Is being fat a crime?

The unusual case from Dundee, Scotland, reported recently in this newspaper, in which four children are to be taken into foster care because they are obese, raises many questions. A fierce debate rages in Scotland — and the rest of the UK — about the decision by the social services on this count and the extent to which the state should be able to intervene in the lives of families. There must also be some question as to what constitutes abuse.

But the high-profile case spotlights the growing problem of childhood obesity and the problems it creates. Though no data is available locally, medical experts say obesity among children is a growing issue and is adding to the rates of heart disease, diabetes and other ailments that develop later in life. It is also ironic that such problems should exist in a land where malnutrition rates are so high at the other end of the social spectrum. Only the privileged, with unlimited access to junk food, are affected.

But we do need action to create a fitter, healthier nation. The advent of technology in the form of cable TV, computers and video games mean that children spend more and more time indoors, pursuing sedentary pursuits. This is combined with a situation in which our society has become so unsafe that parents are unwilling to allow children to venture into parks or open spaces. Rapid development in all cities also means that such spaces have vanished, as plazas and other buildings come up. The Scottish authorities may have gone over the board — taking children away from parents is of course a grave issue. But for us, it should act as a reminder of just how serious a matter health is and of the need to create more recreational facilities, especially for children who lack access to expensive clubs and other similar sporting facilities. This is something that is given little attention in Pakistan, which is ironic considering the country’s relatively young population.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th,  2011.