So how can care providers determine when negligence or abuse is a cause of childhood obesity? The authors suggest that similar standards to other types of disease-related neglect be applied. That is, "parental failure to provide their children with adequate treatment for a chronic illness (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc) is a well accepted reason for a child protection registration for neglect" and as such, failure to adhere to obesity treatment — missing appointments, refusing to support children with treatment programs or actively undermining those programs — should convey neglect, especially among children who are at high risk for obesity-related conditions...
