Fat Fucks in England Their Parents' Fault

Via Drudge, in the London Times:

Parents of 5-year-olds are to be sent official warning letters if their child is found to be obese, as part of a national programme to weigh children in schools.

Ministers are bracing themselves for charges that they will stigmatise fat children when they publish proposals next month to tackle rising levels of obesity, The Times has learnt.

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, is understood to have been persuaded that it is in children's best interest if their weight is brought formally to the attention of their parents.

More here.

Channel reason's take on chubsy-ubsyism here.

Comments

[Taktix?]

We need to get back to the times when fatness is a sign of wealth and social stature. I wonder what the obesi-nazis would do then?

[Russ R]

If they're already subjecting all school-kids in the country to be part of an ongoing weigh-in study, how is it wrong to inform their parents of the results?

Not that I'm in favour of the whole program (which has been going on for years), but I don't see why mailing a letter home is somehow an intolerable act.

[MP]

but I don't see why mailing a letter home is somehow an intolerable act.I guess it depends on the content of the letter. I'm curious why it's referred to as a "warning" letter. Seems like "notification" is a better word if the letter is simply innocuous.

[crash course]

OK so the picture is slightly out of date but it does show the 'pot calling kettle' element to this story...
http://english.people.com.cn/200509/27/images/0926_B22.jpg

[WalterBoswell]

All your childs are mine.

Eugenics is around the corner, mark my paranoid words.

GBS is smiling in his grave.

"being cowards, we defeat natural selection under cover of philanthropy: being sluggards, we neglect artificial selection under cover of delicacy and morality."

[Caseworker Alice Pitney]

I am torn.

On the one hand, obesity is an epidemic, and we must do whatever it takes to eliminate it. Weighing children and sending warning letters to parents is a step in the right direction.

On the other hand, we can't expect parents to be responsible for their own children. All of society must do its part.

On a third hand, we need to accept people for who they are and build up their self-esteem. We have to make them want to lose weight and reach their potential.

In short, what these kids really need is ... me.

[Abdul]

As a traditionalist, I don't think it's the government's job to tell kids they're fat. It is the role of the playground mob chanting "fatty-fatty 2 by 4 . . . " to let them know.

The war against obesity can be won on the playing grounds of Eton.

[Pat]

On the one hand, obesity is an epidemic, and we must do whatever it takes to eliminate it.

Why?

[de stijl]

The war against obesity can be won on the playing grounds of Eton.

That was sweet. Abdul, impressive.

[miche]

As a traditionalist, I don't think it's the government's job to tell kids they're fat. It is the role of the playground mob chanting "fatty-fatty 2 by 4 . . . " to let them know.

Playgrounds? Aren't those the areas where kids used to play on slides, swings and see-saws before the nannies came in and removed the fun? I don't think they exist anymore.

[New World Dan]

Look, if your 5-year old weighs 100 pounds, you're a bad parent and you deserved to be shamed. If it were private schools doing this would we be cheering it on? I sure would.

[Episiarch]

Warning! Your kid is fat. We just thought we'd let you know in case you are blind, except that we didn't write this letter in braile, so it's really a wash.

One of the creepiest aspects of British nannyism is how it seems to oscillate between 1984-scary and Pythonesque ridiculousness.

[Caseworker Alice Pitney]

Why? Pat, really now, if you can't answer that yourself, you might need an intervention of your own.

[Libert]

Pat, really now, if you can't answer that yourself, you might need an intervention of your own.

Care to explain?

[Pi Guy]

"Eugenics is around the corner, mark my paranoid words."

Maybe. But it's clear that when the government mingles with health care then, at the very least, it's only a matter of time before it's deemed illegal to be unhealthy (not in the best interest of society, extra burden on the tax base, increased number of days lost due to illness and injury, yatta yatta yatta).

Who's next: smokers? Drinkers? People who don't warm-up before they exercise? People who run with scissors in their hands? AAAARRRGGH!

Caseworker Alice P:"On the one hand, obesity is an epidemic, and we must do whatever it takes to eliminate it."
Pat:"Why?"

