09/12/05 Child abuse and obesity

The news in the last few weeks has been peppered with children that have disappeared or been murdered. The tragedy of the untimely death of a child breaks the heart of a nation. Yet millions of children are slowly being poisoned to death while we turn a blind eye. While parents diligently child-proof their homes this toxic substance continues to enters millions of children each day, eventually destroying their internal organs. Obesity is killing our children. A recent New York Times article reported that for the first time in two centuries, children may have shorter life expectancies than their parents. Look around you, yesterday I saw one little boy, so obese he could barely walk. Does this constitute child abuse? While this boy might not be pummeled to death, his life will reach an untimely end, often at least five years before his peers. He might never be locked in a dark closet, but he could be forever trapped in a body that cannot move, or function, one that could succumbing to Type 2 diabetes, heart or kidney disease and cancer. Childhood obesity or abuse you tell me? I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought. Source: New York Times 3/17/05