Posted on 07/13/2011 12:23:07 AM PDT by E Rocc
CHICAGO - Should parents of extremely obese children lose custody for not controlling their kids' weight? A provocative commentary in one of the nation's most distinguished medical journals argues yes, and its authors are joining a quiet chorus of advocates who say the government should be allowed to intervene in extreme cases.
It has happened a few times in the U.S., and the opinion piece in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association says putting children temporarily in foster care is in some cases more ethical than obesity surgery.
Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital Boston, said the point isn't to blame parents, but rather to act in children's best interest and get them help that for whatever reason their parents can't provide.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsnet5.com ...
I think it is real. It has been around on the Internet for a while - sort of a “stock image of the Internet” thing. The poor kid looks like Bibendum.
Kids need to start walking to schools again. In 1957 kids from 6 on up were walking two or three miles to and from school and a fat kid was at least as rare as a unicorn or a dragon.
They've been talking about that for more than a decade.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2747793/posts
Nine year old snatched and dismembered walking just one block from school/camp.
Nanny State PING!
There is certainly a HUGE gap in tearing a child from his family and completely ignoring a child that may be at risk.
Family classes? Cooking workshops? Community sports events? Family summer camp?
But I’m sure this is all about spending more government money and has nothing to do with actually being helpful or logical.
“There are many genetic conditions which cause obesity, I guess these kids will be taken away too. Kids in a house with a smoker, you better believe they will be taken away next.”
But the kids who end up in the ERs multiple times for abuse will be sent right back to animal “parent(s)”
But if your kids need food stamps and free school lunches to survive, that’s OK.
It's the will of the people that there children are condemned to a lifetime of disease and bad health?
Here is the problem. I believe in the Constitution. Particularly the Second Amendment.
The Second Amendment was never a problem until the left showed up with its poison pill pop culture trash. In the 1800's, kids would take their guns to school, and go hunting afterwards. There was no Columbine. People thought nothing of it.
Fast forward to today. Government is trashing our Constitution, and we hear the relentless calls for gun control, it will make everybody safe. What has transpired over time that guns are now considered dangerous?
Our culture has evolved into a very sick society because of people who have managed to foist their destructive, twisted ideologies upon us all. The result? America caters to the criminally minded, not law abiding citizens. In this particular example, criminals are rewarded for bad behavior, and law abiding citizens are deprived of their rights.The right to protect their families, to defend themselves against those who would victimize them. The irrational takes over. A feelgood delusion that lures people into a very false sense of security. Banning guns is the sorry conclusion. The delusion is obvious; criminals are not going to comply because they are criminals.
Do you fear a law abiding citizen simply because he is armed? I don't know how you feel, but I have no sense of fear or concern whatsoever.
Back to your statement.
It's the will of the people that there children are condemned to a lifetime of disease and bad health?
The will of the people, at least as far as I am concerned, is that government will start with this child, and I guarantee you it will become a blanket over the rest of us. Once government enters an arena, it will continue its encroachment. Undoubtedly you have heard of attempts to ban salt in restaurants. If I'm eating a steak, I like salt, and resent people trying to control the majority because of some obese child. I'm not trying to sound cruel in stating that, but that is exactly what happens. The ironic thing is that those who control government and the media have the gall to point the finger at everybody else. It's simple logic really. Are law abiding citizens those who are committing violent crime? A resounding no. So why do these left wing 'do-gooders' insist stripping away our rights? Preposterous, isn't it?
You know what is a great problem in America today? A radical, vocal group of people who seem unable to mind their own business. Most people simply want to be left alone, and it was a good system until these misguided ideologues showed up.
"We're going to teach your 3rd grade kid that it's okay to be gay, whether you like it or not." "Does Daddy own a gun?"...an endless stream of intrusion.
The point is (and the framers of the Constitution seem to agree) that the people are more trustworthy than politicians. I'm sorry if some kid has poor eating habits, but I don't think social services is the solution.
I'll check back later, if you want to have some civil discourse. Gotta run.
Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital Boston, said the point isn't to blame parents, but rather to act in children's best interest and get them help that for whatever reason their parents can't provide
Think about it for a moment. Some may see a benevolence in this statement. This idea could apply to anything that the State perceives as parental obligation. Which could include teachings that the State interprets as "harmful". Religious beliefs for example. Am I on some flight of fancy? No. Political correctness and the radical beliefs of the left are prime examples of this dangerous attitude.
Ask yourself. Are there things that the left insists are enlightened and good, things that you find offensive?
Yeah, send them to “loving” foster homes where the “parents” can save a lot of money by starving the kids and use their obesity as an excuse.
Nanny State PING!
Digusting events like what you linked to used to happen when WE were young as well, it’s just that there are far more people, and therefore these rare events seem to occur more often. The press also used to hold these types of things less prominent. The strongest word in news reports used to be “assault”, now it’s not uncommon to hear “aggravated rape with violence”.
Think about how many more tornadoes etc you hear about. More folks, more observers, more “events”.
Then there’s the press who find a story like you referred to and use it to whip the public into a frenzy with weeks of 24/7 “coverage” regarding every little mote of potential information, and LOTS of speculation, all in the name of ratings.
Kids walking to school in groups of 3 or more are no less safe today than at any other time, IMHO. Then again, I live in a small city of 300K people...
Still Thinking report: JAMA should shut the eff up about incorrectly defined and measured obesity till they can guarantee to cut the diseased limb off every time. And ONLY the diseased limb.
Good point. Ideas like this, no matter if they came up with an idea that was GOOD on its merits, invert the proper relationship between private citizen and semi-necessary wealth sink / oxygen thief. Once you accept the principle that ANY idea like this could be valid, then we're reduced to arguing each of them as if it were even in argument.
How do you propose they be able to do so safely? I was a walker and bicycle rider too grade school in the 60's myself BTW. Kids back then could also leave home in the morning, play all day outside with friends, and be in for supper, without much risk of harm except usual scratches. How do you propose we return to that nation we once were?
I'm for it. But I know in todays world kids walking to school are easy pickings for a 5 time locked up and released molester or killer.
Thanks for the ping!
Exactly the problem.
I want government off my back, out of my wallet, and back in its cage.
Time to put the government on a diet. Just too much largesse there, and I’d just about a Government Grant was involved in this study.
“I would die to protect my child from these idiots.”
Which is of course their only method of enforcing any law. They must be willing to kill you to make your children lose weight.
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