Are parents who allow their children to eat only junk food be charged with Child Abuse?

Question

By letting your child eat McDonald's, Cheetos, Coke and candy, you are slowly killing your child from the inside by depriving him/her of essential vitamins.

Answer 1

Amen Gussie! Thats my answer.  

Answer 2

they can be if these children are young and in levels of obesity !

however this would not be abuse more .. neglect (child neglect).

Often or not though these parents are just as bad.... so by charging them with child neglect won't help the situation.

the government should force parents to attend classes on healthier eating and force them to serve healthier food.

Answer 3

my kids eat McDonalds, sweets, crisps etc, this however is balanced by healthy meals and plenty of fruit and vegetables, they also get plenty of exercise.

I believe that parents who's kids become obese because they aren't being taken to do regular exercise and are allowed to eat as much c**p as they like should be charged with abuse!

Answer 4

Yes they certainly should - children should eat healthy,nutritious food and the parents should ensure that they do whether they like it or not.

Answer 5

Yeah, it's such a shame... Some people are so ignorant that they think a "wholesome dinner" is fried chicken or a hotdog, macaroni and cheese, and garlic bread or something... no vegetables, no whole grains, nothing. If there is one thing I am definitely strict about, it's what my kid eats on a daily basis. She can have candy here and there, or some chips or whatever, but she gets three decent meals no matter what, including some kind of vegetable, fruit, and no white flour or hydrogenated c**p. I really think that's the reason why she's never sick like most of her peers, and her doctor always makes comments about how healthy she is... I think it makes a huge difference.

LMFAO @ the ignorant idiots giving me thumbs down for wanting to have a healthy kid!!! Yeah, I know... envy's a b*tch, ain't it? HA HA HA!!

Answer 6

Sure, let's do that.  But first, define junk food for me.  Some people say that bread that isn't whole grain is junk food.  Some people say that non organic food is junk.  Some people believe that milk is bad for you...yes this is true.  Others say meat in general is unhealthy.  Putting mayonnaise on your sandwich is a cardinal sin in some families.  Who decides where to draw the line?  Also who decides how much is too much?  Are we allowed to have birthday cakes?  Halloween candy?  Can my family make fried potato latkes for Hanukkah?  

While we'ree at it, why not charge people with child abuse if they install their car seats incorrectly, or let their kids walk around with their shoes untied...those things certainly are hazardous.  Why don't we arrest everyone who takes their kids to R-rated movies?  Let's take away everyone's kids who let them play with toy guns and bratz dolls.  Those things are terrible for kids....the list goes on and on...

  

Also, Mr/Ms I Ought To Be Able To Tell Everyone Else How To Raise Their Kids:  Just exactly how do we enforce these sort of draconian restrictions?  What are we going to do with all of these "Abused" children when we can't find places for the kids who are already in the system?  

How about you make sure you raise your kids properly and mind your own business about everyone else's.

EDIT:  Regulations that benefit all of society are beneficial.  Regulations that do little more than take away our civil liberties benefit no one.  My point here is that government has already gone far enough into our homes and private lives, intervening improperly in the raising of our children.  A line must be drawn.  An issue like this one has no easy answers, and when there is a question of propriety, we must err for the rights of the individual.  

If we really want to do something about childhood nutrition, we need to offer more education, find ways to lower food prices (we all know healthy foods are more expensive than c**p), and provide incentives (like possibly cheaper insurance for healthy families, tax breaks for purchases of exercise equipment, etc) to promote people to CHOOSE a healthy lifestyle.  People always resist when you try to force something on them...even if it is what is "good for them."

I'm not going to respond about real child abuse, because of course we stop that, I only answered this question because of the ridiculous equivalency you are trying to put between beating a child and eating at McDonald's.

Answer 7

While I do think that it is wrong for the certain parents to allow their children to eat whatever- whenever, I don't find it criminal until that child develops severe obesity issues or serious health issues due to the lack of nutrition provided.  Now, do I think the state should step in and take children away?...no.  Unfortunately in this day and age, when healthy options like natural fruits, veggies, meats and breads are at sky-rocketing prices, some families have limited budgets to acquire these things.  How about locking up some of our city/state/government officials for not protecting it's citizens and offering necessities such as healthy food options  They are there to do jobs that are supposed to protect 'the people' and make things better, right?  

I don't know...just my opinion.  From the look of this forum, I'm prepared to see my share of thumbs down now.

