Heather Fincher EIP Final Draft English 1103 November 1, 2013

The Power of Obesity: Family Separator or Life Saver?

Every day hundreds, even thousands, of problems are faced and debated by Americans. In this way, many of them get resolved, and if not resolved then at least recognized. However, this is not the case for extreme childhood obesity. The topic of whether or not morbidly obese children should be taken away from their parents is one that is new to me; I was first introduced to this topic in my Liberal Studies class and it sparked my interests. It is of major importance to me because it is an exponentially growing problem in the United States that I believe demands the publics attention. According to KidsHealth, one in every three kids is considered obese. The same source also stated that the age range for these obese children usually falls between the ages of five to adulthood, or eighteen. Childhood obesity is the result of many varying factors including lack of exercise, poor diet, genetics, and laziness. Scientists from the University of Southern California are also preparing to begin a new study, analyzing existing data to see if there is a relationship between pollution - near busy roadways in particular - and obesity. The study will span over five years and will hopefully eliminate over-eating as the only cause of this epidemic. If the scientists experiment shows that pollution does in fact relate to childhood obesity, there may be a chance for new types of cures to emerge (Fernandes, Deepa).

Medical experts define morbid obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) at or greater than the 95th percentile. Unfortunately for the United States, this makes up sixteen to eighteen percent of children (Obesity in Children). Based on this definition, a 7-year-old girl of average height weighing 75 pounds, or a 13-year-old boy of average height weighing 160 pounds, would be defined as severely obese (Samakow, Jessica). Throughout the course of this assignment I will be examining how morbid obesity in America has made its way to children, and the actions that should be taken to resolve the problem. For obese children, weight loss surgery is not an option. It is therefore essential that sensible diet and exercise routines are established as early as possible, and that the entire family embraces a new, healthier lifestyle. In this way the threat of early death or a harder lifestyle may be reduced. According to the Center for Disease Control, obese children face greater risk factors associated with cardiovascular heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. They are also at greater risk of bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem (Samakow, Jessica). As stated before, there are many factors associated with childhood obesity. In the medical field, most doctors would say most obesity is caused by excessive daily caloric intake relative to daily caloric expenditure. In other words, an individual who is consuming more calories than they are burning. The problem of obese children is often overlooked by most Americans, however, due to the thin line differentiating obese from fat or just heavy. This line is hard to describe and accurately draw out because so many people even doctors- have different definitions of morbid obesity. Is it when a child reaches 200 pounds? 300 pounds? Or 400? We also have to take into consideration the childs age and genetic make-up. Unfortunately, due to this extremely thin line, the problem goes unnoticed by many Americans.

Because this topic is dealing with children and personal values, it is very controversial. Some people believe that parents should be held responsible for their childs weight, and others do not. Going alongside this, some people believe that drastic actions should be taken against the parents if their child reaches the level of morbid obesity, and others do not. People involved in these debates are parents of children, members of Social Services, doctors, pediatricians, and national news coverage shows. There are many pro and anti-sides to the debate. Radio station KFYO conducted a poll, asking people whether they believed obese children should be removed from home. The poll showed that 51 percent of people believed they should be under extreme circumstances, and 49 percent of people were against it (Should Morbidly Obese Children). Some points mentioned by various supporters are that children cannot speak for themselves; parents are not capable of taking care of their child if they reach that extreme, and it is just another form of neglect that cannot be overlooked. In my Liberal Studies class, we reviewed a case relative to this. A young boy from South Carolina by the name of Alexander Draper was removed from his parents by social services in June and his mother arrested on a charge of criminal neglect after the 14 year old reached a shocking 555 pounds. Authorities in South Carolina say that what went wrong was Gray's care and feeding of her son. Alexander was placed in a foster home and eventually was placed under the care of his aunt and uncle, and under their care has successfully lost 200 pounds. The case attracted national attention, and along with concerned parents and healthcare providers, urged the CDC to announce the rise of childhood obesity. Courts in many states, including courts in California, Iowa, Indiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Texas, now recognize morbid obesity as an issue warranting state intervention into the family unit (Murtagh, Lindsey). This is not to be confused with the misconception that the state is taking away the child just to punish the parents. Many supporters

