Puerto Rican legislators propose to fine parents of children with obesity

Puerto Rican officials are addressing the issue of childhood obesity by recommending a $500 to $800 fine for parents of children with obesity, according to a press release.

Parents in the United States territory of Puerto Rico would be fined if their children’s health conditions do not improve following parent-focused education on obesity. The Obesity Society (TOS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) call the legislators’ solution a “misguided policy,” according to the release.

“Obesity is a disease, not a choice made by parents or their children,” Nikhil Dhurandhar, PhD, FTOS, president of TOS and professor and chair of the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University, said in the press release. “The development of obesity and resistance to weight loss is multifactorial, stemming from a variety of issues, including those that are biological, genetic, environmental and societal. A simplistic view of obesity and its treatment shows gross disregard for currently available scientific information.”

Legislators claim the penalty is an effort meant to encourage parents to improve their families’ healthy lifestyles. However, research suggests that obesity-targeted policies result in unintended consequences and limits the ability to create a policy that could have a greater impact on obesity, according to the release.

“The political efforts in Puerto Rico should consider a focus on incentives, such as those to buy healthier foods, and improved education and access to professional support services that can help parents better understand obesity and take steps to improve their children’s nutritional health and weight,” Jose Fernandez, PhD, FTOS, professor of nutrition science at the University of Alabama, said in the release.