Obese Kids: Is it Criminal?

Sounds like a segment for the nightly news.

But actually it’s more like a reality show. Several states across the nation have set a precedent by ruling that morbidly obese children are victims of criminal neglect. In a recent case in South Carolina, a mother lost custody of her 14-year-old son, whose weight had reached a high of 555 pounds! She was accused of placing him at risk because of the threat his weight posed to his health.

There’s been article after article about the alarming rate at which child obesity is rising in this country. The government wants to throw money at the problem. But unfortunately, there isn’t much available. Many of the more promising federal programs don’t reach their potential or have been dropped because of lack of funds. Meanwhile cities are using money to fund local programs like building sidewalks and bike paths to encourage more kids to walk or bike to school. Or community garden projects to introduce inner-city kids to healthy foods. True, programs like these are having some moderate success, but childhood obesity continues to be a concern.

So… should parents actually be considered “criminally negligent” because their child inherited grandma’s “big” genes… and feeds them? Or because no one wants their child on their sports team, so he comforts his hurt and loneliness with a bag ─ or two or three ─ of potato chips? And can parents be held responsible for the eating habits of their children outside the home? In the coming years, this issue will come under close scrutiny by the media and the courts. More programs to reverse the rapid rise of obesity will be instituted, but many of them will fail. In the end, it’s not really the government’s responsibility to oversee the eating habits of children. Yes, good eating habits should start at home. Not just by presenting well-balance meals, but also by helping your children to understand the part those well-balanced meals ─ and regular exercise ─ play in helping them to stay healthy. But with all the questions being asked, the question that comes to my mind is, “You can lead a horse to water, but are you responsible if he doesn’t drink?”

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