Parents of obese children may be guilty of neglect

Child health experts say ‘parental failure’ over diet and exercise becomes a child protection issue

“Parental failure to provide their children with adequate treatment for a chronic illness (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc) is a well accepted reason for a child protection registration for neglect,” they write.

“We suggest that childhood obesity becomes a child protection concern when parents behave in a way that actively promotes treatment failure in a child who is at serious risk from obesity and when the parents or carers understand what is required, and are helped to engage with the treatment programme.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/16/parents-obese-children-neglect