Obese kids in the UK are being taken away.

[Gooftroop5]

I do not think it is right for the kids to be taken away. I think instead of spending the money on caring for them in the system should be spent getting the help the parents & children need. Dieticians, trainer, proper food & parent training. Do I agree with the childrens weight & the parents handling of it no I don't.

As for the social workers I don't think of them as bad. A lot of the time their hands are tied & they are doing what they are suppose to do, not what they necessarily agree with. Someone determined this was the case. England isn't the only place this has happened. It has happened in the US too. In New Mexico a 3yo that weighed 120lbs was taken away from her home.

I have to agree with the others though If healthy food was more affordable then the junk food there wouldn't be quite as big obesity problem. When it is cheaper to buy high fat & high salt food cheaper then a healthy meal what do you think is going to win?

Children do get it from other places. We are constantly battling to keep my dd8 from the food. I pack her lunch & she doesn't get money to buy "extras" However she can get them. They have a tray in the cafeteria for food that you don't want can go there & anyone can help themselves. She also gets food when she is seeing the counselor at school. She has already had lunch but the only time the counselor has time is during the counselors lunchtime. She doesn't want to eat in front of dd so she shares her lunch with her. Of course dd thinks this is great so all the effort that we think we are making in changing her eating habits are going out the window. Its even worse if she sees her grandparents. BTW dd is in the 95th percentile for height. She is overweight her doctor says as long as she is happy & she is following her curve then let her be. Same with ds#1. This is what they say to our face. I got a copy of ds#1's last well child visit and it wasn't nicely stated as what they say to us. It makes it sound like we are ignoring everything they tell us & offer us, not that what they say to me. The only time they even mentioned they were concerned was ds#1 all of a sudden jumped then the dr was concerned because of the weight issues that run in the family for generations - not just dh & I. Yet all he said was just watch it. He use to be a kid that was underweight.

To sum it all up they need to look into more why instead of just taking the kids out & causing more emotional problems. The parents didn't think it was an issue because they were overweight plus who knows what the doctors & other people have been telling them. As long as they are happy there is no concern as my dr says. Trust me we believed this for years.

[thrillme]

I think there's always another side.

Are you abusing your child if the child is overweight? Not necessarily. BUT...there are some parents who just can't see the forest for the trees. An 80-100 lb toddler is not just "baby fat". A 2 year old is not going to down 2 large pizzas in a single sitting. There are conditions in which the brain just doesn't register "FULL" and this child may need medical intervention. Is it abuse if a parent doesn't get a child NECESSARY medical care for a potentially life threatening illness? There's a BIG difference from being a bit "husky" as a child and being so painfully overweight that you have to buy extra LARGE adult clothing and have someone shorten them when you're only 7 or 8 years old. Now shy of any diseases...this severely overweight child brings about another question. Quite often children and adults tend to over eat for comfort or because of bordom. Is the child getting enough attention? Somebody HAS to be buying this child the Pizzas. Are they feeding them to quiet them instead of hugging them?

I am personally sick of the government telling me how to raise my child and the school system telling me what I can and cannot do and how to dress them. BUT...apparently there have been enough parents out there that just either don't care or just have no concept of control or have abused freedoms given to such a point that it also punishes us.

When you hear about a child being starved to death, beaten or any number of other atrocities...people scream WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE INTERVENE SOONER? When they DO intervene then they're in an area they have no business in because there's perhaps no REAL danger. Then also there's always those that are a bit overzealous and push their authority.

I think there are two sides to every story but we often only hear the one side that's most likely to raise our blood pressure.

[merlinmagic4]

Yet, it's okay that from the 4th grade up students have, on average, a minimum of 2 hours of homework a night - therefore, making it harder for kids to play sports, do after school activities.....even just get outside and play! It really just makes me crazy - you want to tell me what I can feed my child, but in the push for top test scores, you don't care that physical activity is limited? I have a huge problem with that - if the school districts want to be part of the solution, that's great - I'm all for healthy eating. But then it needs to be across the board - I want to see an emphasis on physical fitness, and the time for it, as well.

Just my

I agree with that 100%! I am not a fan of homework and research shows it has NO effect until high school. Let the kids go out and play - that's what I did!

[Mrs. Bee]

I think using only one method - like actual weight in pounds or BMI - is not a good way to measure the health of a person.

Age
Weight
Height
BMI
Percentage of fat
Percentage of muscle
(And then of course there are other health things to look into like cholesterol and all that stuff.)

Those are some of the things that need to be looked at. You can't just look at weight. You can't just look at BMI. It really needs to be a combination of everything.

[Dakota Rose]

Here, here! These last 4 comments are terrific! I wish I would have thought saying these things!

[alphamommy]

I don't watch "Supernanny" very often, but there was an episode a few weeks ago with a single dad with two boys. The oldest one was around 12, and was obsessed with video games. He was thin, but, because of his poor diet, his cholesterol was somewhere around 270!

One of the things the Super Nanny lady did was get one of the neighbors to teach the dad how to cook!

Like several others have said, weight isn't the only factor...

