i have four children two of which are maybe considered as over weight. the thing is i dont feed them any different to the other two it , but with two children being overweight does that mean i am a neglectful parent. i try to encourage the over weight two to do more activity and to eat less . i have battled with my weight also mainly after having my babies but i also put weight on very easily. their dad however can eat what ever he wants and not do any activity. to send a letter home to the parents telling them their child is fat is outragious we all come in different shapes and sizes

sam, corby, northants

What would a letter like that SAY?

"dear parents,
Your child is fat.
Sucks for you"


???

Zera Y., Albertville,

What is happening in the UK is we are trying to address the obesity pandemic that is spreading throughout the world and has a huge impact on health much like smoking.

It may be a free society, but smoking and obesity come at a cost to the individual and society. Obesity increases the rate of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer, arthritis, back problems and depression (I could go on) and any programme that tries to identify trends and help children from not suffering in the future gets my wholehearted support.

MT, UK,

i was bullied all my life about my weight and what happens to people that are fat and are bullied hey they eat it is a vicous circle you stop the bullies and the pressure and all the slim advertising then you might start getting some where bullies made me starve myself i became ill then you have to learn to eat all over again. dieticians told my mum to feed me this that and everything i ate what i was told and said no more about it i went to weight watchers at 13 but because my body was changing my weight was up and down and i went into depression because i was working my backside off to lose weight for the scales to say different i broke my heart when that happened i am 29 now and fat i work two jobs and am constantly battling with my weight, give people help and support not punishment not all fat people like being this way and not all fat people are lazy and sit there and eat crap all day people just tar big people with the same brush.

julie, hampshire,

Someone should look at what is in the food we are eating too:
1.Animals are fed substances to make them grow fat more quickly - when we eat the meat, we eat these substances too.
2. There is a trend to eat 'low fat' products but this does not mean that these foods are low in calories too? Do these foods make us want to eat more?
3. What about additives in the food e.g. flavour enhancers, artificial sweeteners, preservatives etc.

KD, Devon, UK

My God, what is happening to the UK? This is disgraceful behavior by a free society.

R.D. ONeal, Sherman Oaks. CA, USA

And then what? Unless the state is prepared to either prosecute the parents of fat children for child abuse or remove little fatties from their homes and provide alternative care facilities, this measure is going to be less than meaningless. I can't see, however, that breaking up homes is entirely desirable. So it's an empty measure from a government built on headline grabbing but essentially pointless policies. More of Labours wind, all lies and no substance. Time to get rid of these tiresome imbeciles.

Eric, London,

Presumably they will also send letters to FAT MPs, FAT celebrities and other FAT public figures and their parents as well. Or are they okay ?

Gordon brown doesn't seem too trim to me, and as for John Prescott....why should anyone pay for his health care. They should get their own house in order first before lecturing everyone else.

The UK is becoming more authoritarian than the old Soviet states and no-one seems to care.

Mark B, Hull, UK

This is what Mike Huckabee would do if president.. Go Mike!

NH for Mike, NewHampshire, NH

And what purpose, 'zactly, does a warning letter serve for the government declaring a child obese. Is that like when the schools used to wag a finger and say, this is going on your permanent record, young man!

Larry, Minneapolis, USA/Minnesota

My children were both short and under weight (my daughter wore size 4 Toddler when she was 5 yrs. old and weighed 27 lbs.; at age 13 my son was 4' 10" and weighed 71 lbs.) Both grew up to be normal in height and weight (my son is 6' tall, 140 lbs., and my daughter 5' 1/4", 97 lbs.). Many things children are able to outgrow simply by growing up.

Watch the weight of these children and give help if necessary. Most importantly, get them outside to play and out from in front of the computer games and TV. But don't push them so hard to lose weight that they become anorexic.

Janet Fuls, Cottonwood, CA USA

Neil from London, you may well have lost the weight later on in life, but the fact that you think that being bullied was 'good for you' shows something of the real harm it did! There have been a few cases of children actually killing themselves because they could no longer bear being victimized in this way. Still think it's helpful?

