Chef takes parents of obese kids to task

London -- British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay took parents of obese children to task, saying they should be taken to court and fined.

Ramsay, a father of four, said he thinks the threat of legal action may be the only way to get parents to understand the dangers of letting their children overeat, The Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

"If kids become obese and out of control, then seriously fine the parents and threaten them with a court appearance because they often don't realize what they are doing," said Ramsay, star of reality-based shows on both sides of the Atlantic. "If you're going to be a healthy nation then you've got to discipline the parents for having no control."

Ramsay, whose comments appeared in Men's Health magazine, said children carry psychological baggage if they're humiliated about their weight. He said one of his children has been teased.

He said shock tactics could be used to teach children about the dangers of junk food.

"That documentary, 'Super Size Me,' (which examines obesity) scares the hell out of my children," Ramsay said. "And you have to scare them like that to make them understand it's not good for you."

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.