Childhood Overweight And Obesity Are Child Abuse - Position Statement
In order to qualify for funding under the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (Jan. 1996 version), 42 U.S.C. 5101,
et seq., all 50 states have passed some form of a mandatory child abuse and
neglect reporting law. The Act was originally passed in 1974. It has been
amended several times and was amended and reauthorized on October 3, 1996, by
the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Act Amendments of 1996 (P.L.
104-235).
Per CAPTA, “the term ‘child abuse and neglect’ means, at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.”
In accordance with CAPTA, overweight or obese children are physically harmed, e.g., by illnesses such as Type II diabetes, asthma, hypertension and orthopedic disorders; at a higher risk of death from the complications of these and other physical harms; and are emotionally harmed, e.g., through ridicule and social ostracism.
It is clear that childhood overweight and obesity are forms of child abuse. They are nutritional child abuse at the opposite end of the spectrum from starvation.
It is also clear that nutritional child abuse is the most common form of known child abuse.
Childhood Overweight And Obesity Are Child Abuse - Advocacy Letter
Child abuse is wrong. We should all be opposed to it. We should do what we can to prevent it.
I assume that you are in agreement with these principles.
The most common form of child abuse of which we are aware is nutritional child abuse.
Specifically, this most frequently takes the forms of childhood overweight and obesity.
CAPTA, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (Jan. 1996 version), 42 U.S.C. 5101, et seq., states “the term ‘child abuse and neglect’ means, at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.”
Overweight or obese children are physically harmed, e.g., by illnesses such as Type II diabetes, asthma, hypertension and orthopedic disorders; at a higher risk of death from the complications of these and other physical harms; and are emotionally harmed, e.g., through ridicule and social ostracism.
Parents and guardians who allow children to become overweight or obese are clearly in violation of CAPTA, i.e., they are child abusers.
I expect the following from you:
A clear and immediate public declaration that childhood overweight and obesity are forms of child abuse
Action without delay that results in a thorough evaluation of each state's compliance with CAPTA by reviewing state efforts to prevent nutritional child abuse and punish those who abuse or are complicit in the abuse of children (e.g., mandatory reporters who fail to report)
Immediate cessation of fund disbursement and return of funds if a state is found to have acted in violation of CAPTA by failing to prevent nutritional child abuse or punish nutritional child abusers (e.g., parents and guardians) and others who are complicit (e.g., mandatory reporters who fail to report)
Thank you for your attention to this important, life-saving matter.