Obese children…Is this neglect?

New Zealand
April 8, 2008 8:08am CST
We are all horrified at the tnought of beaten children and all agree that any case of child beating should be reported to the appropriate authorities. Considering this how do we feel about dangerously overweight children?. Is this also parental neglect and should this also be reported to authorities?. Obesity can lead to all sorts of medical problems later in life like heart disease and diabetes. Loss of limbs and/or early death is often the result of gross overweight. If we agree that this is parental neglect what can or should be done???
1 person likes this
2 responses
@kezabelle (2974)
8 Apr 08
It is only neglect if the parent sits their feeding their children junk food and refusing to aknowledge that for their childs health and well being they need to stop doing this and help them become healthy. To care properly for your child includes proper emotional support care love healthy food approriate clothing there are many types of abuse neglect is just one of them and several things could be classed as neglect not bathing them as you should or clothing them properly, if a parent is refusing to do this properly for the sake of their child then yes its neglect, I dont agree though they should have their children just take from them but be helped to do the best for their child instead. However there are some people out there who simply do not care enough about their children to give them the best healthy start they can that is even worse and out right neglect and they should be punished for it, neglect through ignorance can in my opinion be stopped with the right kind of help for the parent
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
8 Apr 08
The cause of obesity is taking the wrong kind of foods i.e fastfood, oily food. I do not think obesity in children should be reported to the authorities. It is not neglected but because the parents probably have given their children the wrong kind of food.