Health officials support placing obese children in foster care

[Fairy1]

IMO Too many people have lost the ability to actually parent. They expect the school, video games, computers, daycare, coaches to parent & entertain and teach for them. God forbid they should actually parent their own kids. In my experience, most of the people I know don't even enjoy spending time with their OWN children. Guess what? I really can't stand their ill mannered children either! It's July and I hear all the time how they can not wait for their kids to go back to school as they are driving them crazy! Sad sad sad! I miss my kid when he's not around and I enjoy teaching him and spending time with him. I can't think of a single thing I would rather be doing daily!

I agree with your parenting style. I'm not a short order cook either and my son has been learning how to cook in the kitchen since he was 3 years old and I had him make toast! He's 13 and fully capable of cooking a full course Thanksgiving dinner complete with deserts all from scratch now. He can make darn near anything. He knows how to cook, clean, laundry, mow the lawn etc... It's called LIFE SKILLS and I feel it was my job to teach him.

Most of the parents I know have taught their children how to order at the drive thru at McDonalds, open of box and call it dinner, pop some processed crap in a microwave. Upsets me!

Good for you! I believe parents are afraid to truly "parent" these days. That's a shame and will (and has!) come back to haunt us.

That said, I have one kid who cannot take enough from me and another who cannot give enough. Both were raised in the same home in the same way and under the same circumstances.

Point being, not all kids - or parents - should be painted with the same brush.

"Fat" kids have enough to deal with without being forcibly removed from their homes.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

What medical reasons? and it is my business. The health & welfare of children is everyones business

There are many medical reasons. I don't know all the medical terms but if you google it, I'm sure you will find out that being overweight is not always from eating too much or exercising too little.

Just because a child is overweight does not mean there is abuse.

My child's weight is certainly not anybody's business but mine, my husbands, and her doctor's.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I'll parent MY child. Thanks anyway big government.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

You know, this reminds me of the happy meal crap in California.

California wants to ban happy meals but they want to make pot legal.
:waitasec:

I'm so sick of big government.

People have been raising kids for centuries without being told what they can or can not feed them.

 

[Tuffy]

I'll parent MY child. Thanks anyway big government.

LOL, Kimberly! I agree, and I don't want to parent all the fat kids, too! Let them stay with their families. Oh, and one medical condition that can cause weight gain is hypothyroidism. My daughter suffered from an autoimmune condition that ruined her thyroid. It caused her to not only, not grow, but to gain weight.

She always struggles with her weight. We spend a lot on medical bills, she sees a nutritionist, and we cook healthy food at home. I don't know should my daughter be taken away to be raised by the state?

 

[zadari]

well if they plan to take away obese kids against a parents will i hope they realize they are hurting the child more than helping it and will cause trauma on the parents and the children .and since its their idea they should foot the bill too .the parents shouldnt have to pay for something like that period . this is getting ridiculous . this makes me SO mad.. how dare they think they can just take someones kids away from them because they are heavy .. this crap is getting carried away.. its basically turning into oh sure we will take your tax money and tell you when you can eat watch tv and poop and tell you how to parent a child YOU gave birth to and YOU love mabey they should lower the price on good food and kill phedos so our kids can go outside and actually PLAY without being stolen. mabey the government should be worrying about that

 

[hockeymom]

IMO Too many people have lost the ability to actually parent. They expect the school, video games, computers, daycare, coaches to parent & entertain and teach for them. God forbid they should actually parent their own kids. In my experience, most of the people I know don't even enjoy spending time with their OWN children. Guess what? I really can't stand their ill mannered children either! It's July and I hear all the time how they can not wait for their kids to go back to school as they are driving them crazy! Sad sad sad! I miss my kid when he's not around and I enjoy teaching him and spending time with him. I can't think of a single thing I would rather be doing daily!

I agree with your parenting style. I'm not a short order cook either and my son has been learning how to cook in the kitchen since he was 3 years old and I had him make toast! He's 13 and fully capable of cooking a full course Thanksgiving dinner complete with deserts all from scratch now. He can make darn near anything. He knows how to cook, clean, laundry, mow the lawn etc... It's called LIFE SKILLS and I feel it was my job to teach him.

