Should parents who feed their children junk food be charged with child abuse?
I say YES! Parents have no right to ruin their child's health. Ban parents from feeding under their children junk food and watch childhood obesity go down. In the UK parents who feed under 16's junk food are arrested and the children are taken away from them and put into foster care. Wonderful idea if you ask me. But the UK has done it.
Parenting - 33 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
That's the most retarded thing I've heard in my life. I think kids should be able to eat junk food, it tastes good
2 :
That's idiotic. You want to take kids away from their parents if they let them have a Twinkie? Junk food, like anything else, is fine in moderation. If a kid is malnourished and never getting the proper things to eat, that's another story, but you can't control every aspect of a person's life down to what they eat. Plus, what are you going to do with all the kids you take away from their parents? It's not like there's an abundance of well run foster homes that have room for more kids.
3 :
Well, it's a interesting idea but not very realistic. You would have too many children in foster care. America is King when it comes to Fast Food. You would see them all go out of business and we would lose even more jobs. I think we need to educate parents first before they have children!
4 :
Should u be punished everytime u eat pizza? Though it is great to eat healthy, sometimes it doesnt hurt to give a little junk food here and there. I would rather a kid be getting junk food than no food at all.
5 :
There wouldn't be enough foster families to care for those kids, and who's to say they wouldn't do the same thing? Yes, it's a bad idea to regularly feed a child junk food...but to make it a crime, would leave the system full of kids taken away from their parents and the government paying to raise a HUGE number of children (more than it already does). Your heart may be in the right place, but your method is faulty.
6 :
And that's why you're a proud liberal hippie. Ok, Einstein. 40% of kids in the US (I imagine the UK isn't far behind) are "fat." Even more than that have at least 1 fat parent. Are all the wonderfully moral and responsible thin people left going to take in all those kids? And are the kids going to loose 5 lbs and be "healthier" if they're depressed that they've been ripped away from their families? Surely we won't set them up to eat out of misery and thus gain more weight.
7 :
I say let's keep the junk food and get rid of hippie liberals
8 :
I should get the death penalty for giving my kids chocolate cake for breakfast this morning, then, huh? Oh, wait...as a 101% hippie liberal, you wouldn't believe in the death penalty, though. But, maybe you would like to make an exception in my case?
9 :
Don't be so silly...you are living in a fantasy world if you think that's even nearly realistic. And how would this be monitored? Would we have "Junk Food" police? There are more important crimes in the world other than feeding your kid some pizza or a McDs. And where would all these kids go? A very niave idea and one that I think wouldn't come from a parent
10 :
What? Are you serious? In order to do that you'd have to get the parents to stop eating junk food as well. However, I think the whole concept you mentioned is absolutely ridiculous. There are plenty of kids out there who do eat junk food that aren't obese. Sorry, i'm not going to allow them to take my child away from me because I wanted to feed her a piece of cake.
11 :
absolutely! foster care is a much better situation that eating junk food.
12 :
Yes, and should be flogged in the center of town.
13 :
I feed my kid junk food because in the long run, it is the best thing for him... I hope one day that, he will be in the Guinness book of records as the fattest person alive . My girlfriend and I aren't very bright, and she drank and smoked an awful lot of crack during the pregnancy, so it will probably be the best chance he will have of accomplishing something truly great!
14 :
Where do you get these so called facts? I give my son a slice of pizza every now and again, and i've never been arrested. Everything in moderation.
