Doctors are developing protocols to refer obese children to Child, Youth and Family (CYF) protection services if their parents ignore medical advice to help their children lose weight.
Many of the children have obstructive sleep apnoea, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and diabetes, fatty liver disease or mental health issues such as poor self-esteem or depression.
The move follows an initiative by Perth's Princess Margaret Children's Hospital where interventions had been put in place for 15 children so far. In two cases the parents responded as soon as they realised the serious risk to their children, but the other 13 were referred to the state's child protection service. Nine were left at home and four were moved to other carers.
A third to half of the children were Aboriginal, often in remote areas. Many had other issues in their families such as parental drug use, violence and mental health issues.
