Convenience Leads to Corpulence: Parents and Schools Unintentionally Contribute to Childhood Obesity

The title of this article is the dictionary definition of child abuse and neglect and lawbreaking by school employees.

Two of the biggest influences on children -- parents and schools -- may unintentionally contribute to childhood obesity.

Here is CAPTA's definition which sets the minimum for the states to follow:

Federal legislation provides guidance to States by identifying a minimum set of acts or behaviors that define child abuse and neglect. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. §5106g), as amended by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum:

"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or

"An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."
This definition of child abuse and neglect refers specifically to parents and other caregivers. A "child" under this definition generally means a person who is younger than age 18 or who is not an emancipated minor.

For example, Arizona (and other states,too. Remember this is only an example) defines, in part:

Physical Abuse
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 8-201

Abuse means:
Inflicting or allowing physical injury, impairment of bodily function, or disfigurement...

Serious physical injury means an injury that is diagnosed by a medical doctor and that does any one or a combination of the following:

...Causes serious impairment of health

Every fat kid, every fat kid with Type 2 diabetes, every fat kid with another condition consequent to being fat falls beneath the definition and is abused/neglected.

What are school employees supposed to do?

Professionals Required to Report
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 13-3620

The following persons are required to report:

Physicians, physician's assistants, optometrists, dentists, behavioral health professionals, nurses, psychologists, counselors, or social workers

Peace officers, members of the clergy, priests, or Christian Science practitioners

Parents, stepparents, or guardians

School personnel or domestic violence victim advocates

Any other person who has responsibility for the care or treatment of minors

They are mandated by law to report these kids to the authorities.

Every MD who sees/treats a fat kid with Type 2 diabetes is a lawbreaker if he or she does not report it.

This is a big reason why the childhood overweight/obesity issue is so out of control.

The adults who are supposed to be protecting the kids, are abdicating their responsibilities.