Uh, yeah - why?

[Isaac Bartram]

Playgrounds? Aren't those the areas where kids used to play on slides, swings and see-saws before the nannies came in and removed the fun? I don't think they exist anymore.

Yes, and now the nannies are wondering why the kids are fat.

[The Extispicator]

To me, it is clear that the problem began shortly after release of The Wall. That's when they started letting English schoolkids have pudding even when they didn't eat their meat - a policy that had been unthinkable in the past.

[Episiarch]

Caseworker Alice Pitney is a joke identity. Read your latest issue and there's a small story about the guy who created this character.

[Stephanie Weinberg]

Care to explain?

Explain what? Pitney's a facist fuck.

Stephanie Weinberg
Treasurer
mmm4prez.com

[Dot]

Uh, i think you need to turn your sarcasm/parody detectors on with Caseworker Alice's comments.

[Stephanie Weinberg]

I meant "fascist." But she's facist, too!

[Pat]

Pat, really now, if you can't answer that yourself, you might need an intervention of your own.

Sidestepping the issue isn't an acceptable response. Are you going to answer my question or not?

[Pat]

Uh, i think you need to turn your sarcasm/parody detectors on with Caseworker Alice's comments.

Sad that it's getting so hard to tell the difference these days.

[Pat]

Caseworker Alice Pitney is a joke identity. Read your latest issue and there's a small story about the guy who created this character.

Ah, "her" blog makes it a little more obvious.

[Number 6]

Pat-For fuck's sake, turn on your joke detector.

[Scott Stein]

Sad that it's getting so hard to tell the difference these days.

Does it have to be sad? Can't I just take it as a compliment? Anyway, enough silliness from me -- for now. Please, back to the fat kids...

[Randolph Carter]

Maybe those from perfidious Albion can check out whether or not little fatties are talking about sweets on the street with their new audio spying devices. Perhaps the woman that came up with this idea was Mr. F.

[J sub D]

Ah, "her" blog makes it a little more obvious.

I thought her 9:46am post was fairly obvious. "In short, what these kids really need is ... me".

C'mon folks, I know it's Monday, but ...

[gaijin]

Two thoughts/questions:

1. If a fat, neglectful parent gets a letter about their fat, neglected kid, does anyone really expect something to change? Or is this just the first step to confiscating the little rascals..."You were given notice afterall".

2. Don;t the brits have universal healtcare? I thought their idea was that prevention saves lives, and, an ounce of preventive is worth a pound of cure and all that...so, why isn;t the health system performing regular checkups on the little beasties and handling it there?

[Bingo]

The British Obesity Epidemic can be directly attributed to the availability of immigrant food. Before all those curry shops opened up the Brits never had anything worth eating!

[Chris]

Funny that this entry was positioned next to an ad with Al Gore's picture. It's too late to send a letter to his parents, alas.

[Pat]

I thought her 9:46am post was fairly obvious. "In short, what these kids really need is ... me".

Have you ever met an actual social worker?

I don't put it past anyone anymore.

[Reinmoose]

5 year olds? I can see them weighing 8 year olds or something, but 5?

[thoreau]

How can you have any pudding if you eat too much meat?

[Neu Mejican]

I meant "fascist." But she's facist, too!

That's spelled
F
a
t
s
h
i
t
s

[Neu Mejican]

Dr. T,

You were too slow.
Look up thread.

[Warty]

They're not fat, they've merely made a different life choice.

[zevatron]

I would like to make some policy suggestions. UK gov't, feel free to implement as many as you like.

- Taxation based on (weight/height)*C, where C is a constant to be determined later
- Round up all the fatties and send them off to gov't-run fat camps
- Mandatory exercise every morning (of course enforced by a CCTV camera in every home)
- A return to food rationing

[T]

On the one hand, obesity is an epidemic, and we must do whatever it takes to eliminate it.

Kill all the fat people. Then we'll be free.

Or we could just go with Mugabe-style land and economic reforms. That seems to take care of obesity.