15 :
You are not using your brain here! Kids are not taken away from their parents because they have been allowed junk food, this happens when a child's health is at risk due to problems (such as obesity) related to eating junk food and the parents do not change their diet to combat these issues. The child will only be removed if staying at home and the parents neglecting their health issues is putting them at risk. I make sure that my own kids eat the advised 5 portions of fruit and veg MOST days but i admit this isn't the case EVERY day, I occasionally take them to McDonald's if we are in town and yes, sometimes i order a large PIZZA and FRIES from the local chip shop. They are not over weight and they are all active and healthy, they all do sports from football to badminton and gymnastics, and yes i do allow them to have chocolate and juice (although not excessively). If its a really busy day and we have had to be out at tea time and they are hungry then i will buy something quick for them to eat.....wouldn't want to be accused of starving them! So if i don't have time to cook, do i buy them a take away and have them taken away because i fed them junk food, or do i not feed them at all and have them taken away because im starving them? Im guessing that you don't have kids, and if im wrong and you do have kids, im guessing that you do more preaching than you do practising! There are far more serious issues that you could be addressing ie physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect etc- is the junk food issue just something that's easy to shout about without really having to research or do anything about? Get a grip! ****does liberal mean liberal with your views without applying knowledge, realism or logic EDIT* the uk hasnt taken those kids because they ate junk food. they were taken because their weight was effecting their health and the parents hadnt continued with their diet plans, and also because the parents own obesity was meking it impossible for them to look after the children properly-especially the newborn baby!
16 :
Oh don't be such a idiot! Words fail me, actually. I pity your poor kids - you probably make them eat rabbit food all the time and never have any fun. Lighten up or your kids are going to hate you.
17 :
Whatever happended to "everything in moderation"??? We should be arrested for feeding our child a piece of candy but not for spanking them if they act out? how can anyone be so ridiculous as to compare abuse with candy... and if they child overeats, then perhaps some counseling is in order, not foster care. good lord. . . . .
18 :
I know what family you are on about and I think it is a really daft and a silly idea.. There are children being bet black and blue, babies in hospital with cracked ribs and shaken syndrome and kids are at threat because they are eating junk food and over weight.. This world really is turning into a joke... Im thinking you are one of these people that live up in trees because you don't want them cut down.. Well your heart will be broken when your kids have to watch other children enjoy a treat while they drool.. even worse when they start eating them behind your back on the sly... But you asked for it!!
19 :
It's okay to have treats sometimes. Besides, what is considered "junk food" is at the discretion of each person. If you have such an issue, you are more than welcome to obtain a passport and move to the UK.
20 :
Are you freaking serious!!!! There are a lot of snacks that are just fine when eatin in moderation. Guess what I fed my son McDonalds last night, ohhh no call CPS on me. It's not like he eats it all the time. We went there to help raise money for his school. But I don't even have to defend myself for giving him that, he likes it so why can't he have it. My son is no where near over weight and in fact he is under weight. Packed his lunch this morning and gave him chips, man I'm doubly bad. I agree with the person who said this is the most retarded thing, because come on lady do you really think your kids aren't going to eat that stuff behind your back. If that was the case, every single child would be taken from their parents. This truly the most stupidest question I have ever answered.
21 :
its not child abuse in any way its about finding the balance. obesity is caused from to much junk food not enough excercise why should a child be denied a treat, its only a problem if the child is eating junk all the time and by that i mean pretty much all day every day without any exercise but if its balanced with fruit veg, good hearty meals and not sat around doing anything then where is the problem
22 :
Sure, why stop there? Why not round up every parent who doesn't agree with your own crunchy parenting philosophy and fill the prisons with them? That's a much better way to spend taxpayer's dollars than filling it with, oh, I don't know, rapists and murderers and child molesters. I agree that the parents who give their toddlers coke in their sippy cups and who give them twinkies for breakfast are bad parents, but there's nothing wrong with having a couple of Oreos after lunch or snacking on some Doritos on a long trip. Go back to Woodstock.
23 :
I think it is all in moderation. If the child is obese, or if that is all the child is being fed, then yes take the child away give the parents a parenting class and tell them to shape up. I have no problem giving my son snacks and he very rarely gets cookies etc He actually prefers a banana as a snack until dinner is ready. I also do not give in and trade dinner for snacks. If he wants "dessert" (fruit snacks, graham cookies or a chocolate Nutripal) he needs to eat his dinner.
24 :
I think you should be arrested, and then beaten senseless. I don't know what kind of world you are living in, jeeze, I don't even know what to say to you ? If you have children, I feel so bad for them ..
