Should Obese Children Be Removed from the Home?

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in America, and more troubling is the fast growth rate of obesity among young children. Just a few decades ago, it was rare for a young child to overweight, much less obese, now it is all too common. There have been stories in the news and TV about children who are dangerously overweight, for example, an 8 year old boy from Ohio who is over 200 pounds, and a 3 year old little girl who was 90 pounds. What these two children have in common is that the courts actually had them removed from their homes.

The courts in these cases believed that the children were not in a healthy environment, and are at risk for health greater health complications if they stayed in the same situation. The parents of these children were given a chance to help their child lose weight, and when it didn't happen, the children were taken from the home.

Is this a good idea?

While this idea is probably based on good intentions, I do not believe it is in the child's best interest. These children may have troubled relationships with food, emotional issues, health conditions that may contribute to obesity, or come from families who also have bad habits. They are most likely addicted to food, and need to change their whole lifestyle and way of thinking. Taking them out of the home may help them to lose weight, but it will also damage the child emotionally, and hurt the family. These children are not victims of abuse, they have loving parents. Their parents just might not know how to help thier child on their own.

This issue can be solved like most other things, with a compromise. Leaving everything exactly the same will hurt their health, taking them away from home will hurt their psyche. The best thing I can think of is to leave them at home with their parents, but bring professionals in to help change their lifestyle. The child should have a trainer, to exercise with everyday, someone to help them learn to eat healthy, and help prepare healthy meals and snacks. There should also be a counselor to adress any emotional issues, and wheather these issues relate to food. The parents should also get help and support so they will better be able to help their child, and possibly, their whole family. This, I think, would get the most positive results for the child's physical and mental health.

This method will help empower the child and family, they will have a much better chance even after the the child loses enough weight to no longer require extra help. The family will have the tools, as well as the child. If a child was taken away, they would go home to the same environment, and in addition to their emotional issues from the separation, they would be going back to a family who still might not know how to support their weight loss. Empowering families is much more effective than punishing them.



source
http://news.yahoo.com/obese-third-grader-taken-mom-placed-foster-care-201731761.html