Connor McCreaddie, an 8 year old, has made a big splash because of his weight. In December, he weighed 218 pounds (97 kg), three times of the weight of an average child his age. As The Sun fascinatingly puts it, he "has broken four beds, five bikes and six toilet seats due to his bulk" and "cannot even manage the five-minute walk to school without getting out of breath or being sick."
Situation had gotten so bad that last week there was talk of Connor being taken away from his family and put under protective custody of social care authorities. Apparently, one of the arguments was that letting Connor binge amounted to child abuse.
Well, the sages have weighed in. Connor remains at home. But for some, the questions remain: Is it a form of abuse? Is Connor a victim?
There are alleged victims at the other end of spectrum too. The ongoing debate on 'size zero' fashion models and the effect they have as role models has had the government weighing in against the "cult of size zero" and "tyranny of thinness". The BBC news article also shows a picture of the Brazilian model who died weighing just 88 pounds (39 kg).
What happened to old-fashioned images of weight-challenge, namely those of starving children? How do the new victims like Connor and size-zero models compare with old ones? I cannot help thinking that the 'victim culture' is being taken a bit too far.
Also, should the government or state authorities get involved at all? No wonder, even the TV ads have started taking the mickey out of the 'nanny state.'
What happened to the notion of personal responsibility?
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