Monday, September 21, 2009

Nanny state snatches kids for being too fat

Nanny state snatches kids for being too fat

Shared via AddThis

After reading this news article, I feel completely conflicted. Prior to getting on the Metformin and starting Weight Watchers, I would have been completely angry and saddened by a government that would take away the kids from their parents. Now, I'm conflicted. As a fat person who has a medical problem that took 37 years to diagnose, I know the pain of having a medical condition that causes weight gain that can't be controlled. On the other hand, I found out what the problem is, got serious and started working on the problem. Losing weight isn't easy, but it is possible. So, I'm conflicted. I can't imagine being deemed an unfit parent because of my weight or because my child was obese. As a fat child of fat parents, I can't imagine how the children must feel either. I'm trying to change my family tree by losing weight. My desire is to teach my child healthy habits that will follow her through her life.

What are your thoughts? How does this story make you feel about your weight loss journey?

2 comments:

  1. I think people (like the partner at my doctor's office) assume that if you are fat you are stupid. They assume you can't parent properly. I think any time we presume to tell parents how to raise their children (outside of cases of abuse or neglect) we are on a slippery slope. Obese parents do not necessarily make obese children. How long will it be before they decide that because obesity has a genetic component that obese people shouldn't have children? I can see the point of wanting to help children with obesity, certainly, but the rest of it is scary.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think that it's terrible. Of course it's tragic, but the thought that the government would take a child because of obesity just breaks my heart.

    There are definitely medical components to obesity, and they need to be realized and acknowledged.

    Separating children from parents should only be done as the last resort, and to me, obesity isn't cause. Of course as I type this I see where others would disagree.

    ReplyDelete