A lot of the good and helpful suggestions in this debate are being swamped by simple hatred and disgust for the fat. Those of you doing this are the ones who should be ashamed of yourselves. Give fat people, including children, the love and respect due to them as your fellow human beings (yes...NOT 'fatties' or whatever demeaning names you call them, but human beings, just like you). Because not until we adopt that basic attitude can we get our heads round what we need to do, what changes we need to make, to make healthy eating and exercise easier for everyone

Angeline, Sacramento,

1. Our healthcare in the UK is not "free". It is paid for by us (taxpayers) at a very fair rate for the usually excellent service we receive.
2. As we can see by Americas' example, obese people cost a LOT of money to a health service. I'm not happy at the prospect of paying for others' laziness.
3. Use all the glandular/big-boned/retaining water arguments you like - you do not become obese without consuming vast quantities of food.
4. Our government has every right to point out bad parenting and a diet likely to impact a childs life in such a massive (excuse the pun) way, and to provide an incentive to be more responsible as a parent.
5. We have watched with morbid interest in the last few years the USA slowly becoming a nation of fat, sedentary, ignorant, ill-informed, insanely religious sheep who sue everyone in sight for their own idiocy and/or shortcomings. We are doing everything we can to prevent this self-destructive culture here.

Elf, Brighton, UK

Another strange, throw-away statement from the Blairite nanny-commune. They should start by publishing the body-mass index for ALL members of parliament, and of more relevance for the future, the same numbers for the Euro MP's. Are we beginning to see the start of "NHS for those who fit?" The intent of such a campaign is obvious, since it will save £ millions. Exclude from the NHS, smokers,drinkers, obese, anorexic, non-payers, and etc. ? MP's should immediately close the licensed bar at Westminster, and ensure they follow the rules they propose. Dawn Primarolo could set a good example by resigning, because her department has wasted so much public money (over-payments and ...............).

Paul Allen, High Littleton, Bristol,

what they should do, is make the fat people pedal all day which would burn their fat and also solve the global warming problem
two birds with one stone

G H, Berkshire,

Go for it! Do'em all. Make them wear something distinguishable like a special star and send them away to "camps" for the obese.

Gary Hook, Ohope, New Zealand

I now live in Canada (originally from the UK). There is such a focus on children here, the play parks and water parks are well maintained and you rarely find teenagers hanging out smoking and drinking in these areas. There are so many after school activities that parents are also encouraged to get involved with. So the government needs to step up and invest in our children. Get rid of the soggy fish and chips and do it the Jamie Oliver way. It is not just the parents that need educating the schools need fresh food on their menu's more activites for kids as to keep them away from the TV and the xbox. And to add to it, more flexible working hours so that parents can actually see their kids grow up. More time at work means less time for children hence the kids returning home cooking microwavable food and sitting on their own infront of a screen. What a life!!!!

SM, Vancouver, Canada

Leave the kids alone. Instead of sending out warning letters,spend the money to have more time for gym class and play time.

ken, Seattle, WA/USA

Agreed, but it will be important that the person doing the warning is a "skinny" or the scheme will fail.

mike, alford, u.k.

Obesity

Is not obesity, like violent crime, the way to a DSS ticket out of the minimum wage miserable unhealthy workplace? Here, I think, we have the answer. Remove the cause and the problem will remove itself.

We would suggest that, as most of the obese are reliant on the DSS, the payments are reduced down to a level where the cost of their obesity is no longer met. It should be noted that the body will only burn fat when the process of starvation has started. So, yes, this will mean mild starvation, or, as it is usually called, dieting. Compulsory dieting... in their own, and our, interests.

To put this simply, it they're too fat to work normally, then no payments. If they're not to fat to work normally, then no problem.

This will also reduce the burden (nice phrase, huh?) to the taxpayer both in DSS handouts and in NHS healthcare.

Wini, South, England

It would be more beneficial if the children warned the goverment that they have fat, lazy, binge drinking parents.

