Should parents be blamed for obese kids?

Question

Should governments be doing more to tackle the growing rate of obesity around the world or does the buck stop with parents?

From today all adverts for processed snacks and fast food in France will have to carry a health message encouraging people to stay healthy and take regular exercise.

The move affects advertisements on television, radio and billboards and the Internet for processed, sweetened or salted food and drinks. Advertisers who refuse to run the message face a fine of 1.5 percent of the cost of the ad.

Will these messages have an effect? What can be done to stop the rise in childhood obesity? Are parents doing enough to stop their child becoming overweight? Should your government be taking the issue more seriously?

Answer 1

Along with irresponsible and/or inadequate parents, food manufacturers must also share some blame for childhood obesity. For years they have been producing unhealthy processed foods, stuffed full of additives, trans-fats, and god knows what else.

Listen is it any wonder Britain is full of fat, unhealthy children and adults when the supermarkets are full of cheap processed foodstuffs, factory-farmed meat and over-fertilized fruit&veg? Combine this with the lack of domestic science teaching in schools over the last decade and what do we get? American-sized kids! It's not so much of a problem in France or Italy...

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Here's something to consider...The majority of the world lives at or below the poverty level. Having said that, have you ever noticed how much cheaper high fat, high carb, high sugar foods are in comparison to their healthy counterparts? Also, school lunches aren't as healthy as one might first think. I recently researched that very subject and was shocked to learn that while their are set limits for how much fat/sugar a school lunch should contain, there is no one enforcing that those limits be met. The government actually has contracts w/ providers to buy their sub-standard products that they can't move thru the general population and these get passed on to the school systems because they are "cost-effective". I think the blame has to be shared. Most parents are doing the best they can with what they've got. There was a time in my life when I drew foodstamps and let me tell you, they don't go very far.

Answer 4

Schools in America don't sell junk food in school vending machines any longer. I don't think there is much the government of the US can do when it comes to what we do or do not feed our children. The citizens would not stand for government interference in our personal lives. There have been rare cases where obese children were taken from their parents but the courts made them give the kids back. It's a tough issue, but it is ultimately up to the parents of the child.

Answer 5

To a certain extent, all parents are responsible for their child's obesity. As the parent, you are the one who is wholly responsible for your child's health and well-being, especially in the preschool and elementary years. I have seen a child at four years old, overweight, who came to school with cold french fries and fried shrimp for lunch. That is reprehensible behavior in my opinion. This mother was actively contributing to her child's poor health. In these instances, I think the government should step in. Not to take away the child, but to give the parents mandatory education about health and nutrition, or risk losing them.

There are parents who have obese children through no fault or little fault of their own. Sometimes it's genetic or the child has a slow metabolism, any number of factors. I think the fist step is for doctors to step in when they see these children going down the wrong path. They need to educate parents and let them know the consequences of their actions. If they see that the parent has no interest in his child's health, he should take further action. Ultimately, as a parent, the problem is yours. If you never took your child to the dentist and his teeth fell out, who would be responsible? You. If he drank poison because there was an unlocked cabinet, who would be responsible? You.

Answer 6

Good question I do think the parents have something to do with there kids being obese but sometimes it's just baby fat or etc. I was a little overweight when I was like 12 but now that I got older im 17 now and im not even overweight I grew out of it.
But alot of kids are overweight because of what they eat but it's not no one elses problem but theres and there parents they know it is bad for them and if they really cared they would do something about it.

Answer 7

The most natural and healthy diet for humans is an omnivorous diet, and not a plant based diet, or a meat-based diet per se. The Paleo Diet can be very widely varied and omnivorous for the most part, but the most important thing is that it’s unprocessed, and avoids the worst foods that agriculture brought mankind… refined inflammatory vegetable oils, refined grains (some are worse than others), and sugar! Learn here https://tr.im/py20f

As you can see, the benefits of adopting a Paleo way of eating can be incredible! I’ve been eating 95% Paleo for the last 5-6 years and I’ve never felt better. I have dozens of friends that have adopted a more Paleo way of eating too, and have seen all sorts of health problems disappear, including eliminating acne and other skin problems, digestion problems, improving brain clarity, and of course, losing a lot of body fat!

Answer 8

No, not all parents should be blamed as some kids are overweight due to medical problems. Take Jordan's son Harvey for instance. She is not the type of person to 'overfeed' her son on purpose. It is known he has a medical problem. I just think it is all too easy to blame a parent as until the kids reach a certain age, they get all the meals prepared for them, so some parents should be held responsible if proven there are no underlying medical problems.

Answer 9

Yes. Absolutely. Parents can help to prevent children from becoming obese. All they have to do is give children fruits and veggies rather than candy and sugar and exercise as a family from day one. People crave foods because they have had them before. Also, exercise is learned. If you make it fun for the whole family, they'll want to exercise.

Answer 10

The parents are ultimately responsible. The kids can't go to the store and buy junk food or to McDonald's on their own.