TO WEIGH, or not to weigh. That is the question. Today we feature stories about the issue of obesity and address whether we should be weighing our children or not.

Our primary care trust says such information enables the NHS to help children beat fitness problems, low self-esteem, social discrimination and bullying.

On the other hand, Brookes food expert Prof Jeya Henry believes weighing young children does little to tackle obesity and could even hurt them psychologically.

He says families should concentrate on preparing and eating homemade meals to tackle the problem.

All sound advice.

Then we have the incredible story of Iain Playdon, who lost 15 stone — more than half his bodyweight — in less than a year.

He says staying thin is all about eating in moderation, discipline and taking responsibility.

But when it comes to children, he says they shouldn’t be made to worry too much about what they eat and that parents must take primary responsibility.

Again, all sound advice.

There is no doubt of the importance of keeping our children fit and healthy and able to enjoy life to the full.

It is hard also to deny the importance of the Government’s policy of monitoring children’s weight so that it can, in turn, monitor its own success at tackling childhood obesity.

Yet, as with so many contentious issues, common sense must be allowed to prevail. A child is the responsibility first and foremost of its parents, not the Government.