Family Law

Should Parents of Obese Children Lose Custody?

By Ben Stevens

Childhood obesity can lead to a host of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and orthopedic problems.  Experts have begun to debate whether removing morbidly obese children from their parents will boost those children's chances for a healthier life.  

Other experts say that parents' share of responsibility in weight gain isn't always easy to judge and that it's unfair to blame solely the parents.  These experts point to other factors that influence a child's weight, such as genetic predisposition, socioeconomic status, environmental factors, and even children sneaking extra food behind their parents' backs.

You can read much more here about the debate over whether the State should remove obese children from their parents.  

Source: "Should Parents of Obese Kids Lose Custody?" by Gaelle Faure, published at Time.com.

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on November 06, 2009 (boomark / email).