25 :
Healthy eating is NOT about removing a person's choices...whether that person is a child or an adult. Take a child, remove all "junk" food from their diet... fine, that's all well and good until they hit an age where you can't control it anymore... they start earning their own money, or spending time with friends etc etc etc, they are exposed to junk food. They aren't going to know anything about self control. What is more important that not letting your child have any junk food is teaching them about eating in moderation by telling them things like "no, you've already had one biscuit today, biscuits are a sometimes food. If you're hungry you can have a piece of fruit" Now, if you've got an already obese child and the parent continues to feed them junk food, I think that is grounds to step in with some education. Child "abuse" and "neglect" are not black and white things that mean and all or nothing solution (i.e. either take the kids or leave them), many kids are still better off with their parents even in the face of what is legally considered abuse/neglect.... the parents just need a bit of assistance to make some changes. Let me give you an example so I don't sound like some cold bitch who thinks abuse/neglect is ok. A family member of mine was one of 11 children. Some were born after her, so going off memory when she was about 3 their were about 6 kids. Both her mum and dad lived with the family, however they were "homeless". She did not consider herself homeless. They lived in a tent, they always ate... although not always the best foods and sometimes not as much as they would like. They lived off the land a lot and moved around from place to place. She and her siblings were happy. They were treated well. They were not in school and they were expected to help out picking fruit etc. I'm not sure what age... I think when she was about 8, she was taken from her parents care and never returned. From that point, she was moved from foster place to foster place (sometimes families, sometimes group homes). She had one good foster family, but the father died and she had to be moved on... the rest of her experiences were horrible. She missed her parents and siblings terribly. To this day, she feels cheated out of her child hood life with her family. Her childhood, up until she was removed was a fairly happy one (obviously the usual trouble kids have... wanting this and that, having arguments etcetc), but her memories from then on were not. Perhaps, the system was not developed enough at this point to recognise a family that was functioning but just in a different way to our social conformity. Some education and financial assistance may have yielded a much better outcome in this situation.
26 :
Wow you really stirred thisSHIT up didn't you?
27 :
No! becuase i think that you can feed you child food... as long as it is food!
28 :
I still have my daughter and she has McDonalds as a treat once in a while, she gets all sorts of junk food once in a while and I haven't been arrested and she's not in foster care. You really are an idiot, go crawl back under your rock or better yet visit the UK and the rest of Europe then tell us what we do and don't have.
29 :
lol, gosh- im 14 and i just had a can of coca cola and a mars bar! MUM- HIDE, THE COPS ARE AT THE DOOR!!! LMAO! they're coming to take me away haha lol
30 :
what a horrible idea! and since when should the government be allowed to control how a parent raises their child?
31 :
Heck no everything in moderation. I mean you shouldn't feed your kids junk every day 3 or 4 times a day. But my oldest is 10, very lean and healthy and she loves a small bowl of ice cream before bed. My baby is 19 months old and eats a ice pop after dinner as a treat. And what about birthdays, growing up the cake was the best part. My kids are very active, so the little extra doesnt' affect them. Want to help child hood obestiy bring back olonger recesses out side and gym class.
32 :
The children you are thinking of were an extreme case and there was more going on than just the food they ate. I don't like junk food and I don't like seeing fat kids. BUT if a child is being loved and cared for and is living with parents or a parent that he or she loves and needs then no I think it would be unthinkably cruel to put them into care just because the parents don't know how to buy and cook well. Parenting courses, a medically enforced change in diet (this happens in the UK) and better nutritional education of the parents and the child is much more beneficial. I am working with an obese 4 year old (here in the UK) who is having his diet changed and his parents are fully on board and willing to learn. If he was taken from his family he would fall apart and the damage would affect more than just his health.
33 :
odd my kids are still with me and i sometimes let them have junk food. Yes there was 1 family were the kids were taken into care including a newborn baby This family got the nickname "The Fat Family" 6 or 7 kids were removed from the parents 3 of them (i think) were over weight, they were not removed because of their weight. There was other issues but of course the newspapers only picked up on the fact some of the kids were over weight. The baby is now home with the parents.
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