[Ed]

MODERATOR ALERT

Hey all. If you want to banter back and forth with one another - please use the private message feature the site offers. That's why they are there.

This thread has gotten off topic many times throughout.

Let's move along ........

I recognize that this is a topic that is bound to stir up a lot of emotional response, but let's please keep it reasonable and refrain from attacking other posters' opinions.

[Mrs. Bee]

I don't watch "Supernanny" very often, but there was an episode a few weeks ago with a single dad with two boys. The oldest one was around 12, and was obsessed with video games. He was thin, but, because of his poor diet, his cholesterol was somewhere around 270!

One of the things the Super Nanny lady did was get one of the neighbors to teach the dad how to cook!

Like several others have said, weight isn't the only factor...

I saw that episode (LOVE that show!) It was pretty sad. All those kids wanted to eat was fried food beacuse it's all dad knew how to make. I couldn't believe how high that kids cholesterol was!

[MsMin]

I think using only one method - like actual weight in pounds or BMI - is not a good way to measure the health of a person.

Age
Weight
Height
BMI
Percentage of fat
Percentage of muscle
(And then of course there are other health things to look into like cholesterol and all that stuff.)

Those are some of the things that need to be looked at. You can't just look at weight. You can't just look at BMI. It really needs to be a combination of everything.

BMI can be very tricky but if you are using the right scale which for children is hard to find and changes... then it's a good measure.
The thing that worries me is that we have far worse problems that go on in some homes. It's hard to prove it in many cases and difficult to try in court b/c many CPI (child protection investigators) don't have the skills. Unfortunately here you don't need a degree in SW to be called a Social worker and many ppl who are trained are so burned out with the lack of efficacy in the system. {I'm not criticizing the SW'ers just saying its a difficult job}. But if we start looking at obesity it's easier to measure and validate the problems I'm afraid it will become a focus and pull focus from the more difficult cases. If anyone wants to PM me I'd be glad to tell you the abuse I've seen that is difficult to prosecute. I'm not looking at kids that have been slapped.. I wish that were the problem.
I think the weight issues should be left in the hands of the medical staff. WE have programs here that aid families to keep them intact.. it would be far more helpful than to remove the child. Maybe there are some IQ issues here too. Somewhere the message isn't getting through. Either the SW won't pass on the case, the people can't comprehend the seriousness of the problem or something else. Possibly this family has eaten this way for generations... in some families food is love. True not healthy but not intentional.

[pink]

Wow, I've never heard anything like that before. I thought it was kind of rediculous when I first read it but it makes sense. Children don't understand how unhealthy being overweight really is so I guess it's just in the best interest of the children. I hope everything work out for them.

[Cinderelley]

Let the government pay attention to the matters of the country that are truly pressing.

This is a matter that needs attention before it becomes truly pressing. The healthcare system is already under stress trying to deal with aging baby boomers. What do you think is going to happen when these obese children grow up and have multiple chronic illnesses from their obesity? And that's not just a day dream. We've had patients in their 30s who are already having bypass surgery weighing 300+ lbs, and they're not 6'5" football players either. To top that off, because they are so big, it's very hard to get them up & moving, so they're more likely to develop pneumonia during their hospital stay.

In this particular case, I don't feel I have enough information to make a decision. It sounds like this comes after other attempts were made, but it never says what those other attempts were. But, it's not as frivolous a subject as some make it out to be. For those screaming about too much government intervention, I would like to hear your opinion on whether or not the government should supply healthcare/welfare for them when their chronic health conditions keep them from working.

[MushuMulan]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to say that it was a problem that shouldn't be worried about, rather, what I meant was that the government shouldn't work with something that is clearly out of their hands (in my opinion).

Sure, they can tell people to eat healthy, and exercise regularly, and this might motivate some people. But the truth is, a lot of people will simply ignore the government because they don't want it interfering with their lifestyle.

Simply put, there's all these problems that obesity causes, and while many people want the government to play a role in curing it, I don't think they reliaze how impossible that is (at least in a capitalist society).

You can't just force a person to change their way of life in our country, you can only give them advice, and hope they listen.

If we were to let the government play a more deciding role in our health (ex. forcing us to exercise daily, and regulating what we eat), then we'd be moving towards being a socialist society (although I wouldn't be suprised to see it in the future due to other things the government has done).

It just goes to show that living in a capitalist society has its pros and cons .

[Cinderelley]

I agree with your point that people won't listen, but I don't think I should have my tax dollars spent to pay for their care when their decisions led them to their poor health. Just like I don't think I should have to pay for smoker's treatment for lung cancer or copd. Yes, we live in a free society where everyone can do as they please, but don't expect me to pay for someone else's stupidity.

Before everyone starts talking about the "medical issues" that can cause obesity, I'm not referring to those with thyroid problems, etc. I'm talking about the people who do things that they know are bad for them and continue to do it anyway.

[RAIDER]

Well the story broke out in the UK with mixed reactions just like this thread ....in the UK

What i do know is this the family concerned do all have overweight kids .....However the authorities in question havent passed out the full facts so speculation is rife ....

