Should Morbidly Obese Kids Be Taken from Their Parents Essay

Should Morbidly Obese Kids Be Taken from Their Parents - Essay Example This paper provides the summary and response to the article written by gaelle faure, â€Å"Should Parents of Obese Kids Lose Custody?† published on Time.com on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 (faure) Western world is facing the critical question,† Should morbidly obese children be taken from their parents?† at present. Reports from Scotland, California, New Mexico, Texas and New York, as well as Canada have shown that because of a childs obesity the parents lost the custody of their children. Because of child privacy laws, many such incidents have been kept as secrets whereas only few of them have been published. The above issue has first appeared in public debated issues, two years before with a British television documentary about Connor McCreaddie, an 8-year-old who weighed more than 200 lbs. and was at risk of being taken from his mother by authorities. It is an accepted fact that removing children from their parents remains a last resort, but obesity experts are increasingly debating whether doing so can boost a childs chances for a healthier life. Childhood obesity can cause physical problems like Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, high cholesterol orthopedic problems, and mental problems due to hypertension, sleep apnea and early puberty. The major reason for over weight is overeating itself. Even though, parents have a major role in making their children obese, other issues like genetic predisposition and socioeconomic status and environmental factors, like whether children have access to parks and playgrounds are also major reasons for child obesity. As per Tam Fry, chairman of Britains Child Growth Foundation, if the parents refuse to address the child obesity issue, then they should be put in the care of professionals — with the provision that parents may visit, till the steps are taken to alter the familys diet so that the child may eventually return to a