I mean, what stopped them from doing this when the kid was say, 444 pounds or 333 pounds or even 222 pounds?

I find it odd that we punish people who beat their kids, berate their kids, lock kids in closets, tie them down, and even for spanking them, but we get all bent out of shape if someone allows their kid to grow to enormous proportions, as if they should get a free ride.

Honestly, what gives? Don't you think that odd? Health is health is health. I grew up in a very abusive household, we didn't have eating disorders (to this day, I can't figure out why), but we did have massive mental and physical abuse, but back in the day, all that crap was kept behind closed doors. Thank god, people who were abuse are now, coming forward.

So perhaps what we are finally seeing the same here, with these cases of obese kids being abused via poor nutrition, being reported in the news and highlighting inattentive, ignorant parents feeding their kids garbage or not teaching them what to eat or how to eat, are finally being brought to light.

An argument could be made, "well, these people are poor and uneducated, so therefore don't have the knowledge, tools or means to properly feed their kids". What are the excuses for classical physical and mental abusers? "Well, these people are poor and uneducated so there for don't have the knowledge, tools or means to properly raise kids without hitting them or treating them like shit". Sorry, but the argument cuts both ways. Lack of education and or tools aren't excuses reserved exclusively for the poor and under educated.

We are led to believe that because a person is basically good but allows their children to subsist on crap food, that they should be forgiven. Do you know what it costs to maintain calorie count for a person of 555 pounds, on a daily basis, to maintain that level of weight? That money that is used to feed this child garbage food, could have been used to feed that child nutritious food. The problem, just like classic abusers, is willful ignorance. For a variety of mental health problems the parent either is fully aware of what is wrong or willingly pushes the issue aside due to personal mental issues.

Like the father beating the child in hopes that the child will "learn his or her lesson", the parent who feeds the child is hoping that under nourishing the child with "easy food", that they will be just fine. So instead of beating them, they starve them to death. Yes, contrary to popular belief a fat person can starve to death from lack of nutrients.

Poverty and lack of time, play a giant roll in lack of nutrition in our society. But given the obvious high calorie count that this child receives on a daily basis, money isn't the issue.

However, at some point, when the intake of food supersedes the basic needs of the child's welfare for good nutrition, that is abuse.