Adam, London,

I should be 9 stone 7 lbs but photos of me on my 16th birthday show my ribs and sticking out hip bones. I had dieted down to the "perfect " weight. My wrists are 8" as opposed to the average 7" female wrist. Bone scans show my bones are thick and very dense, but no allowance is made for this in weight charts. Muscle weighs more than fat, but again no allowance. BMI is flawed through these two faults. I look better at 11 stone.The weight charts haven't been changed in years.
Babies are fat and slim down when they get mobile. 4 - 5 year olds are plump to tide them over the loose tooth stage, when they don't eat a lot because their gums hurt. Pre - puberty children put on weight to allow for the vast changes during puberty. Any mother knows this. Never heard of "puppy fat"?
Do you want to push children into becoming anorexic by pushing inappropriate dieting at them?
Weighing children in school is inapropriate, and is assault if done without parental permission.

Beryl, WINDSOR, England

Another great reason to educate your kids at home: You get to teach them stuff which might actually be relevant, they stand a better chance of success, they'll be in a safe environment and less likely to get shot/recruited into a gang, AND you can feed them healthy food yourself - and thereby avoid the "we've fed your children rubbish/now they're fat so we're blaming you" nonsense.

And if you can't afford to have one person at home all the time? Or you don't have a university education yourself? Not confident that you can deliver a broad curriculum at home? Then your kids can be shipped off to kiddie prison to be bullied, under-educated and overfed, and you'll get the blame.

RH, London,

Are we seriously spending time and money on this when in the Health Service alone there are such better places to put the resources? How can it be implemented?

Some alternative solutions:

1 - Stop punishing school bullies. If fat kids got the mickey taken out of them as much as I did in school, they might not shed the weight straight away, but they'd be mentally scarred and would sort themselves out when they got older.

2 - Provide more time in the school day for sport, as well as more facilities [that said, my school had great facilities and I was still a fat kid].

3 - Ridiculous levels of taxation on video games, crisps, chocolate bars, etc.

4 - More police on the street. Makes it safer for kids to walk to school rather than take the bus/4x4.

5 - Get rid of free bus travel for kids. Again, make them walk (and allow me the simple pleasure of a bus journey without having to listen to their music from mobile phones - I'd ask them to stop but I'd get knifed).

Neil, London,

All fat people should be taxed with a new fat people tax.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

It's not the governments business how much my child weighs. Most statements and facts made about anything especially by the government are changed to an opposite view 20 years later.

Tommy, Mobile, USA/Alabama

Of course, if schools played competitive sports, and weren't made to sell their sports fields to fund their classrooms the children would get exercise at school.

The BMI rating is rubbish and out of date. Waist to hip ratios, lunc function etc are more relevant to health and apply to different builds, along with body fat measurements. BMI could lead to children beign stigmatised where they don't actually have a problem. Why use an out of date and discredited system when there are decent measures available?

Claire, Reading, UK

Just responding to the question of the evidence for BMI.

It is a population measure, not an individual measure, and other factors should be considered with individuals (such as height, gender, ethnicity, distribution of fat)

However, we know that there is up to a 9-fold increase in the risk of people developing Type 2 diabetes and a 4-fold increase in CHD risk when you compare a population of people with a BMI of 20 and a population of a BMI of 30

Helen, Cambridge, UK

In addition to diet we should ensure that every day fit people get out of their cars and WALK reasonable distances. There seems to be a reluctance to take exercise> When one looks at Supermarket car parks one sees cars clustered round the entrances, with other drivers actually sat, engines running, waiting for these "convenient" spaces to become vacant rather than using many empty spaces on the edges of car parks, which would entail a 20 to 50-yard walk.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

What is the point of telling people if there are not programmes to help people who want to make lifestyle changes in place, so they can do something with the information.

