Parents of obese children to get warning letters

By Sophie Borland
Last Updated: 8:55am BST 22/10/2007

Parents of overweight children are to be sent official warning letters as part of new plans to tackle obesity, it has emerged.

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Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, believes it is in the best interests of the parents if they are told that their children are dangerously overweight.

The controversial proposals follow a national weighing programme, which was introduced in schools two years ago in a bid to tackle the growing problem of obesity among children.

At the time, ministers decided not to introduce the warning letters as it was thought that it would spark outrage amongst parents.

The weighing programme was not well received during its first year and as many schools did not take part, the statistics were deemed to be useless.

Last year the participation levels were much improved, however, with the weights of almost a million children being collected as a result of every primary care trust in England and Wales taking part.




Nanny state or health debate?

I think when it comes to children the phrase 'nanny state' is not applicable as children by definition need some form of nannying.

The parents are a lost cause as far as I'm concerned. I think the kids directly should be schooled about health and nutrition. Peer pressure and degradation from an early age is the way to go. The next generation will be neurotic but healthy. Their kids should then be well balanced.

It’s too late for the parents, their habits have been set. The school spend more time engaging with the kids than the parents do, so they may as well indoctrinate them.

How is sending a letter going to help? And how the hell is this letter going to look?!

Dear Mam and Dad, little Billy Bunter is fat, please stop feeding him s****... etc.

I think the parents will have realised before the letter arrives if their kids are overweight. Another barmy idea that will no doubt end up costing loads of money training teachers how to assess obesity levels and will clearly fail. :roll:

Let the teachers pick on the pork meisters, let them call out in the register 'Fat Frankie' or 'Two Ton Tony'

They'll soon lose the weight.


In all seriousness I'm behind this in theory, however the majority of paretns will no doubt respond with a shrug of the shoulders and 'its puppy fat, it will fall off', no doubt as they serve up another deep fried TV dinner to the aforementioned Two Ton Tony as he plays Fifa 08 on his PS3 - well he's playing football aint he.

I'd be all for this if *some* of the tax was used to subsidise fruit and veg.

No doubt it will be used to fund another pointless Quango or something though

Of course it will and another middle class mumbler from Camden or Notting Hill will get to set up a 'think tank' and pay themselves and thier mates £100,000 a year.    I love it when govts make out they give a s***.

I think the idea of schools being there to educate went out of fashion in the 60's.

It's all about passing artificial exams now and quotas.

Education is too radical.

 

Managed correctly (the tax) the majority of people would come out 'even' with a fat tax, add 5p to a Mars Bar,  take 5p from a banana etc.

Obviously some would benefit and some would lose out, but those who lose out would really only have themselves to blame. You may be the right weight for your height, but what about in 5 years time when the football diminishes to one game a week?

There's also more harm being done by our consumption of 'bad' foods than just weight - personal factors such as increased heart failures etc, economic such as increased lethargy/weakened immune systems leading to more time off.

Of course though in reality the tax wouldn't work like that, and 'good' foods wouldn't be subsidised.

Well this is it, I think Corporations and the state are partly to blame. Perhaps the parents have to work 5 jobs to keep up all their payments as well?

Wasn't there a kid up here that narrowly missed being taken into care because his slobbish Sharon mother used to feed him whatever he demanded?

What would be the point of sending letters?  They wont be able to open the envelopes with those chubby little fingers. Bless.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree, and I was/am in the same boat. At uni I played football pretty much every day, can't now so have to goto the gym more etc to keep (relatively) in shape.

I cant abide those people who won't take any responsibility for their weight state then go on GMTV to complain that the NHS won't give them liposuction, you ate the food now go to the gym fatso! (genes my arse!)

I guess though a fat tax would be the same as most, I have private health care and a private dentist, why should I pay full NI? I don't have kids (yet), recycle and use the tip rather than pile up my rubbish so why should I pay full council tax? Unfortunately someone has to lose out to subsidise others (12 year old parents who want a house etc etc).

My stance remains though, if a fat tax was used to subsidise healthy foods (be it in schools or shops) then its one tax I would be willing to pay