Is obesity child abuse?

[ktheodos]

I wouldn't say abuse, unless someone is being forced to eat..yes, some people have predispositions to eating a lot, but that doesn't mean you'll be obese
because of it.....and eating is a choice as much as it is a habit.

[anguyen21]

It's unfortunate, but it depends on the case.  Some households have 2 working parents and live in neighborhoods where there is a lack of grocery stores.  Without a grocery stores many parents and children have to make due with what is close by like a 7-eleven or a fast food restaurant.  Obese cases just aren't as black and white as one would expect. 

[ninajay]

It depends on many factors like genetics, but in many cases I think it can be considered child abuse. If a parent is constantly feeding their child unhealthy foods, they are putting the child's health at risk. It's not a good thing to depend on fast foods and snacks out of convenience.

[Tiffanywins]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/07/22/cb.obesity.crime.cnn

I think so.

I would not say that it is abuse, though it depends on situation. Now say someone's mom forced him/her to eat junk food all the time so he /she would get really fat, i would probably say yes, its abuse, ontthe other hand if it was YOUR decision to eat a TON of junk food, than no, it aint.

[Sweetpea94]

I'm not sure what to think on this topic.  I think parents should control what their children eat or I guess I should say THey should try to feed them nutritional foods.  Junk food on occassion is fine but in moderation.  My 8 yr old is overweight due to a thyroid problem, so I'm careful not to judge other parents when I see an overweight child, because you really never know the circumstances. 

[raven1114]

i think it depends on why they are overweight and also how much over weight they are. because a child is going through a pudgy stage that will eventually even out once they hit a growth spurt then no that's not abuse. if it's due to a medical reason then no. if however you have a 10 year old that weighs 200 lbs for no reason other than you allowing them to load up on pizza and ho-ho's then yes that's abuse.

[tdsantiago1]

 :bs:A child that is obesed that is child abuse, because you are telling the world that you dont cared for that childs health or life.

[healthfreedom]

I think it's awful when a parent does nothing to curb or correct the obesity of a child.

[squirrelgirl44]

I think it's awful when a parent does nothing to curb or correct the obesity of a child.

I agree with this.

I think it is important to teach their children what is healthy and how to incorporate healthy behavior into their lives.

[matney87]

i think its more child abuse than anything

[bjohnson16]

I think that parents need to take a look at their children and understand that they need to teach children to eat healthy and to exercise but you have to also understand that children gain weight for many reason not all them parents fault.  My son is at a good weight and eats what is gmeood for him.  But it is because we do this in our own home.  Also when a child get to a age were you are not with them all the time youwould can not control what they are eatting.  It would be like saying that parents are responsible for children with eatting disorders.  Or it could be a health condition that is causing the problem.  So before you can say it is bad you need to know the whole story.  Alot about eating is about educationing everyone about good eatting habits and health education.  Having been a little overweight when I was younger, I can't say that I think my parents did anything wrong.  But I do remember my mom always telling me to watch my eatting. Well all it did was make me not care about they side it made it worse. 

[debrabassler]

 I would not say abuse,cause there are a lot of different circumstances that we all need to look at and think about.Genetics has alot do with it,but you can do something to help out so that does not effect your child that way.myself i have always had to watch what i eat and do a lot of exercises and work outs ,so that i didn't end up obesity being a problem.cause you have all body types small boned frames,med bone frames ,big boned frames.
and being poor has  alot to do with it,cause you can't buy what you want,you buy what you can to make sure you have enough food to last a month.
food prices are getting so high.

[diala84]

I could be neglect or lack of education or stress. Obese parents may not know how to raise a child that is healthier especially if there is limited physical activity in the household. I still think it is the parents responsibility but there need to be programs out there to teach about good eating and exercise habit. We are not born with this knowledge and it is easy to have addictive tendencies for the wrong types of food. If the parent knows better it is neglect. If the parent is eating the same way then it is stress, education, socioeconomic status or stress that contributes to this lifestyle.

[britcrawford]

that is a good question. i have never thought of that before.. but i would say yes, in a way it is! either abuse or child neglect