Come on Alan, lets start putting a reasonable amount of money into the budget of primary care trusts so we can create programmes

Helen, Cambridge, UK

The warning letter should only be the beginning - technology should be harnessed to make the purchase of fish and chips dependant on one's weight, customers should step on an electronic scale and if weight is not in proportion to height, then no transaction should be allowed.
Violations by vendors will be dealt with by the Brussels authorities.

Corene Pandera, London,

Fine - and when we send warning letters to ministers advising them formally that the NHS is a shambolic black due to government incompetence, what action will Mr Johnson take?

Peter , London,

why is the government so worried? It neatly solves the pension crisis. According to the bbc (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7055735.stm) your life expectency is 13 years less than the average if you are obese, which means you'll be lucky if you live long enough to collect your pension!

guy, london,

From observation it's apparent that the parents who have the obese children are the ones who are least likely to take any notice of a letter from school (or anywhere else) telling them about it. There is only one overweight child in our neighbourhood (I have never noticed the hordes of fat kids that the government tell us exist) and she has a largely absent father and a mother who frankly does not seem to care where her children are or what they are doing.

Perhaps the government might be better employed in providing sports facilities in and out of school rather than attempting to place the blame for their own shortcomings onto the parents of these children. There seems to be a general unfitness amongst children, not just in the overweight children but in all of them.

But of course, the unfit are the the last legitimate target group for govermental prejudice and the last in line for any constructive expenditure!

Alsjan, Wakefield, UK

Is it that the parents don't know their kids are fat, don't agree with the definitions of fat, don't care that they are fat can't do anything about as it is a medical issue or don't realise that better diet and exercise will improve the situation. Which of these issues will the notice solve. It's the nanny state gone mad. The parents who care about these things don't have fat kids, those that don't never will. What the school should do is have objective physical performance tests like running a distance over time that the kids can take. That would be fairly objective at least. I remeber reading General Schwarzkopp's book whewre he described these notices in the US Army definitions in the 70's which would have defined the Chicago Bears pro football team as unfit for military service. He changed it to an objective test. If you could do the task with the kit in the time that's it. That would be a better idea. Oh and doubling sport at schools year one and again year two .

Samuel Gee, Farnham, UK

Did I miss something? I thought the UK was a democracy? You know, with an elected government that represents the people. Surely a proud people like the British would never let the government tell them how to raise their children. Maybe raising children has become a burden? It's too hard for the citizens to make family decissions. I'm sure there are mothers in the UK with poor judgement, "Here you go Johnny, have a few more chocolate bars. I like my little one plump." Teaching children to eat right is a parents responsibility, not governments. Next week they will be telling you what you can read and say to your children. Stalin is knocking, let's see if you let him in.

Albert, Indianapolis, IN, USA

We are now suffering for removing home ecconomics from the curriculm and reducing sport, selling off school playing fields and building houses with 8x 10 gargens with no play space for children. Will government look to the food manufacturers who fill our shops with food full of saturated fats and salt and many other chemicals and stop production. We lost the school nurse/doctor medical checks in cuts if they are to be brought back good but let parents attend these examinations and get some advice not a letter with no follow up. Lastly government and Mr Ainsley- Green who was a doctor and should know better have no right to assume every parent with a over weight child fills them with crisps and sweets it is grossly unfair. Many parents will be traumatised when they receive such letters who will listen to and support them. I have raised two children and care for four grandchildren shopping has become a nightmare every checkout is full of sweets and crisps stop it now.

margaret morrissey, Dorchester Dorset, England

Would there be an obesity problem if everyone was eating basic fresh meat and vegetable products? Probably not not. Take away the junk food from our shops and stores and the problem will go away. The real problem is our government is too weak to ban the junk food and all its derivatives. The best they could probably manage is to impose some form of higher tax on poor quality food!

Bob, London,

The hypocrisy of these (okay I won't swear but you get my level of anger I hope) is breathtaking. The education department gave the go ahead for my son's school to sell a playing field to a supermarket. So now the kids have no where to exercise but somewhere next to the school to buy fatty sugar and salt leaden food in their lunch break. And now the guy in charge of the department that allowed that to happen lectures us on fat kids. You really couldn't make it up.

