Here's the first 150 words:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/306/2/206.short

Thoughts?

I have heard a few people discussing this today- with reactions from blaming parents to blaming schools, restaurants, etc.

Not sure how I feel about placing the blame solely on parents, but I do think this is a major issue that is going to add pressure to an already over-stressed system.

I do place most of the "responsibility" on parents, just as I do when kids end up juvenile delinquents.

Responsibility belongs squarely on parents and starts in infancy. Kids are overfed right from the start and food is used as a pacifier. I cannot believe the number of children I see eating in CHURCH! (I am not talking about infants who need a bottle or breast here either). If a child who has been weaned from bottle or breast cannot go one hour without eating, there is a problem, and it's only going to get bigger.

I see a problem of neglect in the extreme cases, e.g. a 500-lb 11 year old. However, I am VERY leery of setting a law based on extremes.

Once the rollercoaster starts, it's hard to stop. Where will the line be drawn? Will it expand to parents who smoke? Drink alcohol? Kids who are only modestly overweight?

Parents need to be encouraged to be parents, not friends. Having the state take over in doling out what's right and wrong takes part of the parenting away.

I take care of the parents. The point is, they don't understand or they have no concept of personal responsibility. They haven't a clue about nutrition, they have numerous "well thought out" reasons why they can't expend more calories than it takes to get from the couch to the fridge. So no wonder their kids are fat. I don't think it is intentional, it is just a very sick life style.

I don't think we are very far from Rome before it crumbled.

I think there is also the issue of electronics versus good old fashioned play outdoors. I see it in my own kids- "mom, can I play on the computer? They showed us this really cool website (!) in school that etc. etc. etc.

We live in an apartment complex full of kids, and you know what the majority are spending their summer doing? Playing video games. Not joking. AND where we live is mostly grad students, so you would think with the advantage of having more education, would push their children to get outside a bit!

And totally agree with being a parent versus a friend. I saw it far too often as a social worker- the kids who were the most out of control had parents who were trying to be 'cool' instead of parent.

But, all of that being said- I cannot support the involvement of CPS. That system is broken, foster care is ridiculous, and with this paper talking of 'temporary' foster care, you are still ultimately planning on putting the child back in the same environment so what good would removal be?

Agree that foster care is not a good plan, but perhaps some sort of monitoring in the home and education for the parents, particularly in the cases of extreme morbid obesity.

I live in a neighborhood where the "average" educational achievement is a Master's degree and the average income is in the 6 figure range. And many of the kids AND parents are overweight.

So the excuse of not knowing any better or not being able to afford healthy food choices is moot.

You know, I always find it interesting in these kinds of debates that folks usually go the "Sha-nae-nae and 'nem " route, forgetting what's going on in their own backyard. And while it is true that MANY women of color ARE overweight, the only difference I see between them and the women that live in my neighborhood is that women of color seem to maintain their self-esteem no matter how overweight they are.

I published a study (well, me and some others...) a couple months ago looking at pediatric obesity in an urban ED. Bottom line, we found that it really wasn't a knowledge gap issue.

Apparently, people know certain things are bad and unhealthy, and don't care.

At least, that's what we took away from it. (behavior gap vs knowledge gap.)

And that, folks, is what I spent hours slaving away on.
I'm totally tempted to cite myself here, but I'll spare you.

I think you hit the nail on the head - parental responsibility. Parents are beginning to forget how to be parents. Maybe it's just me, but I see people having kids and treat them like dolls or pets instead of children, who should be molded into productive members of society with the right balance of love and discipline. It was especially hard in my former career, when I saw it happening so early (I worked with birth-3 ages in their homes). And lifestyle or SES wasn't necessarily a factor.

I saw a lot of moms, and to some extend dads, who just didn't want their kids to cry, or want their kids to "hate them", or just didn't know the right things to do, as you said.

And, of course, everyone has a metabolism/thyroid disorder *insert rolleyes*