Essay on Obese Children Taken to Foster Care

2021-05-21
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The medical dictionary defines obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually more over an individuals ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with the increased risk of illness, disability and lastly the death of the person. The Center for Disease Control defines overweight as ones body weight being excess for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water or a combination of those factors. Obesity in children is one of the most global and serious public health challenges of this century. (World Health Organization.2012) The percentage most affected with the obesity issues amounts to ten to twenty-five of the child population in most developed countries. (John.Reilly,2005)

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The increase in childhood and adolescent obesity has led to comorbid diseases, some formerly seen only in adults, including diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis and depression. Children suffering from obesity are seen to suffer emotionally as they tend to suffer from emotional distress, experience a low self-esteem and low self-confidence this is as a result of teasing and bullying, discrimination and social marginalization(Melissa Mitang,2011,).

Obesity in children in the United States and the United Kingdom is seen as a neglect on the part of the parent or guardian to the child.The New York state defines a neglected child as one who is younger than eighteen years of age and whose mental,emotional and physical status is impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired due to failure of the guardian or parent to carry out minimum decree of care. (Child welfare information Gateway,2011) Child neglect statutes permit the removal of a child from the custody of the parents in the circumstances that the care given is insufficient for the welfare of the child. Additionally, states base their conclusion on the fact that there is imminent danger that is to befall the child subject of obesity if not removed from their parents for failure to provide minimum care and when in-home interventions are ineffective. (Mitgang, Melissa ,2011)

Legality of the question whether obese children should be taken away from their parents is one that has been attempted to be answered in the judicial system. Courts have made decisions regarding the removal of an obese child from their parents in the extent of drawing the line between the right of parents to raise their child and the right of the state to intercede inn order to protect the best interest of the child. Most of the courts have rationalized the state coming between as being permissible only when the condition of the child is life threatening, and whether it is life prolonging. State intervention should also arise in cases when the psychological and physical impairment could lead to immediate harm. Removal of the child from the mother is seen to be valid as it is provided for in the statutes.

In relation to ethics, what is legal is not always ethical. Certain physicians encourage removal where there is that there is imminent harm that will occur, where there is reasonable likelihood that state intervention will be effective treatment and where there is absence of alternative options for addressing the problem. In the case of obesity there are unexplored therapies such as orlistat which is associated with improved comorbidities in obese children and also bariatric surgery which also improves comorbidities in the obese children. It is imperative to speak to the parents so as to improve lifestyle or advice the surgical interventions. Failure for them to seek such intervention will then render the intercession of the state in such families. (Staudt, David)

In conclusion, child obesity is a serious disease that is seen to translate in certain diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and even depression. The state is seen to intervene in such circumstances as obesity is described as neglect by the parents and guardians of children posing imminent danger to the children. State intervention to my mind should be as a matter of last resort where all options are exhausted.

References

Childhood Overweight and Obesity on the Rise, World Health Org,

http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/

John.Reilly,2005, Describing Epidemiology and Health Consequences of Child Obesity,19,2005

Mitgang, Melissa2011, Childhood Obesity and State Intervention: An Examination of the Health

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