Free Republic

CHICAGO -- Is it OK for doctors and parents to tell children and teens they're fat? That seems to be at the heart of a debate over whether to replace the fuzzy language favored by the government with the painful truth -- telling kids if they're obese or overweight. Labeling a child obese might "run the risk of making them angry, making the family angry," but it addresses a serious issue head-on, said Dr. Reginald Washington, a Denver pediatrician and co-chair of an American Academy of Pediatrics obesity task force. "If that same person came into your office and had...

The keynote speaker at Queensland's first obesity summit says the notion of "puppy fat" in children is a myth. Dozens of health and associated professionals have gathered at Brisbane's Parliament House for the two-day forum. Professor Louise Baur say research shows at least one in five children entering school is already overweight or obese. She says puppy fat leads to a minefield of social and medical problems later in life. "The child will not necessarily grow out of it, in fact they're highly likely not to," she said. "Overweight and obesity in children and young people is associated with very...