What’s the charge, Officer?

In 2009, a single mother in South Carolina was arrested for “criminal neglect” and her 555 lb., 14 year old son was placed in foster care. (read) Coincidently, around the same time, a pediatric journal published a story about a 440 lb., 16 year old female that was hospitalized because of her excessive weight.

Due to regulations, healthcare providers are required to notify authorities (which authorities?) if a child comes to their facilities with “high-risk” factors due to excessive weight.  Severe obesity allegedly caused by parents not controlling their children’s unhealthy eating patterns, and not providing “healthy” alternatives or “force” them to exercise is included in the “high risk” category.

Really?  I can only imagine when I was working in law enforcement, getting that call…

“Adam-12, copy a call.  Be enroute to UMC hospital to pick up a 500 lb. 13 year old male.  His mother brought him in due to hypertension, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, low self-esteem, etc..”

“Control, Adam-12, I copy the call.  What am I supposed to do with him?”

“Adam-12.  His mother is to be arrested for child neglect because she is not feeding him properly and not forcing him to exercise, and he needs to be transported to another hospital for evaluation”.

“Control, Adam-12.  Isn’t he at the hospital?”.

“Adam-12, affirmative, but he needs to go to another hospital that participates in the program”.

“Copy, control.  I can transport the mom, but because of the size of the male and his medical needs, he’ll need to be transported by ambulance (at the cost of the taxpayers)”.

Can you imagine an official at your door with a scale?

There are several arguments from both sides of this battle.

Some argue that the kids need education about healthy eating habits in the schools.  Ok. But here's a question for you. Who is buying the food?  It’s not the kids.

Some say that the parents need the education.  Is there any assistance to provide better food for their family?  Easy steps to provide nutritious meals in one quick step?

Obviously, there are those that have the juvenile’s best interest at heart as far as their HEALTH, and there are those that have the family’s best interest at heart.

My two cents worth is based on working in the government, and experiencing the government’s efficiency. 

I have seen defendants sentenced to “counseling” for a myriad of crimes, only to manipulate the system and get the completion documents needed to satiate the court.

I know that the sooner an investigator can push one pile of paper from one side of their desk to the other, without the proper investigation or follow up, this qualifies as “getting the job done”.

I have experienced the primary, specializing, investigating bureau, calling the patrol officer to do their preliminary work, although they are not qualified to make those kinds of calls.

I have seen the system punish the parents (they have to take time off from work to come to court, possibly losing pay, paying a fine, paying for court ordered counseling, all money they can ill afford), with the children, who committed the offense, getting off, pretty much untouched.  The offenders realize that since they are juveniles, their criminal records are not available to most people, and that their parents or guardians have the responsibility to pay all the monies due to the court.

I have seen medically committed persons not getting the appropriate treatment they were sentenced to, and no follow up to ensure that the court's recommendation was obeyed.

So what happens if this system is invoked?

In case no one has noticed, the economy is in the toilet. Jurisdictions are implementing cost-saving procedures at a rate that only a caffeinated, hyper-active, tail-feathers-on-fire roadrunner could keep up with.

Statistics say that over 60% of everyone, yes everyone, everywhere, is overweight. (read)So if you have 5,000 friends on Facebook. Over 3,000 of them are fat.

People are trying to personally cope with the economy by purchasing cheaper food.  Cheaper food means lower quality, higher fat content and harmful ingredients.   

Wal-Mart recently announced that they will restructure their food products they sell to reflect a healthier alternative, lower in salt, sugar and fat, all over a five year period.

(Read Here) 

Okay, if your child or anyone in your family, for that matter, is 555 lbs., someone should’ve noticed a little earlier when the waist sizes exceeded 50 inches and maybe cut back on the cheap, unhealthy food.

But arrest the parents? Who gets arrested? Mom or dad? Both? Mom, because she may very well be the one that cooks? Does the child get to pick? And how do you arrest someone for not having the money to afford the really healthy foods?

I’m sure there will have to be a multi-gazillion dollar study done and numerous committees formed and government grants issued to remedy the issue. Then we have to form the Nevada Association of Childhood Health Options.  I’m sure there’s an acronym for something like that.

The local jurisdictions cannot cope with the workload they have now and cannot endure another program without cuts to other necessary programs. Doctors, dietitians, medical equipment, transportation, facilities, officers (patrol and corrections), court time and other needs will run in the millions needed to run this program.

I’m sure a specialist can counsel both the parents and the children at the same time in each visit, maybe a couple times a month. Really, all that needs to be said is

“If you want everyone in your family to live a healthy, productive life, eat these foods and not these foods.



THESE !



            

"Class is over"!.

Not These