Recently, the "little internet celebrity" girl, Peggy, has attracted social attention. Her parents stated in a video posted on a video website that the 3-year-old Peggy weighed 70 kilograms. Some netizens questioned that Peggy’s parents were circling traffic and eyeballs, and regardless of their children’s health, they let their children eat and broadcast and feed their children into obese children.
What are the health risks of children who are overweight? How to correct the uncontrolled and unhealthy feeding method of parents? On August 24, The Paper interviewed pediatric experts and lawyers.
Yang Li, director of the Department of Endocrinology, Genetics and Metabolism, Jiangxi Children's Hospital, told The Paper that obesity in girls can easily cause diseases such as precocious puberty and early bone age. She said that without intervention, one-third of obese children will still be obese until adolescence, and there will be potential threats such as arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and infertility.
Zhao Liangshan, a senior partner and attorney of Shaanxi Hengda Law Firm, said that if parents allow their children to eat unhealthy junk food in a sick manner, causing damage to their children’s health, they should be regarded as an irresponsible behavior. When it comes to guardianship responsibility, it is recommended that the neighborhood committee or village committee in the jurisdiction and the police station can intervene to educate the child’s family. If parents force their children to eat in order to gain online attention and gain benefits, if the circumstances are serious, the parents may be suspected of abuse of the guardian or caretaker.
At the same time, Zhao Liangshan emphasized that if Peggy’s obesity in the video is pathological obesity and has nothing to do with her guardian’s forced eating, then the guardian does not need to bear legal responsibility.
According to Red Star News, videos about Peggy are mainly posted on the watermelon video platform. On August 24, the platform responded that the relevant accounts and videos have been "banned."
However, Peggy's parents have not yet voiced the online questioning.
Expert: Child obesity can cause precocious puberty, early bone age, etc.
Screenshots of content posted by Page's video account. Source: Zhuzhou Daily Official Account
According to a report by @看新闻KNEWS on August 24, "Little Net Red" Peggy has an appetite for eating, causing concern. Many netizens commented that “watching Peggy’s food is very appetizing,” and some parents also expressed their envy of Peggy’s eating. A year ago, Peggy was just a little fat. But a year later, in May 2020, the three-year-old Peggy weighed 50 pounds; 2 months later, Peggy gained another 20 pounds. At the same time, Peggy’s videos posted online carry labels such as "a surprising amount of food" and "eating in a few seconds". The diet is mostly high-calorie foods such as burgers, fried chicken, cola, and instant noodles. This caused concerns among netizens.
The screenshots and videos of the video forwarded by the media showed that Peggy sent high-calorie foods such as burgers and fried chicken into her mouth at will. Peggy's legs were suspected to be deformed and she was shaking when she walked.
According to Yang Li, director of the Department of Endocrinology, Genetics and Metabolism, Jiangxi Children's Hospital, compared with adult obesity, childhood obesity is more harmful to the body. Child obesity will not only lead to fat cell hypertrophy, but also increase fat cells, increasing the difficulty of losing weight.
Yang Li said that obesity in children can easily cause complications such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and impaired respiratory function, and obesity in girls can easily cause precocious puberty and early bone age. Without intervention, one-third of obese children will still be obese in adolescence, with potential threats such as arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and infertility.
It is not clear if there are other reasons for Peggy's obesity. Regarding the situation in the video that Peggy gained 20 pounds in two months, Yang Li said that it may be caused by overeating. At this time, parents should remain vigilant and check whether the child is pathologically obese.
Yang Li suggested that parents should help their children develop a healthy lifestyle, eat a light diet and exercise. Try not to consume high-calorie foods such as beverages, chicken and duck skins, and fatty meat. If the child is found to be obese, he must go to a regular hospital for treatment.
Lawyer: Irresponsible feeding method or even forced feeding, serious circumstances or suspected of abuse
Peggy's weight condition continues to cause concern. Some netizens questioned that Peggy’s parents disregarded the health of their children; some netizens believed that Peggy’s parents were using their children to make money and reported to the video platform.
The Paper found that the video account of Peggy could not be found on the watermelon video platform, and no related videos of Peggy could be searched.
According to a Red Star News report on August 24, Watermelon Video responded that due to the high density of complaints, relevant accounts and videos have been "banned."
According to the report, the previous review found that Peggy's video was mainly posted on the watermelon video platform. Peggy’s first video was released on October 19, 2018. Her body is relatively well-proportioned; by August 2019, her weight has reached 50 kg, and her body has become significantly fatter. In the video a month ago, the title will contain words such as "overweight" and "can eat": "The father of a 70-jin three-year-old little fat girl took him to dinner, and he drank a bottle of beverage, half a chicken, and a bowl of noodles.
The report also stated that many netizens paid attention to the changes in Peggy in the video, and suggested to her parents that she should be tested and pay attention to a balanced diet. However, Peggy’s parents ignored the relevant suggestions and continued to let their children eat barbecue, skewers, Grilled sausages. Even though Peggy had asked, "Don't make it, don't make it, don't make it," in the middle of the eating process, her parents still agreed while filling the plate she had just emptied.
At present, Peggy's parents have not yet responded to the questions raised by netizens.
Lawyer Zhao Liangshan said that under normal circumstances, the behavior of parents forcing their children to eat healthy food does not involve illegality. If parents force their children to eat unhealthy and unhygienic junk food, and the child’s health is seriously damaged, the starting point is not for the child’s health, but a pathological way of feeding.
Zhao Liangshan pointed out that if the child’s family members are willing to eat burgers, fried chicken, cola, instant noodles and other high-calorie foods for their own economic interests, in order to make videos, they will be obese. The family members should behave inappropriately. Treated as an irresponsible behavior. This kind of irresponsibility can be regarded as failing to fulfill the responsibility of guardianship. It is recommended that the neighborhood committee or village committee of the area where the child is located, and the police station intervene to educate the child’s family.
He also said that if the child is found to be seriously overweight and affects his health, the parents still force eating to gain online attention. If the circumstances are serious, they are suspected of abuse of the guardian or caretaker and can be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of up to 3 years or criminal detention. However, if Peggy’s obesity in the video is pathological obesity and has nothing to do with her guardian’s forced eating, then the guardian does not need to bear legal responsibility.
Zhao Liangshan suggested that minors are the key objects of legal protection in our country. Parents should not use their children as a tool to achieve a certain purpose, so as not to end up playing with fire and self-immolation. They should properly use their own guardianship, and all start from the children's own health and healthy growth.