Custody of Super-Obese Children

Custody of Super-Obese Children

Custody of Super-Obese Children

Child obesity is an issue that has become rampant in countries such as the United States and United Kingdom. Recently, there has been a raging debate on whether parents of super-obese children need to be allowed to keep them or they should be denied custody altogether. Basing on business ethics, several questions arise regarding this issue of child obesity and their custody. The first issue is whether there is need for an overseeing body to be inculcated, and assist parents in raising the child (Marin, 2001). This includes taking the child into a foster home. Secondly is whether people should interfere with how parents opt to raise their children. Thirdly, parents need investigation if they contribute to making their children obese through been busy at work, and the health and social problems they cause their children. Lastly, the future implications that obesity has to society need observation.

This paper explicates to whose custody should super-obese children be subjected to, the health and social problems suffered by super-obese children and the future implications to society of many super-obese children in the society.

Discussion

Research asserts that it is not morally right for parents to lose the custody of their children just because they are extremely fat. However, in some instances intervention is required by a health specialist to guide parents on how they opt to raise the child. With intervention from a health specialist, the parents will be educated on the unhealthy habits that they might be instilling on the child resulting to super-obesity. Research establishes that this will also be acting in the child’s interest, and we realize no child wants to separate from its family. Therefore, it is essential that no matter what type of intervention is instilled, it is essential for the parents to keep their child as it also might encourage the child to engage in healthy living because of support that the child receives from the parents (Wright & Harwood, 2008).

Secondly, it is unethical for parents to lose their children before considering what resulted to the extreme case of obesity to the children. This portrays a direct blame to parents for their children’s fatness, which is not the case. Research establishes there are other causes for a children’s obesity. For instance, in the United States, children’s obesity is blamed on peer-pressure, bullying, marketing, and advertising. When observed clearly, a parent does not have control over these things, and therefore, it is ethical if they are allowed to keep their obese children (Watnik, 2003).

Another reason why it is unethical foe