Most of the parents I know have taught their children how to order at the drive thru at McDonalds, open of box and call it dinner, pop some processed crap in a microwave. Upsets me!

This could be a whole other thread. My husband owns a business that is family oriented and you have no idea how spoiled,ill mannered the kids are. One of my good friends is the perfect example of how people don't want to parent. I'm surprised she is my friend because I tell her all the time. Her sons are now 20 and 16 and are irrespondsable brats,and are still never told no. They continue to cost their parents lots of money. I'm holding my breath waiting for someone to get seriously hurt by one of these 2.

 

[southcitymom]

There are many medical reasons. I don't know all the medical terms but if you google it, I'm sure you will find out that being overweight is not always from eating too much or exercising too little.

Just because a child is overweight does not mean there is abuse.

My child's weight is certainly not anybody's business but mine, my husbands, and her doctor's.

Agreed - it is not always as simple as calories in/calories out - every nutritionist I have ever met will tell you that there are many aspects of weight gain and loss that we just don't understand.

I agree with the poster who talked about the lack of recess/PE in schools...not to mention the fact that most school cafeterias do not serve healthful fare.

And the McDonald's silliness is pure insanity. You could eat 3 meals a day at McD's and lose weight - it's all about what you choose to eat.

Anecdotally, I can tell you that I have seen the terrible eating habits of a number of my kids's skinny friends....their houses are stocked with ice cream, chips, sugary soda, candy which they gobble down all day.....yet they remain skinny and my kids (who eat from a very "clean" pantry and do not live sedentary lives) remain "overweight."

 

[Linda7NJ]

Agreed - it is not always as simple as calories in/calories out - every nutritionist I have ever met will tell you that there are many aspects of weight gain and loss that we just don't understand.

I agree with the poster who talked about the lack of recess/PE in schools...not to mention the fact that most school cafeterias do not serve healthful fare.

And the McDonald's silliness is pure insanity. You could eat 3 meals a day at McD's and lose weight - it's all about what you choose to eat.

Anecdotally, I can tell you that I have seen the terrible eating habits of a number of my kids's skinny friends....their houses are stocked with ice cream, chips, sugary soda, candy which they gobble down all day.....yet they remain skinny and my kids (who eat from a very "clean" pantry and do not live sedentary lives) remain "overweight."

I disagree. It really is as simple as eat less & move more. Only buy healthy foods or grow & raise em yourself. The problem is with American kids, children all over the world are not obese at the rate children are here. IMO Not only have parents lost the ability to parent, they've lost the ability to know what to eat! They're not talking about removing "chubby" kids. They want to help the grossly & severely overweight children whose lives will be cut short and will suffer preventable life threatening diseases without some sort of intervention.

PE in schools and the quality of school lunches ? Both of these things can be addressed by the parent. Children are free to exercise after school and a parent can insure that happens. School lunches? Pack lunch.

The subject wouldn't even be a topic here if parents took responsibility for their own children Unless the child is attending a private school, school is the government. Everyone should stop blaming the government, or expecting the government to fix it and take responsibility for their own offspring.

.

 

[southcitymom]

I disagree. It really is as simple as eat less & move more. Only buy healthy foods or grow & raise em yourself. The problem is with American kids, children all over the world are not obese at the rate children are here. IMO Not only have parents lost the ability to parent, they've lost the ability to know what to eat! They're not talking about removing "chubby" kids. They want to help the grossly & severely overweight children whose lives will be cut short and will suffer preventable life threatening diseases without some sort of intervention.

PE in schools and the quality of school lunches ? Both of these things can be addressed by the parent. Children are free to exercise after school and a parent can insure that happens. School lunches? Pack lunch.

The subject wouldn't even be a topic here if parents took responsibility for their own children Unless the child is attending a private school, school is the government. Everyone should stop blaming the government, or expecting the government to fix it and take responsibility for their own offspring.

.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the calories in/calories out thing, Linda. My experience and observations of the subject don't support your conclusions. That's not to say calories in/calories out isn't an important component of weight management, because it is. But still, it is just a component and there are many other factors (some of which we haven't even discovered) that influence weight management in people of all ages.

