Call for obese children to be taken into care

In our brave new world soon parents might have to cope with having overweight children taken away.

LOUISE HALL HEALTH REPORTER

SEVERELY obese children should be notified to child protection authorities, and even taken into care, if their parents are unwilling or unable to help them lose weight, experts have argued.

The continuing failure of parents to ensure treatment for their obese child could be considered medical neglect when the child is suffering, or is at high risk of suffering, associated severe health problems.

Clinicians already have a legal requirement to contact welfare authorities when parents fail to follow medical advice in the treatment of other illnesses, such as parents who reject medication for a HIV-infected child, or who refuse a life-saving blood transfusion for a child on religious grounds.

I think it is a great idea and if the familly has any money it should be inmediately consfiscated and the child asigned a legal guardian if not the state can subsidy and pay for the child's care.