Comments on: “Harvard Researchers Want Fat Kids Taken From Their Homes”

By: William Nuesslein

William Nuesslein — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:07:33 +0000

The Minnesota twin project called in a man who was separated from his identicla twin brother. He was raised by an Italian-American couple, and had a good life. The brother was not as fortunate and bounced around from one institution to another. The first brother had an enlarged belly nd “Pasta” and “mangia”came to my mind. But the brother had exactly the same body shape. They both had sideburns of exactly the same length and wore the same style shirts.

My cousin Denise was “big boned” and had stomach reduction back in the 1960’s. Neither her brother nor her sister had any problem with weight.

My stories is not a double blind study woth many subjects, but they convince me, along with observing others, that weight problems result from a mean steak in God. Certainly, blaming parents is ignorant and cruel.

By: Avery

Avery — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:58:16 +0000

I think that taking kids away from their parents is WAY too drastic, I mean at first they should make the parents and child take nutrition classes if they ever would actually allow that. But even if they do take the child away and make them lose weight, what if they don’t? What are they going to do then? And also, taking the kids away from their parents could cause a lot of trauma and the kids might turn to food for comfort. I just think there taking it too far…

By: gitarcarver

gitarcarver — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:50:21 +0000

So please show me any orphanage or foster home in the US that allows it’s children to balloon up to deadly levels of obesity.

Generally speaking, foster homes are far worse for children than being in the home of parents. Good luck if you think otherwise.

Hospitals make mistakes too, but are you still going to avoid one if you are critically ill?

No, but I am not going from a doctor that makes a mistake to go visit a doctor or hospital that makes more mistakes.

I am also not going to take marriage advice from Zsa Zsa Gabor or Liz Taylor.

By: Bob Lipton

Bob Lipton — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:40:36 +0000

Well, at what point does it become life threatening? Is it when the kid’s BMI exceeds a certain level? When he gets fat? When he gets very fat? What about the potential for five, ten, twenty, forty, eighty years down the road?

I would say that if the parents are about to bury the kid in a vat of Carvel on a public highway, that’s a life-threatening situation. Otherwise, the Libertarian viewpoint is leave me the f*** alone and that’s the major viewpoint here. Is this such a surprise o you?

By: John Rohan

John Rohan — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:12:06 +0000

However the solution to remove kids from one “bad” situation into another situation which is equally harmful if not more harmful lacks common sense.

Right, giltcarver. So please show me any orphanage or foster home in the US that allows it’s children to balloon up to deadly levels of obesity. Just one. Good luck with that.

Hospitals make mistakes too, but are you still going to avoid one if you are critically ill?

And John Frederick, you are really going too far here. I don’t like government intervention either, but it’s a necessary evil when children are abused by their parents. Were talking about cases in which a child’s weight threatens their life; not where kids are simply watching 1 or 2 hours too much TV per night.

By: gitarcarver

gitarcarver — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:27:55 +0000

John,

But that still doesn’t let parents off the hook from taking care of their own children!

No one said it did. However the solution to remove kids from one “bad” situation into another situation which is equally harmful if not more harmful lacks common sense.

By: john Frederick

john Frederick — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:39:21 +0000

This latest trail balloon of a proposal concerning obese children offers insight into the future of our Nation and specifically the relationship between individuals and their Government. Are children as defined in a statistical group watching too much television or using the Internet too much? The Government solution will require monitoring family viewing and or usage. Your child score low on standardized public school test? Government intervention is needed immediately as said child is being deprived of their “Rights” to a just education. Have a family history of a specific medical condition (e.g., cardiovascular disease, bipolar disorder, cancer) being downplayed by parents? Then immediate Government intervention becomes necessary to ensure that child is not harmed in the short, intermediate or long run. Further adventures by Government agents will naturally mature age requirements and their related conditions.
What law gives the Government such power to intervene into people’s personal lives? Well, if an individual can be compelled to purchase health insurance for the good of the collective then no individual’s behavior is beyond contact of the Government. Only dead people don’t interact with others, ergo, all human interaction is related and potentially commerce related. Come to expect Government involvement in our personal lives as the rule and not exception. The locus thus becomes the Government at the expense of the individual.

By: John Rohan

John Rohan — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:31:46 +0000

gitarcarver,

I’m not sure what your point is there. I agree that government makes many missteps that help contribute to obesity. But that still doesn’t let parents off the hook from taking care of their own children!

By: Bob Lipton

Bob Lipton — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:20:27 +0000

If you were a bureaucrat, would you fund that researcher a second time?

Bob

By: Jack Olson

Jack Olson — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:07:33 +0000

How often do public health researchers publish studies which argue that bureaucrats should have less power over private citizens, instead of more?