In a recent editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) researchers Lindsey Murtagh and David Ludwig proposed that government intervention ought be considered as a way to deal with severely obese children, to the tune of taking them away from their parents.
This is a difficult case as one wants to, rightly, play the think of the children, the children! card. There is some precedent for such actions as the government does, after all, remove children from their homes in cases of abuse and neglect. Correlate the true dangers of obesity with abuse and neglect and the law writes itself.
Yet, we better be careful what we wish for, for we just might get it.
As previously noted some governments are already getting heavily involved with the obesity issue. For example, the Malaysian government had teachers note their students body mass index (BMI) on their report cards—see Welcome to government run health care: Malaysian BMI on report cards
Two issues to keep in mind:
- Morbid obesity is obvious, but do we really want a government panel bequeathing who is and who is not obese? Keep in mind that, for example, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) just about everyone is, at least, overweight—see Are you overweight or obese? You betcha.
Note that in the attached video the arrest of parents in being called for. It also notes that this issue began in England, which bring us to the next point.
- When we begin to correlate obesity with abuse and neglect, what is next? Consider personages such as Richard Dawkins and his amen chorus of adherents who refer to religious parents who raise their children according to their faith as “child abusers,” “brain washers,” etc. (see Atheist Child Rearing).
Richard Dawkins has mused out loud whether there is occasion for “society stepping in” and he ultimately hopes that this interference “might lead children to choose no religion at all.”
Think on these things friends.
Relevant reports include:
David Katz, M.D., Should Obese Children Be Taken From Parents?
KJ Dell Antonia, Should the State Remove Fat Kids from Their Homes?
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