Word: childing
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...year-old, 555-lb. son in May. She was arrested after missing a court date to examine whether she should retain custody after doctors had expressed concern about her son's weight to social services. The boy is currently living with his aunt, and his mother is facing criminal child-neglect charges. (See nine kid foods to avoid...
Several other cases in recent years - in California, New Mexico, Texas and New York, as well as Canada - have garnered attention because a child's obesity resulted in loss of custody. "It's happening more than the public is aware of, but because these cases are usually kept quiet [as a result of child-privacy laws], we have no record," says Dr. Matt Capehorn, who sits on the board of the U.K.'s National Obesity Forum. The issue of whether parents should lose custody of their obese children took center stage two years ago with a British television documentary about...
Removing children from their parents remains a last resort, but obesity experts are increasingly debating whether doing so can boost a child's chances for a healthier life. Childhood obesity can lead to a host of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, which until recently was primarily a problem seen in adults. Overweight children can also develop insulin resistance, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and orthopedic problems and go into early puberty. "Children are vulnerable. If they're given food and told to finish what's on the plate, they'll eat it, and without exercise get bigger and bigger...
...parents' share of responsibility in weight gain isn't always easy to judge. "It's unfair to blame solely the parents, when there's a myriad of other factors influencing a child's weight," says Dr. Dana Rofey of the University of Pittsburgh, whose weight-management clinic is regularly called on during custody battles in which one divorced parent blames the other for making a child obese. She says contributing factors include not just genetic predisposition and socioeconomic status but also environmental factors, like whether children have access to parks and playgrounds. Rofey also sees children of all ages sneaking...
...denial of their children's weight problems. When parents refuse to address the issue, Fry wants kids to be put in the care of professionals - with the provision that parents may visit - and that steps are taken to alter the family's diet so the child may eventually return to a healthier home. Last year, Fry introduced a motion to that effect at the U.K.'s National Obesity Forum conference but could convince just one-third of the delegates to support it. "I knew that I was running against the tide, but I'm seeing others slowly but surely coming...