of the notion that obese children should be removed from their homes say that if a parent is incapable of taking care of their child and letting them reach the point of morbid obesity, they should not be that childs caretaker. Many say that it is just as much a form of neglect as is not feeding them at all. Dr. David Ludwig of Childrens Hospital in Boston stated in an interview with Amy Graff, In severe instances of childhood obesity, removal from the home may be justifiable, from a legal standpoint because of imminent health risks and the parents chronic failure to address medical problems.(Samakow, Jessica). He also went on to state that the standards for state action on child obesity cases are clear: There must be a high probability of serious, imminent harm; a high probability that intervention will help; and it ought to be the last resort after all other alternatives have been tried and exhausted (Samakow, Jessica). From a professionals point of view, he understands the dangerous impacts of extreme obesity and the types of stress and damage it can do to an individuals body; especially a child that is not done growing and maturing yet. Too much weight on a not-yet matured childs body can add extra weight on the knee caps, straining the tendons and cartilage. It also affects the heart, putting too much strain on the vessels and heart muscle, causing a premature heart attack (Elinor). People against the notion say that obesity in children is a problem that needs parental support and it is too drastic of an alternative. Some people believe that parents should always be in a childs life no matter the reason, or that a child should be able to have the willpower to say no to food. Psychological implications of a removing a child from their parents can be drastic. Attorney Lauren K. Johnson with Orange County Criminal Attorneys wrote in her blog, These can include depression, behavior disorders, separation anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Depression alone includes a wide range of damaging effects, including loss of interest in things children would normally enjoy, anger or irritability, sleep deprivation, and changes in

personality. (Johnson, Lauren). For this reason, many people do not agree with the notion that a child being removed from home is an option. One idea is that a bond with a parent is the strongest connection humans have, and a better idea would be mandatory counseling for parents and children if the child's body mass index gets above an established threshold. This step would be mandatory for the parent, and if things did not improve then the loss of the child could be a result. Although it is a good idea, I fell that counseling would only allow the issue of obesity to grow and could potentially do more harm than good for the child. So the question of importance is should morbidly obese children be removed from their parents? I myself believe that if a child reaches a certain level of obesity, actions should be taken whether it be to take the child away or just change how they eat; the dietary and physical activity behaviors of children are influenced by many sectors of society, including families, communities, schools, child care settings, and anyone else the child looks up to or imitates actions from. This could stand as a type of intervention, because a child is going to do what they see the majority of other individuals doing, so if people associated with overweight children are good role models, the child may decide to change their lifestyle. Fruits and vegetables are great staples of a good diet, and can quickly offer healthy results. This is not to say that I think just because a child in heavy he/she should be taken away from the care of their parents. Many factors could be at play for why the child is heavy, like genetics and environment. I think that social services should do many routine checks and must be able to fill out a checklist before the child is to be taken away. I believe parents should have a certain amount of time to get the childs weight down, family genetics should be looked at and considered, and social services should have a determined number of visits before the child is removed. I can also relate to this subject in a certain sense because I, too, was overweight as a child. I was not as obese as the

children I am talking about, but I can sympathize with them and what they are experiencing. I have a basic understanding of the types of children that are affected, how much weight they can amount to, and a layered level of steps that should be taken to fix the problem. Surprisingly, according to the CDC, the children most at risk for morbid obesity are kids that live in highincome residential neighborhoods who have various types of food to choose from. Other children affected are ones who live in food deserts (areas where good quality food is not available for miles), and children that come from single parent households (CDC). Weights have been recorded to reach the mid-500s, although for the purpose of this paper the average is 300 to 375 pounds for all age groups. So far, awareness has been raised on the issue through education in classes, news reports, news articles, and health magazines. Michelle Obama has even recently made a huge attempt to switch to more healthy food options in elementary, middle, and high schools, which has not proved to work as much as anyone had hoped. Every small step counts towards a big solution, but sometimes that is not always enough. Even though it may be a controversial issue that requires in depth research and knowledge, I am convinced that I know enough to say that I believe morbidly obese children should be taken away from their parents. If a child reaches a weight capacity of 300 or more pounds, it can only negatively affect the childs life. Not only does it affect their health, it causes mental issues and physical complications. Morbidly obese children most often than not do not live the average lifespan of other people, and face challenges every day that should not be an issue, such as showering, getting from place to place, holding down a job, and even tying their shoes. I believe that the childs best interests should be kept in mind, and after every other option has been exhausted such as weight loss programs, routine check-ups on the family and child, and heavy dieting- if it is the only option left, it should be utilized. Although it seems like

an extreme choice, Americas childhood obesity scale is only growing larger and larger every year. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and if one things works even if it may not be the most humane thing to do who is to say otherwise and risk a childs life?

Works Cited

"A Look Inside Food Deserts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention., 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. Elinor. "Obesity ." Obesity. NHS Choices, 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. Fernandes, Deepa. "Childhood Obesity: Scientists Explore Pollution and Sleep as Possible Causes." KPCC. 89.3 KPCC, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Johnson, Lauren K. "Orange County Criminal Attorneys Blog." September 2011 Archives:. Lauren K. Johnson, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Murtagh, Lindsey. "LexisNexis Litigation Essentials - Error." LexisNexis Litigation Essentials. Lindsey Murtagh, 10 Oct. 2008. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Samakow, Jessica. "'Severe Obesity' In Children And Teens On The Rise In The U.S." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 Sept. 2013. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. "Should Morbidly Obese Children Be Removed From Their Parents Custody? [POLL]." NewsTalk 790 KFYO. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. "The Mommy Files." The Mommy Files. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.