Is having overweight kids child abuse?

[Mummyme1987]

A friend posted on Fb that parents with fat kids are child abusers. Except for kids with medical problems. It started with comments on how it's awful that there's a generous fit section in clothes shops. I'm shocked that people think this. I think the majority of parents don't just feed their kids crap, and some kids are bigger than others, and unless it is a very extreme case it's not child abuse. Thoughts?

Katenka, what's your point? There's precedent for some kids to be taken into care because obesity. So either the whole thread is pointless because it's saying we should do what we already do, or the OP (or the OPs friend) thinks we should do it more often/earlier. The abuse doesn't start when the kid gets to 20st. Does it start at 18st? 16? First cupcake?

my point is the same as it has been all along. That it is abuse in some cases.

I think each case should be looked at individually. Which it is.

ismell and pearly, yes, those are exactly the kind of societal/cultural things we need to be looking at instead of just shouting 'abuser' at every third parent.

No one is doing that or suggesting doing that.

Why do keep insisting trying to make it look like anyone has said all parents of over weight children are abusers?

Haven't rtft but roll eyes at posters who tell me to "make" DS get more exercise. "Make" as in "force"? Physically?At nearly six foot and built like a tank, you come and make him!
He's heavy to drag.......

No one has said that. Everyone has excepted that sometimes kids can't be cajoled or forced to do it. Especially when they get older.

^^which is why the daily mile is a great idea because if you start in primary school at 5 running a mile a day, then it becomes normal and children will be much less likely to grow up scared of any and all exercise, and so less likely to be overweight or obese.

And they will be fitter, and healthier, and their mental health will be better, self esteem will be higher and all manner of additional benefits.

Katenka
I think each case should be looked at individually. Which it is.

Even if it was a good idea (to routinely consider cases of childhood obesity as potential abuse), how would you go about examining each case individually, when in England alone, there are approximately 1.5 million obese children? How would you achieve that, from a logistical and financial point of view?

It's important to set a good example,

If you are an overweight unfit parent it's not a good message.
My children have grown up watching me exercise. Now they are teens they are very fit and slim. I run 3 times a week with my 18 yo son as well as my deep grained own gym programme.

Helen, I really am sorry for the troubles you have experienced, but the point of being on top of children's weight from an early age is to prevent obesity and the things you have gone through. Sorry to point again to France, but I do so as they are bucking the trend of increasing child obesity, constant monitoring from birth of the weights of toddlers and young children have prevented an explosion of best young children. I cannot remember the last time (never) that my children were weighed at the GP here. Luckily they have a mother who is on top of things and is educated enough to try and encourage habits to prevent obesity in the future.

I don't get the blaming of large corporations. Of course they are in the business of selling products, thus they fill them with synthetic fats and sugars and make them nutrient devoid to have longer shelf lives. However, I don't go around the shops and find their products tempting at all, so I don't buy them. The war on drugs should have taught people long ago that controlling supply is a losing battle - the key is to decrease demand. This will only occur by parents teaching children what real food tastes like and the context in which food should be enjoyed.

obese not best!

Even if it was a good idea (to routinely consider cases of childhood obesity as potential abuse), how would you go about examining each case individually, when in England alone, there are approximately 1.5 million obese children? How would you achieve that, from a logistical and financial point of view?

By following the procedure that schools and SS do now?

Social services don't take all children that are possibly neglected. They do visits and try and helping first. It's not really any different to how they do in other cases.

However, I don't go around the shops and find their products tempting at all, so I don't buy them.

Neither do I but clearly many people are tempted or we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Was looking up obesity rates in my country and found this article who.int/features/2015/finland-health-in-all-policies/en/ some very good policies here like every child gets a yearly check up from the school nurse which includes weighing and measuring, every child eats free school dinners that have to be healthy and balanced (including nursery children, there's no option for packed lunches anywhere) and every school has to teach health, nutrition and fitness.

Dementedma, how old is your Ds?

Just dragged my 13yr old out for a walk, but think he may soon start to refuse!

If I look back to when I was growing up we played out all day and only came indoors to eat or if the weather was really bad. We rode bikes, played skipping games, hopscotch, roundeders, football etc. We walked to school and had one PE lesson a week. We had 3 meals a day, full fat milk, butter, jam and cakes. Treats were the occasional bag of chips and maybe an ice cream. I remember sometimes having a bowl of cereal before bed if I was still hungry. Weight was never an issue for me or any one I remember growing up with.

I was never sporty and didn't enjoy PE too much but being outdoors playing and being active was a natural part of life and being a child. I feel sad that for kids now just getting them to move is seen as a potential problem and not part of normal play or something positive.

He's 14 baby and no longer easy to order about!

At 14 if my mum told me to go for a walk I'd have gone for a bloody walk I might have complained but I daren't say no to her.

Me too grays . Times have changed. I could actually make him go but he would dawdle and main and grump and it just isn't worth the hassle...

Thing is pearly the term plus size in the fashion industry covers quite a wide spectrum. At the top end we have Tess Holliday. Then down to Ashley Graham and Georgina Horne and then actress Patricia Arquette who has a contract with Marina Rinaldi. (plus size Italian fashion brand)

Whereas their catwalk model counterparts Kate Moss Jodie Kidd Cara Delvingue Karlie Kloss are a much narrower spectrum size wise.

Plus size models are a fairly recent phenomenon but larger women arent not going by Rubanesque paintings.

Ppl seem to think that plus size models set a bad example Why? Do we think that people are going to stuff themselves on purpose to emulate them. I doubt it. And you cant say that plus size models would be responsible for this while in the same breath saying that catwalk models arent responsible for eating disorders.
Neither group are responsible but you cant have one rule for one group and a different rule for the other group Its hypocrisy. Basically you cant have it both ways.

I think it IS worth the hassle

Always starts of frimpy, then forgets about being grumpy halfway through.

Exercise reduces grumpiness IMO

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2606259-priced-out-of-council-amenities

j

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helena I think you are missing the point. Exercise for kids shouldn't be about a timetabled slot in the day that costs money. That's why people don't exercise enough, because they don't see it should just be a normal and continuous part of their day. Regulated is for the other end of the scale when you're training, or for v sedentary jobs and high intensity exercise.

An hours low intensity exercise being viewed as a goal is one of the reasons we have a weight problem.

Yes I think it's definitely worth the hassle.

Tipped my almost 17yr old and my 13yr old out earlier to walk the dog, because they'd been stuck indoors all day.

They weren't pleased but eventually accepted it was best for them.

I never said it was a sole goal But being priced out of amenities doesnt help.