Answer 8

If a child is eating only junk food- it's simply bad parenting. Unfortunately or fortunately, they can't take a child just for bad parenting- it has to harm the child a great deal emotionally or physically. While your point is a good one- we can't assume all parents are smart. Many are not. Many know nothing about nutrition (only what they have read on the back of cereal boxes). a child is almost always better off with their own parents unless they are severely abused, so that is why in cases like that it would be best to get the family to weekly trips to a nutritionist.

On the other hand, there have been some cases in America where people have lost their children in extreme cases of over feeding- like a child who is so obviously obese that they can't do simple tasks. In my opinion, it would be way better to educate these parents BEFORE it gets to that point. Our doctors in the US need to care more. suggesting places that parents can go for help.

Here is another sad fact: A little under 80% of toddlers in the US only get one veggie per day, and that's a ...........FRENCH FRY. How do you like that? Made my head spin. A french fry. gawd.

I read that on Nick Jr website last year.

Answer 9

What if they eat the mcdonalds and the vitamins

Guess where the social services take kids for lunch !!

Utter nonsense

MISS BEANS well done you are so right.

Answer 10

are you talking about parents who only let their kids eat that kind of food or people who have ever let their child have a happy meal for Mc Donald's because let me tell you my daughter has had Mc Donald's but she does eat healthy food all the time. I do think that parents who don't even cook food at home should be approached I have seen kids who are my daughter's age that are way bigger in weight but with all the other things in the world like child molesters and kidnappers it's going to be hard trying to get the parents who don't cook healthy foods for their kids. just worry about what your kids eat and not everyone else's kids.

edit: are you looking for some to completly agree with you? because you didn't agree with me

Answer 11

I have to agree with missbeans.I think that child abuse is a pretty strong term to use.Have you seen news articles where a parent systematically starved a child to death, beat their child into a coma because they broke a house rule,whipped their child with whatever was convenient to "teach "them a lesson,left their young child unattended while they partied at a club, a parent too high on drugs to care about themselves never mind the child they are supposed to love and protect .These are examples of abuse .A lot of children die before they even get into the system.Do you really think reporting a parent for feeding their child fast food is a better use of resources. Most child protection agencies are overworked and understaffed as it is.Most parents are doing their best to care for their children and sometimes it means they get fast food.

Answer 12

I think that first we need to work on crime and fixing the rape and violence problem that kids face. Let's talk priorities here and nonjudgement to parents who do their best and care

Answer 13

They should be, but unfortunately it is not a law.  But you are right, it is totally unhealthy

Answer 14

it is a terrible thing, but i honestly don't think it will ever happen. it is hard enough to find all the beaten kids, and kids that are subjeected to drugs and alcohol on a regular basis. let alone food abuse.-half of the children protective services don't do their job as it is.

Answer 15

I completely agree with miss beans. But i'd like to add this as to your additional comments. Every action taken does effect others. So under your idea we should have 1.6 million people unemployed when Mc Donalds closes. Another 180,000 when Coca Cola closes its doors. Another 1 million when Burger King closes. While we are at lets get rid of PepsiCo's 140,000 employees. Frito Lay's 210,000 and Kraft Foods 2.6 million employees world wide as well. When they close the scholarships they offer go with them as well as the community funding they provide. The closing of Ronald McDonald House should make a lot of people cheer. The impact of this many job losses would collapse our economy. Our welfare systems would fail and no funds would be available for anyone. Our crime rate would rise drastically as millions now have no income but still have very real needs. Health insurance would still rise to counter the loss from the jobs eliminated that they were collecting premiums on. Medical professionals would be more over taxed by the number of desperately ill filing into the ER because they can no longer pay for an office visit. We would probably see a return of more diseases due to a lack of nutrition (remember 6 million out of work cant afford to buy veggies anyway) and lack of money for vaccinations.

Laws and rules exist to hold society strong without lawlessness or chaos. It is NOT meant to make the daily decisions for you. Child protective services and all other programs for abused children are meant to keep a child safe from physical harm and pain. They are not meant to parent for us or tell us how to parent in daily life. They place unwarranted demands on services already strained and failing. Where will you get more employees to deal with these reports? Are we to wait for people to finish school to help CPS? And while they go to school what do we make our priority? Physical abuse or nutitrion? If we focus on both children will die from physical abuse. Where will you put the children when they are removed for bad nutitrion?

Every action has an effect. You certainly havent thought of the effects of your's through very carefully.

Answer 16

i am not even going to waste my time with a large answer that is ridiculous..yes they should feed their children healthier foods but wow you took this way to far..it is amazing how people still seem to surprise me...you need to seriously rethink your views and as i said there is a lot more to it than that but i will not waste my time on such a person that would put the parent and child threw h**l for such a ignorant reason