Bill, Sheffield,

Folks only change their behavior when there are bad consequences to the behavior. National health care hides the costs of obesity from the offenders.

Every time an individual is relieved of a responsibility and it's passed to the "village", they'll blame village for the issue.

Obesity, I'm afraid, will continue to grow until individuals bear the cost of the malady.

John, Orlando, FL

This should not be down to the MP of this country doing anything and the fact they are shows that they care alot more for the children of this land then thier parents do! Both my parents worked and none of my siblings is fat and im not either. We eat the right balance of everything and treat were just that treat! not daily items to get us to be quiet. If parents do not have the time to provide thier children with a healthy start to life then they should not be having them! it really is as simple as that. There can be no excuse for anyone in this day and age to not know that to much sugar, fat and salt is not good for thier children. There can be no excuse for not taking time out of the day to play and read and teach our children what will help make the rest of thier lives more enjoyable. If you can not do this then DONT HAVE KIDS! If you already have them then do all you can to change things before its to late and they end up in hospital choking on all the fat.

Heather McSwain, York, UK

Before we start issuing letters to parents shouldnt the government be addressing the issue of the lack of sports facilities in schools. Our kids are lucky enough to receive a private education where they are expected to join in sports education every day. They are thin and fit. State schools too should have paid sports teachers so that children learn how to keep fit and use their leisure time usefully instead of loitering on street corners!!! Sports shouldnt just be for the priveliged few.

Jan, Reigate, UK

What scares me more than the letter home is the fact that it will stigmatise the children, that in all likelyhood will lead to bullying. I'm sorry that is wrong, I was bullied for sitting like a girl, when back at secondary school i was a man.

Nicola Clubb, Bournemouth,

Although child obesity is a growing problem it makes me angry that the focus is just on 'overweight' unhealthy kids!
I am overwieght and I am working hard to lose some weight yet I know for sure I am a lot healthier than a lot of my friends (who remain slim no matter what they eat)!
When friend of mine lives on take away food and junk food but is classed as underweight!

Healthy eating programs such as weightwatchers don't take into consideration factors such as cheast size, but if Iweighed how much they beleive is average for my age and height I'd look anorexic!

How much you weigh doesn't tell you as much as you might think!

Heather, Stockton, UK

Surely this is an infringement on the human rights of those children who suffer obesity because of a medical condition.
My grandchild has "Prada Willi Syndrome."
So in addition to the suffering this causes her she is to be ridiculed by other children at the school for being fat !

John Pinney., San Jose. Ibiza., Spain.

If you can be born into a minority status, surely you can be born "fat". This is civil rights issue, plan and simple.

Children have the right to be fat - it's not their fault. We need to accommodate these kids, not point at them and yell queer.

Look, we all know individual responsibility is old school, perhaps racist. Since the government and its experts already know what's good for us, just pass a law that requires everyone to eat healthy and exercise regularly.

The solution for this problem is simple, let’s not over think this.

Ray Young, Decatur, Indiana

Unbelievable! What will "progressives" think of next. Maybe only one child -- let's say a male. Wait, maybe the only intelligent children are blond and blue-eyed. Remember, only a few intelligent individuals really know what a real person should look and act like.

John Allan, warren, United States/Ohio

Gee - socialism is sure working nicely?

John K, Leeds, UK

As with everything it's another solution (if you can really call it that) than prevention. Why not just BAN unhealthy food? Why not put an age limit on McDonalds for example? and rather than make rubbish food cheap make it more expensive than fruit and veg. I know that will sound very stupid to some but i don't see why they can't. Oh, i know why, because it will mean the fat cats of these companies won't get their bonuses at the end of the year. damn. nevermind.......

Steve, Folkestone, Kent

Being overweight is already bad enough. Having society shun and chastise you incessantly with government approval is worse.

Brian Wohlgemuth, Huntington, IN, USA

The government should go ahead and put cameras in everybodys home to monitor the childrens weight. Then they will not even need a search warrant to kick your door in and haul you off to prison.