I think posters on this thread have brought up the weight management inadequacies (crappy nutrition and not enough exercise) found in government schools to point out the inconsistency of one arm of the state wanting to dismantle a family because of a fat kid while another arm of the state might contribute to a kid becoming fat. It is a fair and natural irony to highlight in a discussion like this.

I am someone who believes that the vast majority of parents in the world today do take proper and appropriate responsibility for their kids mental, physical and spiritual health. Not every parent, of course, but most of them. I think we are doing a terrific job, and I am proud of the generation we are raising.

If a family genuinely needs weight counseling and a child is in real danger because of a health issue related to weight, I can understand the state wanting to get involved. But to make a blanket statement that an overweight child is being abused is ridiculous rhetoric.

I don't mind a child's weight and health being considered as

 

[burbqueen]

I disagree. It really is as simple as eat less & move more. Only buy healthy foods or grow & raise em yourself. The problem is with American kids, children all over the world are not obese at the rate children are here. IMO Not only have parents lost the ability to parent, they've lost the ability to know what to eat! They're not talking about removing "chubby" kids. They want to help the grossly & severely overweight children whose lives will be cut short and will suffer preventable life threatening diseases without some sort of intervention.

PE in schools and the quality of school lunches ? Both of these things can be addressed by the parent. Children are free to exercise after school and a parent can insure that happens. School lunches? Pack lunch.

The subject wouldn't even be a topic here if parents took responsibility for their own children Unless the child is attending a private school, school is the government. Everyone should stop blaming the government, or expecting the government to fix it and take responsibility for their own offspring.

.

Linda, we must be kinfolk!

OMG I think the government is refering to seriously overweight kids and people using medicare and their insurance plans to get bariatric surgery for their teens. Not those 10, 20 or 30lbs over weight, but kids that are basically killing themselves with food. Not those with medical conditions and lets all be honest. Those with dieases that increase weight to the point of morbid obesity is rare.

I believe that the Obesity issue in America is waaay out of control. Yes, bad food is cheap. But IMO that is an excuse. There is cheap healthy food. You dont have to buy the chips, soda, cookies, tv dinners etc. IMO it's an excuse to blame the food industry, government, Santa Claus anyone else but ourselves. I'm not skinny at all and neither is my hubby. However I use to weight 346lbs a few years ago. I got off my butt and I work out now, eat right.
Parents, noticed I say parents, need to cook more. Not moms only, but parents. Eggs, bread, green beans, corn, chicken, turkey etc are cheap foods that are good for you. It's not the prices its the excuses. Don't have time? Get a crockpot!! Toss ingredients and let cook for hours.

People have let TV, video games, internet, texting, rule their lives. I'm guilty too. I've been called a food Nazi cause I dont let my kid eat sweets and fast food. Parents, daycare teachers and granparents have tried to thrawt my plans. What is it about food that makes people go nuts? Ahhh poor baby cant have....fill in the blank. No he cant have soda. Put a chip in his mouth and i say nope. Not my kid. I dont eat chips or eat cookies and neither will my son. He eats what I eat. He is only 15 months, good god people. I dont want my son to be raised on the junk I was raised on. Our health system is being stretched and pulled due to poor eating habits. Hypertension, heart disease, diabetes has went up. I dont think kids should just willy nilly go to foster care if overweight, but it's something that should be looked at if its a serious issue.

 

[tlcya]

This is much ado about nothing. Most medical professionals and nutritional experts do NOT support this wackadoo doc. I do not think this is a real threat. I do not see this actually happening. One frustrated doc made a comment about how severely obese, morbidly obese children, in the most extreme of health situations, should be removed from their parents, citing it is a form of medical neglect to allow your child to continue to be that obese.

That statement was picked up, shortened and turned into a sound bite and here we all are, all het up about it. Most doctors do not even support this doc's comment. He is not being taken seriously by the medical community but he certainly has gotten us (Americans) all talking about what is a very serious issue in this country. Childhood obesity.

Why wouldn't our children be obese? We adult Americans are statistically obese. more and more so each year.

