The suggested piece of legislation calls for parents to be issued with three official warnings if their children are obese, followed by formal prosecution. These parents could potentially face up to two years behind bars for child abuse and their children could also be put into the care system to be fed a calorie-controlled diet.
The controversial weight loss expert says: "We need to wake up to the fact that stuffing a little child full of junk food is child abuse, pure and simple. Any parent who thinks they are treating their child by feeding him or her chocolate and cakes until they’re rolling to school is dangerously deluded.”
Speaking about his proposal, Steve says: "Childhood obesity is spiralling out of control and like it or lump it we need to address the issue head on to protect our future generations.
“This reluctance to confront the issue is leading to fatter and fatter children and a bigger and bigger bill for the NHS. We need to get to the root of the problem - the parents. They should know better than to stuff their kids’ faces with junk food and fizzy drinks.
"It might sound harsh but obesity is one of the biggest problems facing the NHS and we have to get tough on it as a nation so that we help our kids live a healthy long life."
Steve Miller has had a number of run-ins over his opinions in the past, especially with positive body image advocates. Rivkie Baum, the editor of plus-size magazine Slink, attacked Steve earlier this year after he promoted a Warn A Friend They're Fat Day.
After reading the proposed Child Obesity Act, Rivkie says it will do more harm than good. "After teaming up with Anna Scholz last week to host a highly successful panel discussion with mental and physical health experts, the overriding message was that better education and support is needed to help guide parents and children in better eating habits.
"Information supplied to parents is often confusing and misleading especially when it comes to things like fruit juices, high in sugar yet labelled as one of your five a day.”
She added: "Rather than punishing children by ripping them from their family and throwing them into what is often seen to be an inadequate care system.”