For my thoughts

If the authorities have been heavily involved with this family and the kids are getting worse over a period of time ..Then my answer is YES they should do something ...

If they havent and gone in gun ho style ..Then NO the family involved should have been counciled whatever direction is needed and the council are wrong

As for the question of obecity certainly in the UK ....

Well there are many factors ...

When i was kid many moons ago you went out to parks and got excercise without supervision ...In this day and age Parents dont encourage this anymore as the world has changed ...
PE in the UK has been cut down by half from my day


Food additives and foods claiming they are healthy when infact they are not .....

Playstation / TV is on the up for kids thus encouraging the coach potatoe state

Also the factor of fast food is all an easy fix these days as real prepared food is rarely done in a household when both adults are working .

Again the factor of cheap foods that not well off households can only afford as such fried foods etc

There has been a turn in the world concerning fatty / junk foods as you only have to look at the change in WDW menus these days i mean who would have thought we would be paying for bottled water 10 years ago rather than a coke . ( which i may add is a good thing ) ...But everything in life is about moderation and thats the key thing in my humble view

The bottom line is that the parents are responsible and there is a fine line in my view councilling and being a nanny state ....

The UK in my view is heading towards the nanny state unfortunately

[Gooftroop5]

When i was kid many moons ago you went out to parks and got excercise without supervision ...In this day and age Parents dont encourage this anymore as the world has changed ...

As kids we would disappear for hours riding our bikes, playing etc. My mom never worried. I lived in the country. My friend would ride her bike from town by herself to come visit when we were teenagers. Our biggest worry was falling off our bikes when we sped down the hill as fast as we could on the dirt road, hit the loose stones & went flying. My many moons was less than 30 years ago.

You are right the world has changed . We no longer have to worry about our kids making trouble. Its what someone else might do to them. Unfortunately this day & age we can't just let our kids go play unsupervised. I live in a very small community & I still can't let my children outside without me being there so we put up a 6 ft privacy fence to keep people out so my children can play & I don't have to be right there all the time. Which gives them some freedom & me piece of mind. i can cook dinner, do chores, even go to the bathroom without dragging them in with me . They have their own personal playground we built for them.

There has been numerous letters home from school where even kids walking with other kids are almost abducted on their way to school. My dd lives close enough to ride her bike to school but rides the bus because I can't let her ride by herself & with 2 more small ones @ home I can't always get there to come home with her. Until we got the fence up it was easier to just let them watch tv or play games on the computer/video because at least I knew where they were & no one was messing with them. Is it right no but at least they aren't being kidnapped, raped, killed.

I am lucky to be home & when the weather is nice they are sent outside to play but with 2 parents having to work most of the time there isn't anyone to encourage them to go turn off the tv/computer/video gamesto go outside plus we go back to the other, at least they are inside safe from people.

Its a sad commentary on life anymore.

[MushuMulan]

I agree with your point that people won't listen, but I don't think I should have my tax dollars spent to pay for their care when their decisions led them to their poor health. Just like I don't think I should have to pay for smoker's treatment for lung cancer or copd. Yes, we live in a free society where everyone can do as they please, but don't expect me to pay for someone else's stupidity.

While it's true that it's not exactly fair, I'm sure most of the people that need this care pay the same taxes, if not then, at another time in their life, so I think that they do deserve the care that they paid for in their previous taxes.

[Cinderelley]

they do deserve the care that they paid for in their previous taxes.

I will agree with that, but, unfortunately, it costs more than people pay.

"Koop's remarks were sparked by a study released earlier this year in Obesity Research, which attributed nearly 6 percent of the nation's healthcare expenditures, or almost $100 billion, to obesity."

"Joanne Wojcik of Business Insurance reports on two studies linking obesity to increased employer costs for health care and workers compensation. One, conducted by the Medstat Group Inc. showed that moderate and severe obesity were linked to annual health care cost increases of 21% and 75%, respectively"

"" ...the study found that obese workers averaged 11.65 workers compensation claims per 100 workers, while non-obese employees filed an average of 5.8 claims per 100 workers. As a result, obese employees had medical costs seven times higher, for an average of $51,019 per 100 employees"

"The Surgeon General reports that more than 9 percent of the nation's health care expenditures are directly related to obesity and physical inactivity. They calculate that to cost out at about $117 billion annually and relate to 300,000 deaths per year.
UnumProvident, a provider of disability income protection insurance, reports a tenfold increase over the past decade in short-term disability claims attributed to obesity, based on research using their disability database."

"Officials at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina knew that 55 percent of the health plan's 3 million members were overweight and getting heavier, pounds that weighed down the plan's bottom line as much as the physicians' scales.

Still, they hadn't isolated the precise dollars involved until 2003, when they scrutinized medical costs and claims data for one-third of the members. What they discovered was a mindblower. Treating obese members cost at least 30 percent more than normal-weight members; the price difference for overweight members was 18 percent. For 2003 alone, those excess dollars reached $83 million."

This is all money that is passed on to you and me one way or another.