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UK: Fattest children to be taken away from their parents
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by LotusFlower | August 16, 2008 at 01:16 am
912 views | 14 Recommendations | 17 comments
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The British government has already instigated the weighing and measuring of childfren at infant and junior school and now is sending out the message via local government that obese children could be taken away from parents and put into care by social workers. The view is developing that over-nourishment is a form of neglect in the same way that malnourishment is.
It will be interesting to see what language will be used in these cases given that earlier this month, mindful of sensitivities around government intervention on this matter, the Department of Health banned the use of the word 'obese' in communications with parents deeming that parents find the term 'highly offensive'. If the word is felt offensive how will they get around the 'offense' caused when they come to take away an over indulged but perhaps very loved child? What words will they use to describe the reasons for taking the child away? Is 'very fat' less offensive than 'obese'?
Dangerously overweight children will have to be taken from their parents and put into care because of Britain's worsening "obesity epidemic", council leaders have warned.
One million children will be clinically obese within four years on current trends, storing up future problems from heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and diabetes.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 400 councils in England and Wales, predicted social services teams would have to take drastic action to improve the health of seriously overweight children.
Social workers have only become involved very rarely in such cases, considering the issue is best tackled by parents.
But the LGA warned that social services might have to treat very fat children as victims of "parental neglect" – just as malnourished children are.
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michael_aaron_abbate
Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (17)
at 05:46 on August 16th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
I think a great solution might be to just genetically profile the parents before they ever have any kids - just require it as part of the official marraige process ...
Then, if it looks like the parents are likely to have chubby children, just sterilize them !
This way the state will save a lot of money - money that is sorely needed for buying things like new weapons systems for defence, and conducting research into more effective methods of germ warfare ...
Makes sense to me!
at 05:49 on August 16th, 2008
This is a terrible idea. If you can't even say "obese", then you're not ready to take a kid away from his/her family. Also, this is the apotheosis of the Nanny State: actually taking kids away and trying to raise them.
at 07:59 on August 16th, 2008
they should harvest the fat for fuel.
at 09:14 on August 16th, 2008
How about putting them on exercise bikes that could be used to generate electricity!
at 08:55 on August 16th, 2008
Put them on a stone-age diet and test them for Candida overgrowth. Definitely remove all high fructose corn syrup from their diet.
at 10:57 on August 16th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
This is crazy! What next? Government mandated fitness camps? Round up all the "inferior" children and take them to camps. There they will be "re-educated" about a healty lifestyle. Maybe they could appoinnt a Fat Czar to oversee these camps. During his spare time he could get the trains running on time!
at 18:39 on August 17th, 2008
Good, Fat Kids are a drain on society. Think of all the taxes that we pay for people with type two diabetes etc. If we consider that obesity is a form of child abuse, it is exactly the same as taking a malnutritioned child away from their parents. Maybe if they were taken away and returned to a healthy state they might actually be able to do something decent with their lives rather than just drain the resources of the rest of society.
at 13:19 on August 18th, 2008
Communist!
at 17:41 on August 18th, 2008
Well at least in Russia we don't have fat kids like inthe US swee Yanks- go eat some more hamburgers. Fat capitalists who eat and eat and eat and have some humb ass for a president
at 19:19 on August 18th, 2008
Sorry, didn't realise that you live in some scummy American Backwater.
at 19:30 on August 18th, 2008
How dare you tarnish the ideals of Communism you derty Canada. Too bad you no were to be ceen on the medeel tallie as China duminates the olympics
at 20:41 on August 18th, 2008
Wow! How did you escape the sweat shop you work in to provide me with cheap consumer goods? I guess you had to "pleasure" some Communist Party officials to get out. What is it like to live in a totalitarian state where you will never be free to think for yourself? Never mind...I know that the Chinese Communist Internet Police do not allow you to honestly answer that question. Sorry. I have to go now my beef bourguignon (a luxurious beef stew made with a whole bottle of French Burgundy) is ready to eat. I will wash it down with yet another bottle of fine French Burgundy. I will let you get back to that scrumptious plate of dog meat.
at 05:54 on August 19th, 2008
I would remind everyone that comments are to stay related to the subject at hand, and insults, name-calling, etc. will not be tolerated. Comments like those will be deleted, and any other conversations (where appropriate) should be moved to the forums.
Please see Amy's forum posting on site civility here:
http://www.nowpublic.com/newsroom/forum/maintaining-civility-site
at 21:47 on August 19th, 2008
Fuck off. The internet is a free place. Deal with it fag.
at 15:00 on August 19th, 2008
Pleeze do not take out anger on me "eastvanray", you oviosly very jealos at the superior of the Peoples Republic. mayb if you derty canadans show sum respekt for follow countriepeople you shall acheeve greet things. yet u follow in wake of the even moar derty americans.
at 06:58 on August 22nd, 2008
Jealous? Of what, your government's sensorship? Human rights abuses? Poor air quality? unhealthy food standards? One child policy? Travel restrictions? Monatary restrictions? Absence of Freedom of Speech? Lack of a fair judicial system? No Canadian will ever be jealous of anyone who has to live in China. As a matter of fact many of your people have escaped your country to come to Canada. They came on small rickety boats. We call them "Boat People". If you have the courage to rise up against your oppressive communist government you too may be a Boat Person some day!
at 21:00 on August 21st, 2008
learn to spell dickhead!