Input/opinion from people who live in Britain would be appreciated.

 

 

 

link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/[garden tool] ... 98972.html

 

 

 

[hide=The story]Fattest children to be taken away from their parents

 

 

 

By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent

 

Saturday, 16 August 2008

 

 

 

Dangerously overweight children will have to be taken from their parents and put into care because of Britain's worsening "obesity epidemic", council leaders have warned.

 

 

 

One million children will be clinically obese within four years on current trends, storing up future problems from heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and diabetes.

 

 

 

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 400 councils in England and Wales, predicted social services teams would have to take drastic action to improve the health of seriously overweight children.

 

 

 

Social workers have only become involved very rarely in such cases, considering the issue is best tackled by parents.

 

 

 

But the LGA warned that social services might have to treat very fat children as victims of "parental neglect" just as malnourished children are.

 

 

 

It predicted that social services would have to intervene "more and more" with obese children. It added that councils would have to take action against parents who put their children's health at risk, with the ultimate sanction of taking the fattest boys and girls into care.

 

 

 

The LGA said Britain was fast becoming the "obesity capital of the world" and the increasing weight of the average citizen was pushing up council tax bills.

 

 

 

The costs come from the need for bigger furniture in classrooms, canteens and gymnasiums to cope with larger pupils. Crematoria furnaces are being widened at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds for heavier corpses. Ambulances are being re-equipped with extra-wide and strengthened stretchers and winches. Fire services are called in to winch obese people out of dangerous buildings. Local authority homes are being adapted for the overweight.

 

 

 

Social services costs are rising due to caring for house-bound people suffering from conditions caused by obesity such as arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.

 

 

 

David Rogers, the LGA spokesman on public health, said: "Councils are increasingly having to consider taking action where parents are putting children's health in real danger. Councils would step in to deal with an undernourished or neglected child, so should a case with a morbidly obese child be different? If parents place children at risk through bad diet and lack of exercise is it right for a council to keep the child's health under review?

 

 

 

"It is vital that councils, primary care trusts and the NHS work with parents to ensure children don't end up dangerously overweight in the first place. There needs to be a national debate about the extent to which it is acceptable for local authorities to take action in cases where the children's welfare is in jeopardy."

 

 

 

The Government faced criticism this month after it announced plans to warn parents if their child had a weight problem, but banned the use of the word "obese". The Department of Health is instructing primary care trusts to inform all parents automatically about their child's height and weight as part of a national measuring programme.

 

 

 

But ministers do not want the word "obese" to be used in the letters after research showed people find it "highly offensive".

 

 

 

A public health expert, David Hunter, of Durham University, this week warned that rising obesity levels posed as a grave a threat to Britain as terrorism and urged "bold action" by ministers.

 

 

 

A weighty issue

 

 

 

21 per cent

 

 

 

Proportion of boys aged six to 10 who will be obese in 2025. In 2004 the figure was just 10 per cent

 

 

 

14 per cent

 

 

 

Proportion of girls in the same age group who will be obese in 2025. In 2004 this figure was also just 10 per cent.[/hide]

I don't know what the title has to do with the article, but it is rather smart to take away obese children to make them happy. I'd support the idea.

I don't know what the title has to do with the article, but it is rather smart to take away obese children to make them happy. I'd support the idea.

 

Soviets took kids away to be athletes, Britain takes them away to become healthy but nothing else.

Yah, I thought this was going to be about the Olympics. I suggest changing the title to something like "British Children Taken Away For Obesity" or something like that.

If the child wants to get healthier, sure. If they want to stay fat and happy with their parents, let them be with an occasional popping in.= to help.

So this is fueled by money expenses? Darn those corrupt Britains...

 

 

 

Anyways if the fat was from eating too much then yes, if it's genetics, or from some medical reason, then no. I just hope that this isn't overlooked.

 

 

 

Then again I really don't think anyone should be taken away from their parents, and SS should know the dramatics that will happen from being taken away. #-o

Man, i'm laughing hard. This made my day. See, I'm one of those stuck up little scrawny gits you are underweight. If anything, the british government need to come to my home and make my eat. Which i do on a regular basis, fast food when needed. Fast Food, and computer = Not Fat.

I don't find what they're being taken away from their parents for particularly relevant - the issue is their parents are forced to give their children up against their will. That's the only comparison between this and China's system of selecting athletics. I'd be interested what individual councils have proposed this too.

 

 

 

I'd be in favour of a national measuring programme, with guided assistance for those who are overweight and underweight (which can frequently be more dangerous than being overweight since the symptoms go largely unnoticed).

 

 

 

Also, instead of telling children what they should eat, and forcing them to eat it at school, teach them how to make healthy food and why it's so important for their health.