[rana]

"If a fat, neglectful parent gets a letter about their fat, neglected kid, does anyone really expect something to change? Or is this just the first step to confiscating the little rascals..."You were given notice afterall".

Excellent point.

[Rodney]

The school sent home a letter saying my kid was Fat!

I called the school and told them I wanted a second opinion.

They said, "OK, he's ugly too."

[rana]

"Or we could just go with Mugabe-style land and economic reforms. That seems to take care of obesity".

I dont know. Isnt dog meat fattening?
Oh wait, I suppose its not if you avoid carbs....

[J sub D]

I dont know. Isnt dog meat fattening?

No, it's lean meat. Properly prepared, it's delicious.

[Drew W]

Fat British kid gets killed by his slimmer classmates on isolated island: Lord Of The Flies by William Golding.

Fat American kid blames his obesity on fast-food chain and wins record legal settlement against them: Lord Of The Fries by Drew W.

[Jimmy Smith]

My parents worried that I was too skinny. Sure wish the school would have sent me home with ice cream and jelly doughnuts. Damn ! Too soon old, too late smart!!

[x,y]

The Pitney bit is classic. From "her" blog regarding Hardee's:

Hardee's -- you've pushed it too far this time. 920 calories and 60 grams of fat for breakfast? I am in total agreement with Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The Country Breakfast Burrito is indeed "another lousy invention by a fast-food company." Unlike CSPI, however, I have the power to keep this "food porn" out of the hands (and mouths and stomachs) of impressionable eaters. The Country Breakfast Burrito is a loaded gun pointed at the American people. I'm a bulletproof vest. Mark my words: Hardee's will be closed for business this time tomorrow!

[Cesar]

Hardee's sucks as a fast food joint. They make McDonalds look like The Jefferson. Theres plenty to dislike about them even without counting calories.

[barry payne - economist]

FOOD INFO AND TRANSACTION COSTS

The required labels on food products from the supermarket are simple and easy to read info about what's inside - grams of fat, etc.

The food industry fought that regulation with a vengance because they did not want consumers making intelligent choices based on that information.

One ridiculous argument was that consumers could call the 800 number on the label to get that info, and this was before cell phones were prevalent.

It's far more profitable to smother info sought by consumers with flashy, irrelevant branding info. That's why McDonald's balks at the idea of putting that same labeling info right up there on the billboard menu where it can be instantly applied.

True, some of the fatties would ignore those labels just like they do in the supermarket. But many more would benefit and it would likely induce more healthy choices via competition the way it did in supermarkets.

Regulating information necessary for "free choice" is different than going after the sellers or even the consumers or their caretakers. Just ask the people who don't know where their beef comes from anymore who makes sure of that.

[R C Dean]

That's why McDonald's balks at the idea of putting that same labeling info right up there on the billboard menu where it can be instantly applied.

Well, that plus the fact that larding up the billboard with all that trivia will make it useless to people trying to figure out what's for lunch and how much it costs.

[Tbone]

Does this work out like smokers where the area integrated under the cost curve for [obese x lifetime med cost/lifespan] is less than [normal x lifetime med cost/lifespan]?

Oh wait, children . . . never mind.

[Paul]

I presume the English will send these notices out using that bad-assed 'Third Reich font' and all the phone operators will adopt their regimental German accents?

[SxCx]

Nick, I loved the bluntness in your tone on this one.

[juris imprudent]

I'll slim down a few pounds right after my govt trims off a couple of tons.

[Mean Martin Manning]

Classic Pitney? What is this, her damn fan club? Some of you are in serious danger of making my list.

[thedifferentphil]

You know, the state of Pennsylvania beat the Brits to this. For 2 years now they have mandated that schools compute the BMI for every elementary school kid and mail the result, along with a key to read the BMI. If anyone here has ever picked up kids from a truly socioeconomically mixed school, you would realize that there are plenty of parents who not only don't read Reason magazine, but also have overweight kids and proabably don't know it. That said, I am sure the letter doesn't do much. This is now an empirically testable assumption here in PA.

[analogue dude]

as part of a national programme

I think that spelling of program is obese.