Super-Obese Kids

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/should-parents-lose-custody-of-super-obese-kids-2510149/

My last post focused on a restaurant wanting to restrict young families from dining in their establishment.  This post once again focuses on children.  This is a heart breaking predicament. When a child is severely obese, who is to blame?  Studies show that children typically adapt eating habits from their parents, so in general terms, obese parents produce obese children.  Does this give the government the right to take children away from a parent when the parent is only reproducing what was learned from his/her parents?  At the end of the day, each individual must take responsibility for their own actions.  But at what age does that occur?  The article sites children aged 12, 14, and 16.  Granted, how does the child know normal food portions if he has never been taught, but there comes a time that the child must decide for themselves what is acceptable.  I have a child that has food allergies.  Since they are not severe food allergies, the schools did not want to go through the necessary paperwork to have alternate foods provided for him.  Since learning of the allergies in 4th grade, he has had to self-regulate his diet while at school.  Instead of getting milk, he asks for a glass of water.  I’m not there to make sure he doesn't drink milk, nor will the school take any ownership to provide soy or rice milk for him as an alternative.  He has had to make wise choices about what foods he intakes.     Soooo, back to the question… who is to blame?  It’s a complicated question with no easy answers, but I do think it would help if the government would subsidize healthy foods instead of subsidizing foods that are known to cause weight gain.  This would make healthy foods more obtainable for the poor and middle class.  Additionally, instead of issuing welfare checks, change the system to vouchers that allow “approved” foods similar to WIC programs (Women, infants, and children) to promote healthy food choices.   http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/