Puerto Rico is debating a bill to fine parents of obese children

Obesity is a significant problem in Puerto Rico — and legislators have a unique idea for how to deal with it.

Legislators are debating a bill that would fine Puerto Rican parents up to $800 if their children are obese. More than 28 percent of children in Puerto Rico are considered obese — for reference, 18 percent of children in the U.S. mainland are considered obese.

Under the proposed law, teachers in public schools would refer potentially obese children to counselors or social workers, who would create a six-month diet and exercise program with the children's parents, complete with monhly visits. If the children's health doesn't improve, the parents may be fined between $500 and $800.

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Not everyone in Puerto Rico is on board, though — the Puerto Rico chapter president of the American Academy of Pediatrics has spoken against the proposal. Public hearings for the bill will begin Friday.