I agree, quite dreadful. But the report doesn't say (or at least I didn't see it) how the child became so obese. I'm sure that even people new to parenting must have some idea when their child should see a doctor. For all we know, the poor child could have had a bad genetic makeup, making her extremely vulnerable to obesity, even though her diet was normal. I mean, come on, 38 kg for a three-year old! If that doesn't set off major alarm bells you're not fit to be a parent in the first place.
I do wonder what effect a ban on targetted advertising would have, though. Children only need to be introduced to the Bad Stuff once to get hooked: they are damned bright when it comes to junk food. And heck, with the Internet, game consoles and DVD movies, who would want to go outside and play in the mud in order to burn off the calories?