In July, Dr. David Ludwig published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association stating that he felt that childhood obesity was child abuse and in severe cases the state should step in and seize custody.
Do you agree with Dr. Ludwig?
Over the course of my lifetime childhood obesity has gone from non-existent to an out-of-control health risk. It costs tax payers billions of dollars every year to pay for medical treatments. BILLIONS. Because of childhood obesity, dozens of other health problems have also increased astronomically as my generation is reaching an age where our poor health a decade ago is beginning to really impact our daily lives. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, depression, joint problems, respiratory problems, thyroid problems...on and on, the list goes.
Did you know that obese people, people who eat themselves to the point that their joints can no longer support them and their heart and lungs cannot tolerate any exertion, can qualify for disability? They eat Whoppers and Big Macs three or four times a day and sit on their couch, then they get on disability and welfare and food stamps. Then those of us who work 40 hours a week pay for their food and their housing and their health care. It is, pardon my french, bull shit.
People are up in arms about drug testing for welfare. What about not letting people who made THEMSELVES disabled get on welfare? That would save us millions of dollars each year. Then maybe social services could afford to help people who actually DESERVE help instead of those who refused to help themselves.
And what about these people who not only do this kind of damage to themselves, but to their children as well? I was in Wal-Mart one day and saw an incredibly obese woman on one of those electric shopping carts. Now, I didn't stop her and ask how she ended up there. She may have a thyroid condition. She may have been in a horrific accident which left her disabled and led her to her being overweight. I try not to judge people. I REALLY do. But riding on the back of her electric shopping cart was a very, very overweight little boy. And in her shopping basket, were honey buns, ding dongs, white bread, candy, microwave meals, etc. Not a single green and leafy item was in there. Not even something that was at one point in time green and leafy. I was so upset that I had to literally bite my tongue and clench my fists and flee that aisle.
Childhood obesity is a complicated issue. I don't believe there should be a blanket rule that overweight children come from unfit parents and therefore those parents should lose custody of their children. And I don't know that the state is going to do any better at keeping children healthy and fit than their parents. I'm sure foster care isn't really big on healthy living and active lifestyles. They're more about getting children permanent placement in a system that is already overcrowded.
But I do feel that something should be done to parents who are complacent or even encourage the kind of lifestyle that leads to childhood obesity. A lot of factors influence a child's weight, from genetics to nutrition to ethnicity. But there are so many ways to fight childhood obesity. Why aren't more parents doing it?
I know what it's like to not have time to cook a big healthy meal every night. Heck, I'm not even with my children for supper five days of the week. But I talk to their caregiver (and yes, that's my mom) regularly about what they're eating at her house. And I say something if I'm concerned that she's offering them unhealthy options. Granted neither my younger brother nor myself are obese and we weren't obese children. So my mom has a good track record already. But even when time is limited, those Green Giant Fresh Steamers from the frozen foods aisle take about 5 minutes to microwave and even my INCREDIBLY picky two-year-old will much on a couple of veggies with her chicken nuggets. And I work really hard to consistently offer at least one healthy meal per day. And overall, I think my kids eat fairly healthy. They get minimal butter and lite syrup with their waffles. Whole grain bread for sandwiches. Goldfish for snacks. Fruits and veggies every day. It's tough to work 40 hours a week and still cook (not to mention clean, laundry, play, exercise, etc. but such is the life of a mom!) but if I can do it, I don't see why any one else can't.
And I hate the excuse that eating healthy is too expensive. My husband and I are just a hairsbreadth above qualifying for Medicaid and WIC, I have large college loans I'm paying off, plus a house and two car payments, not to mention month to month bills, and my kids aren't living off the dollar menu at McDonalds. I cook healthy, wholesome meals for them several days a week. They eat plenty of fruits and veggies, though admittedly they are more often frozen than fresh. We eat white meat instead of beef (turkey-burger and chicken, no ground beef and the REALLY rare hamburger). And despite my near-poverty I haven't eaten out in a month. I could count the times I've eaten at a restaurant (fast food or sit down) this year on my hands. Not many people can do that I figure.
One of the worst things about childhood obesity is that these poor little kids will be affected for the rest of their lives. They will be singled out and picked on. They will be called "fat" and "ugly." They will have health problems. And they will have psychological trauma because of their weight. Maybe society is blame. Maybe the government. Whatever. You can spend the rest of your life griping and pointing fingers, but in the majority of cases childhood obesity is preventable. And it is PARENTS who should be held responsible.
PARENTS who don't lead healthy lives and don't set healthy examples. PARENTS who bring junk food into their homes and make constant grazing acceptable. PARENTS who don't encourage their children to get out of the home. PARENTS who purchase video games and cell phones and computers instead of a basketball net or a soccer ball or a bicycle. It is PARENTS who allow their children to become obese.
And I'm not talking about a pudgy phase where a child has grown out but not up. Or baby fat on an elementary school kid. Or even baby fat on a high school kid. I'm talking about OBESITY. Severely overweight children who will spend the rest of their lives dealing with a slew of medical problems because their PARENTS were too damn sorry to get off the couch and interact with their children.
When I was little, we spent time outside. We ate our veggies. Going out to eat was a special (and rare) treat, not multiple times a week sort of occurrence. We rode our bikes and played basketball in the driveway. (Not to mention weeded flowerbeds, cleaned house, fed and watered horses and chickens and dogs and pigs, mucked stalls, etc.) Even after GameBoys and Nintendos, I remember being forced out of the house to play. So why can't parents do that today?
So do I think it's child abuse? Heck yeah I do! If you have a child who is morbidly obese and a very serious medical condition didn't make him that way, you are an abusive parent. There is absolutely, beyond a shadow of doubt, no excuse for that. As a parent, it would kill me to know that I had caused my child such pain. Mentally, physically and socially.
I am not a perfect parent. Some days I'm a LONG ways from it. In my house we do eat the occasional cheeseburger, there are frozen french fries in my freezer, and my toddler is more likely to eat a chicken nugget than a salad. We have buttery popcorn on movie night and a frozen pepperoni pizza for lunch some Saturdays. We aren't vegans or vegetarians or health nuts. I don't shop organic or keep fresh fruits in the fridge. But I make a conscious effort to keep us healthy and active. And I don't think that is too much to ask of any parent. It's for the kids, after all.
What do you think? Do you actively try to keep your kids healthy? Or do you just live healthy and hope they follow suit?
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