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Overfeeding 'is abuse'
14/06/2007 10:14 - (SA)
London - Obesity has figured as a factor
in 20 child protection cases this year and some doctors now
think that overfeeding children could be seen as a form of
abuse, according to a study by the BBC on Thursday.
The BBC said its findings were based on a survey of about 50
consultant paediatricians around Britain.
Earlier this year, the case of an obese eight-year-old boy
hit the headlines after social workers threatened to take him
away from his parents because of concerns about his weight.
Studies show Britain has the worst rate of obesity among
children in Europe and the country's media regulator plans to
ban television advertising for junk food aimed at school-age
children from next year.
New proposals for cracking down on obesity will be discussed
by medical experts at the British Medical Association's (BMA)
annual conference this month.
These will include considering obesity in young children as
"neglect" and taking obese children under 12 into care,
according to the national Obesity Forum, an independent charity
that aims to raise awareness of the problem.
Dr Tabitha Randell, a consultant paediatrician from
Nottingham, told the BBC that it was common to see children
entering puberty before they were 10 because they were obese.
"I think the perception of parents is a very real problem,"
she said.
"If you see every other child in the playground with their
belly hanging over their trousers you think that's normal."
- Reuters
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