The obesity epidemic and the victimisation of children

Melbourne newspaper, The Age, today had a good piece by paediatrician Zoe McCallum, talking about the problems of dealing with children’s weight in a constructive way. The rhetoric of the believers in the obesity epidemic is strident and frequently demeaning, and initiatives to improve child health run the risk of damaging children.

I’ve written elsewhere (at I eat I drink I work — Article: A lightweight epidemic?) about obesity and the poor evidence for a global epidemic, dubious causes and suitable treatments. Zoe McCallum of course follows the standard ‘wisdom’ that treats the obesity ‘crisis’ as fact, but that notwithstanding, I liked her main point.