Steve, Sherman, Texas USA

Unbelieveable! if they want to tackle obesity why not make healthy foods cheaper and fattier foods more expensive. Processed awful food is readily available and cheap: what hard pushed parent with little money isn't going to buy it?
Its not only food - exercise is as important, but kids would rather sit at home watch tv and play video games. Weighing them is going to just be another statistic and another warning that people will ignore.
BMI doesn't even take into account those people who are fit but have more weight compared to height such as rugby players.

eleanor, bristol,

If done in the U.S. it would save billions in medicare-medicade and unite folks in a fight for good health similar to what was accomplished in the tobacco fight.

C., Houston , Tx/USA

It is wonderful that it has come to notice to this world that people are getting overweight due to lack of descipline or individualism ( I like to do what I want). However it should be the Churches and social groups should take lead on some sort of resolution of the problems and not Goverment. Just making a law does not resolve problem.

Kam Shah
Orlando FL

Kam Shah, Orlando , FLORIDA USA

You get what you vote for. How you Brits likin' that nanny state of yours?

Mark, Tuxedo, USA, New York

I applaud The Times for choosing such a highly amusing photograph to go with this article. Perhaps Mr Johnson should preface his speeches about obesity with "Do as I say, not as I do", although that would be unprecedented self-awareness from a Labour politican.
Still, one objects marginally less hearing it from Alan, than one would from old Presser.

Victoria, London, UK

I am appalled that, once again, we are bashing the victims. Healthy, nutritional food is much more expensive and difficult to get than cheaper, calorie-dense foods. Why aren't we going after McDonald's and Burger King's advertisements, which make it almost impossible not to buy their products ... also, with both parents having to work these days to keep their heads above water doesn't make things easier for the parents. It's easy if you have a nanny and unlimited funds to run your household, but otherwise it's extraordinarily difficult. I know ... thankfully my children were slim, but this was back in the '60s, when such products didn't have hold of the public the way they do now. Simply put, I think the Government, instead of dumping on the parents, should put their efforts into supplying access to healthier foods for the familys instead of their current punitive stance.

Gail K Dolly, McAlpin, Florida, USA

I always thought the term 'nanny state' might be a bit of an exaggeration, but stories such as this one point up the fact that --in Britain at least -- the intrusiveness of government now knows absolutely no bounds. What's next on their agenda, I wonder: a national bedtime?

David, New York, USA

Some parents may panic at the hint of being prosecuted and , lacking education, underfeed or restrict food in an unhealhty way in order to stay safe from authorities. Anyway I thought science by now has found that many overweight people are just hardwired to be that way? In any case this is the end result of all that "free" medicaid Britain (and Canada) are so darned proud of.. The government gets the right to poke their nose into a families affair because they don't want to pay for the ills of the obese!

cynthia, rochester, usa

It is basic common sense: discourage obesity by penalising fat people. They cannot get away with their bad habits and depend upon the state. It isn't fungible. Tax them out of their bad habits. They are a blot on the landscape.

Ollie, London, UK

Thousands of patients dying in dirty hospitals and here we have a Minister spending millions on telling parents thier kids are obese,next move will be a tax on Parents who are working to pay for children who will cost more than thin kids to treat on the NHS.What next,boot camps?

Rod Laight, Cradley Heath, United Kingdom

I can look at my kid and tell if he's fat, don't need an official letter telling me. He's not. Obese five year olds???? Lazy, bad parenting.

I agree with taxing the parents, they consume more, require more medical services and that will continue their whole life.

catherine, Charleston, USA

Since the UK has "free" healthcare, I think it only fair that its populace face a little responsibility for unhealthy lifestyle choices.
How about if parents are upset by the weighing issue, they can opt out of all UK social programs, including the free healthcare they currently enjoy?

CarolG
Wisconsin, USA

Carol, Madison,

What's next? The potty police making sure that people don't over-tax the sewer systems?

