A New Cultural Revolution

I wish this surprised or even shocked me. True, this is Dundee, but even so...

Six young brothers and sisters face being taken from their parents and put into care because they are overweight.

Social workers have warned they will intervene if three of the youngsters – including a 12-year-old boy who weighs 16 stone – do not shed several pounds in three months.

The parents have been told they risk losing all their children if there is no improvement in the 12-year-old or two of his sisters aged 11 and three – who weigh 12 stone and four stone – by June.

The family have also been ordered to send their children to dance and football* lessons to help them lose weight.

The shocking development highlights Britain's childhood obesity crisis, which has already forced those as young as 13 to seek NHS weight-loss surgery.

Emphasis added, of course, since Britain's interfering government crisis would make more sense. Even if you granted the council's interest in monitoring the weight of the three fat kids (which obviously I would not) how can anyone defend removing from their parents the three children who do not appear to be obese?

One has little reason, god help us, to expect much better from moronic local government. But it shouldn't be beyond conservatives to be just a little bit less absurd than these clowns. Sadly that's also more than can be hoped for. To wit:

Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP for Mid- Bedfordshire and a former nurse, described the measure as "draconian".

"A far more sensible and cost-effective solution would be for the local authority to provide round-the-clock support within the home, aimed at both assisting the children in attaining a healthier lifestyle and educating the parents," she said.

Words come close to failing me.

*Yeah, well if local government hadn't sold off all the bloody sports pitches perhaps the kids might get some exercise at school. Plus, as the lord knows, we need all the footballers we can get.. Also prop forwards, now that I think of it.

[Hat-tip, David Farrer]