To what extent should parents be held responsible for their childrens' obesity?

Parents are responsible for what their children eat, and how much of it, to a great extent. Of course, you cannot control what your children eat when they are away from you, but most obese children don't get that way by eating away from home. Most obese children have obese parents as well, who were taught bad eating and nutritional habits, and pass that on to their children.

Socio-economic status should not be used as an excuse for obesity either. I raised two children while being financially in the lower middle class, and neither of them was obese. I made sure they had plenty of the right things to eat, and limited junk food to "treat" status.

They are now grown, and would still rather have an apple than a candy bar. Of course, there are those who are more prone to obesity genetically, but that is all the more reason to be careful of what your children eat, and to see that they get enough exercise. Allowing children to sit in front of the t.v.

Or play video games all day and night is not the way to keep them healthy. If a parent is obese, they could benefit from exercise as well, so even taking an evening walk with your child is something. Instead of letting them spend weekends indoors, take them somewhere where they will be active.

Not everyone can afford expensive activities, but there are free parks and activities everywhere that they could participate in. The Boys and Girls Clubs, for an example, has great after school activities that provide exercise and they are free or very low cost. If a child is home alone after school, and all there is to eat is junk food, they are going to eat it.

If parents keep junk food out of the house, there will be much less temptation, and healthier children as a result. Parents are the ones who teach their children how to eat, from the day they put the first solid food into their mouths. If children are raised on fruit instead of candy, then they won't crave all that sugar.

If they are raised on fruit juice and water instead of sugary soft drinks, they won't crave them either. Parents must teach children healthy eating habits. They surely won't learn it from watching all the ads on t.v.

Pushing sugary, high fat foods. Nor will they learn it from their friends. It takes effort, and with parents who work, especially single parents, they use being too tired to cook as an excuse.

I worked full time, and I was not too tired to cook a good meal for my kids. I spent one day of the weekend cooking and freezing healthy foods to eat during the week. The crockpot was my best friend.

Anyone can cook a healthy meal in the crockpot while they are at work, then store leftovers for another day. Parents are the ones ultimately responsible for how their children learn about food, and what food they eat, so they are ultimately responsible for their children's health and weight. Children can't make these important decisions on their own unless they are taught properly in the first place, and that teaching is supported by actions of the parents that they can mimic.

Children do what they see their parents do. They are the world's greatest mimics. In that way, parents are completely responsible for what their children see them doing, and what they gain from it, right or wrong.

I believe that parents cannot be blamed for their children's obesity when the primary factor is genetics or some sort of congenital disorder. In situations where a poor example is set, or inappropriate eating habits are not corrected in the child, or just plain indifference to dietary concerns are set in, then I believe the parents have all the responsibility for their child's obesity. Once a person is an adult, if they then out of there own action develop an obesity issue then I think it would be wrong to blame the parents.My answer is only for children.

Entirely. I don't buy into the "genetics did it" in regards to weight excuse as I have seen people genetically prone to obesity not become obese. A genetic predisposition does not doom you to what ever the genes said, it just makes you more prone.

Under that understanding yes, a parent is responsible if a young child is obese. At a young age everything your child does should be known to you and their health is in your hands. At an older age this changes (teens) but that's not a "child" as question either.

I also think it's important parents recognize what real obesity is. Many parents think a baby with some chub is obese, and that is not the case at all. There is a huge difference between baby fat and obesity and obesity doesn't happen over night.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.