We need to grow more of our own food, or in the alternative buy locally, as posted by others, fresh healthy food is quite expensive. With often two parents working, convenience foods (unhealthy) are eaten four to five nights a week. Lunches are fast foods or (uggh) school lunches. This problem will not be solved by removing children from parents and placing them in an already overburdened, underfunded, underaccountable foster system. But we do need to figure out to stop this disturbing trend. So while I do not envision this doctor's suggestion becoming a reality, I am glad his comment has gotten us all talking about it.

 

[hockeymom]

I think you can eat healthy somewhat without spending a fortune,but you have to work at it. As a matter of fact,since my kids are teens and 20's they have stopped eating chips,etc..on their own and it is saving me alot. I think snacks are expensive. We have never had soda in my house except for parties,so nobody cares. We only drink water and milk. I never did get the soda thing and it amazes me that people buy it. Same with candy. My husband owned a wholesale candy business and it blew me away how much people buy candy.People buy their kids to behave with food, and I think with 2 income families its hard to have a cooked meal at night. Kids are left home after school to sit and eat snacks, and its easier to pick up some precooked food than cook. I also think they should do away with the snack thing in schools. I never had a snack in elementary school. Who started that?
I think its about making good choices,and let snacks,candy,soda be a treat not a rountine. One tip,if you have an Aldis around you,shop there. Its way cheaper and they have fresh produce thats very reasonable.

 

[tlcya]

I agree with you 100% hockeymom, it is all about the choices we make about what to bring into our homes. Unfortunately, obese, busy, or inattentive adults are making those choices. If the adult american population is making bad choices it only stands to reason that the children develop those same bad habits and make those same bad choices.

The reasons for the bad choices being made are numerous. Households where two parents are working fulltime jobs, sometimes differing shifts plays a role.

Parents not making healthy food a priority due to their own poor eating habits, not being educated on how to shop for and prepare healthy foods, or simply because they choose the convenience of packaged, fat laden foods. They all play a role in how this problem has taken hold. Food as a tool (ie bribes) rather than fuel is a problem.

Now how do we educate parents in this country as to the dangers and the importance of ending their longstanding bad food habits? THAT is the question. Once we find the answer, we have a shot at fixing it.

 

[southcitymom]

This is much ado about nothing. Most medical professionals and nutritional experts do NOT support this wackadoo doc. I do not think this is a real threat. I do not see this actually happening. One frustrated doc made a comment about how severely obese, morbidly obese children, in the most extreme of health situations, should be removed from their parents, citing it is a form of medical neglect to allow your child to continue to be that obese.

That statement was picked up, shortened and turned into a sound bite and here we all are, all het up about it. Most doctors do not even support this doc's comment. He is not being taken seriously by the medical community but he certainly has gotten us (Americans) all talking about what is a very serious issue in this country. Childhood obesity.

Why wouldn't our children be obese? We adult Americans are statistically obese. more and more so each year.

We need to grow more of our own food, or in the alternative buy locally, as posted by others, fresh healthy food is quite expensive. With often two parents working, convenience foods (unhealthy) are eaten four to five nights a week. Lunches are fast foods or (uggh) school lunches. This problem will not be solved by removing children from parents and placing them in an already overburdened, underfunded, underaccountable foster system. But we do need to figure out to stop this disturbing trend. So while I do not envision this doctor's suggestion becoming a reality, I am glad his comment has gotten us all talking about it.

I agree that this is news media hype, but - and this is my opinion only - I think this subject has been talked about ad nauseam over the past few years.

 

[tlcya]

you are right, it has been discussed, but seemingly, the light bulb has not gone on above the heads it needs to go on above, the parents who continue to perpetuate this problem, the state and federal mandated school lunch programs are still serving up unhealthy garbage.

My point is, I would hope we would not stop discussing it simply because we haven't found the answers yet. I would hope we would continue making it a topic for national discussion til we don't need to discuss it any longer because we have rectified it.

 

[LunaticFringe]

It all needs to start with the parents.Whenever I see an obese child whether it be in person or on TV one or both of the parents are obese as well.The parents need to change their life style and eating habits.
I'm not talking about "big boned"folks.I mean obese and morbidly obese.

 

[southcitymom]

Oh look - we're declaring War on something else. How exciting....

Yawn.

http://www.ajc.com/health/georgia-declares-war-on-1027615.html