicated matter, but we can look at it simply as neglect over the child's welfare and abuse towards the child physically, emotionally or sexually etc.
Obesity can have numerous negative lasting effects on a child's health and even emotional wellbeing. Obesity in children starts as a neglect over the child's diet, obesity is physically unhealthy/damaging state of weight, obese children are also likely to suffer from emotional problems- the only part of child obesity that does not tick the list of child abuse definitions is sexual abuse.
If a parent neglected the nutritional needs of a child, this would fall under the category of child abuse, and while we often associate malnutrition in children with underweight children- but actually, you are just as vulnerable to suffer from malnutrition if you are obese as you are if you are underweight, since a great deal of people suffering from obesity suffer from malnutrition because they have too many of the wrong foods in their diet and not enough of the nutritionally good/balanced ones etc.
So you could also argue that parents who let their children become obese are neglecting the nutritional needs of their their children.
What do you think about this subject? Are parents who let their children become obese guilty of child abuse (or at the very least, child neglect)? What should we do about child obesity problems in our societies and should we step in and take action particularly when parents allow their children to become morbidly obese etc?
Children who become obese have decreased life expectancies and may suffer from numerous health problems for the rest of their lives even if they tackle their weight problems and lower their weight, so i certainly think more needs to be done about tackling child obesity, since it is certainly true that the more years that go by while being overweight, the more difficult it becomes to shift that weight etc. Parents who let their children become obese are giving their children a disadvantaged start to adulthood rather than an advantaged start to adulthood.
I've thought long and hard about this, and although i know my conclusion may sound harsh to some, my answer is "yes".
Some news articles for thought;
"Who is responsible for our diets?";
BBC NEWS | UK | Who is responsible for our diets?
"'Even toddlers' could reduce fats";
BBC NEWS | Health | 'Even toddlers' could reduce fats
"Child obesity 'doubles in decade'";
BBC NEWS | Health | Child obesity 'doubles in decade'
The way i see it is that a parent is responsible for the upbringing of their child and the welfare of their child. While numerous obese adults may make a multitude of excuses/reasons/whatever for why they are obese, IMHO if a young child becomes obese then it is the parents fault and responsibility- the parent brings home the money to buy the food to put on the table. If a child becomes obese, it is not really the child's fault (who are they to know better, particularly when at a very young age?) but rather the parent for feeding their child too much.
So the parent is responsible for their child's diet, and if the child becomes obese, then it can only be the parent who is responsible.
But when it comes to abuse, how do we define child abuse?
Child abuse to define is a very complicated matter, but we can look at it simply as neglect over the child's welfare and abuse towards the child physically, emotionally or sexually etc.
Obesity can have numerous negative lasting effects on a child's health and even emotional wellbeing. Obesity in children starts as a neglect over the child's diet, obesity is physically unhealthy/damaging state of weight, obese children are also likely to suffer from emotional problems- the only part of child obesity that does not tick the list of child abuse definitions is sexual abuse.
If a parent neglected the nutritional needs of a child, this would fall under the category of child abuse, and while we often associate malnutrition in children with underweight children- but actually, you are just as vulnerable to suffer from malnutrition if you are obese as you are if you are underweight, since a great deal of people suffering from obesity suffer from malnutrition because they have too many of the wrong foods in their diet and not enough of the nutritionally good/balanced ones etc.
So you could also argue that parents who let their children become obese are neglecting the nutritional needs of their their children.
What do you think about this subject? Are parents who let their children become obese guilty of child abuse (or at the very least, child neglect)? What should we do about child obesity problems in our societies and should we step in and take action particularly when parents allow their children to become morbidly obese etc?
Children who become obese have decreased life expectancies and may suffer from numerous health problems for the rest of their lives even if they tackle their weight problems and lower their weight, so i certainly think more needs to be done about tackling child obesity, since it is certainly true that the more years that go by while being overweight, the more difficult it becomes to shift that weight etc. Parents who let their children become obese are giving their children a disadvantaged start to adulthood rather than an advantaged start to adulthood.