Scott, Boulder, USA Colorado

I am sure once we get "Hillary-care" (social medicine) we will have all these wonderful programs to *help* us too here in the USA.
Social medicine is the Pandora's Box to the Govt being involved in every aspect of your life.

Danny, Charlotte, NC

I'm waiting for the day when the government starts taking children away for being obese. I fear I won't have to wait very long.

Grisha, Jacksonville, Florida USA

My kids like to be fat and eat crisps and popcorn and tacos and sweets and milk chocolate and drink pop and watch telly. Exercise nauseates them. Homework, too. They want to be celebs when they grow up. I'm proud of them.

john problem, london,

Yawn! Another futile attempt at dealing with the consequences of the motor car and modern lifestyles requiring both parents to work.
Most parents will simply put such a letter in the bin. Of course, then there will be initiatives to stop other children calling overweight Jane and John fatty.

Eddie Reader, birmingham, uk

I think Mr Johnson himself looks a bit porky in the picture above. May be he should look into his own shopping basket before he starts snooping into mine.

Bruce Mcaaw, Grantham,

I think it is a good idea, but will MP's set us an example by ensuring all over weight MP's first lose weight ? or is it another case of do as I say, not as I do ?

roger, london,

Orwell was just a few years off. Maybe test tube babies are the answer for the UK, that way, the Gov't doesn't have to make a pretense of allowing parents to raise their kids as THEY SEE FIT, they can just raise them in warehouses like drone bees.

gunnyg, Montana Militia, USA

it doesnt help that the food children are still being fed in most UK schools are shocking unhealthy. My daughter put on weight immediately when she asked to change to school dinners so I am changing her back. The fat kids at my daughters school are left in the playgournd from 8.30 with money in their pockets and they are the ones who then pop off to the shop and get donuts/chocolate and crisps for breakfast. Agree that the supermarkets are also to blame tho'

AR, Brent, London,

We have recently learnt that drinking guidelines were plucked out of the air by officials. What about obesity? On what basis is the BMI of 30 said to be clinically obese?

Edwin Thornber, Bucharest,

We already DO educate the parents and children, Neil. Who doesn't know they should eat 5 fruit and veg per day, exercise more and eat less fatty, sugary and processed food? It's not a matter of education, it's more a matter of getting these people to act on what they know.

nixx, manchester, UK

From what I have seen of grossly overweight children the parents are very often obese as well. What about them? Surely education of parents and children is required, not Orwellian "warnings". Another useful move would be to curb the activities of the objectionable multinational fast food outlets such as MacDonalds and KFC, that serve overpriced rubbish to ignorant people and help fuel the obesity problem.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

Obesity is the stigma. It is also a warning of future health problems which has profound implications for both the individual and society. Advising parents of this risk to their child's well being is not Orwellian, it is sensible. The question remains; what do we do if this advice is ignored? Does the state step in to protect the child, not a good idea given the track record of governments of all colours, or does it do nothing but stand back and watch?

Bill Q, Derby,

Wow a letter and a website. That should do the trick eh?

How about a more fundamental approach: doing something about the fact that English supermarkets are full to the brim of crap processed food and the fact that decent food is tasteless because it's all imported?

Jon Leigh, Southern, France

It may sound like BIG BROTHER but who will pay for their health care in the years to come? I think we ought to tax people with fat kids. We tax bigger cars and bigger houses-why not bigger children. In America we have a gazsguzzler tax on larger cars. These cars use more fuel and damage the roads, Fat children are a dreain on our health care system.

bernard, myrtle Beach, USA South Carolina.

Another unthinking Orwell quoting drone....

Parents have a responsibilty towards their children and their wellbeing, unfortunately many parents do not appear to be taking this responsibility seriously.

If a child was encouraged to smoke and drink we would consider this as child abuse. Allowing your child to become obese is another form of child abuse. Some children have to be protected from the ignorance or the lack of care from their parents.

Paul, Esher,

Big Brother takes another step forward. No need to read George Orwell, just watch the UK.

Terrence, Glenview, Illinois USA