 

 

 

Sometimes, I get the feeling that proposals to combat obesity in particular are panicked decisions or headline grabbers - it's like the Labour Party can't realise the reason they're so unpopular with their core vote is because they've gone too right wing and authoritarian. :?

 

 

 

Also, instead of telling children what they should eat, and forcing them to eat it at school, teach them how to make healthy food and why it's so important for their health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It dosen't work, trust me. Canadians are taught from about grade 3 on (at least where I am) about healthy life styles and how eating certain foods in certain combinations is good for you.

 

 

 

No one listens though and we end up with tonnes and tonnes of obese children too.

It dosen't work, trust me. Canadians are taught from about grade 3 on (at least where I am) about healthy life styles and how eating certain foods in certain combinations is good for you.

 

 

 

No one listens though and we end up with tonnes and tonnes of obese children too.

 

I agree. Since grade 2 for me we've had classes that get tied in with anti-bullying (these classes went up until grade 8, then stopped in high school) classes. They do crap. In all honesty my friends still don't really care about what they're eating, and only 12/13 (from rough estimation) are technically fat. But regardless you could ask them about healthy food, or healthy choices and they would fail it miserably, as no one really took the classes seriously, or they just sat and like drew pretty pictures, lol.

 

 

 

But yea nothing ever got down in those classes. Except paper airplanes, and the occasional Teach Vs Student verbal fights. :

good, because as a British guy, i have noticed not only are Brits horribly fat, but also ugly. And stupid.

 

Man, i hate my country.

Is obesity spread evenly throughout all of Britain, or is it far worse in certain areas (like in the US)?

Who're the fatasses now? :D

 

 

 

I'd like to see how fat America will be in 2025.

Who're the fatasses now? :D

 

 

 

I'd like to see how fat America will be in 2025.

 

 

 

America as a country is fatter, so shush you. Hopefully by that time, Obesity will be eradicated.

Tbh, good for Britain.

But ministers do not want the word "obese" to be used in the letters after research showed people find it "highly offensive".

 

 

 

Lol.

If it's good or not depends on whether it works or not.

 

 

 

In my school in Finland, there are maybe 5 out of 700 kids overweight. It's scary. They serve skim milk and skimpy lunches in school, which I don't like and causes me to continue to be underweight.

While there is an obesity problem, this is not the way to solve it.

If it's good or not depends on whether it works or not.

 

 

 

In Finland, there are maybe 5 out of 700 kids overweight. It's scary. They serve skim milk and skimpy lunches in school, which I don't like and causes me to continue to be underweight.

 

 

 

I just checked that out and it says there are 13% obese children in Finland and rising.

Oops I forgot to say that was for my school. And our school doesn't represent or really come very close to the national average.

Oops I forgot to say that was for my school.

 

 

 

No the site mentioned all that your school is doing to reduce fat kids. The numbers were still 13%, though.

Actually, I think that extreme obesity should come under 'Parental neglect'. Of course they should scrap the PC BS about using the word 'Obese'. It's correct in every sense of the word.

 

 

 

They should have given way more information though, not just 'We'll take fat kids from their parents and put them in the care of social services.' That was very poorly released to the media, they should know that they'll drink it in.

 

 

 

That's the thing with Labour, they do tasks which should be quick and easy, and then completely mess up. Every time.

Man, i'm laughing hard. This made my day. See, I'm one of those stuck up little scrawny gits you are underweight. If anything, the british government need to come to my home and make my eat. Which i do on a regular basis, fast food when needed. Fast Food, and computer = Not Fat.

 

Hah, same, I eat fast food basically once every week, lunch at school is not healthy at all, I spend nearly all my free time playing video games, and I don't exercise that much. You'd think I'd be fat from reading that. I'm not. I'm the skinniest kid in my school.

 

Anyway, I think they should just force those kids to go to the doctor's more, for weight checks. To make sure obese people are losing weight, giving more chances to talk with parents, and give options and recommendations to help.

Force kids to run 3 miles everyday in gym class, problem solved =D

Man, i'm laughing hard. This made my day. See, I'm one of those stuck up little scrawny gits you are underweight. If anything, the british government need to come to my home and make my eat. Which i do on a regular basis, fast food when needed. Fast Food, and computer = Not Fat.

 

Hah, same, I eat fast food basically once every week, lunch at school is not healthy at all, I spend nearly all my free time playing video games, and I don't exercise that much. You'd think I'd be fat from reading that. I'm not. I'm the skinniest kid in my school.

 

Anyway, I think they should just force those kids to go to the doctor's more, for weight checks. To make sure obese people are losing weight, giving more chances to talk with parents, and give options and recommendations to help.

 

Cholesterol: the silent killer. I'd rather be a little chubby with healthy cholesterol than skinny with high cholesterol.