North Carolina Officials Threaten to Take 250-Pound 7-Year-Old From Mom

Fox ^ | Friday, March 23, 2007

[COUNTrecount]

TRYON, N.C. — A North Carolina mom has two months to get her 250-pound son's weight down before Polk County social workers decide whether to remove him from her home.

Justin Painter is only 7 years old but already weighs more than many adults.

Joyce Painter said she's taken her son to different doctors over the past four years, but no one has been able to pinpoint the cause of his obesity. She also says she keeps her son active. Painter said she began noticing her son putting on a lot of weight when he was 3 years old.

Most doctors told her to watch his diet. Painter said she's done her best to make sure Justin is not eating more than he should. She told WSPA-TV in South Carolina that she gives Justin one plate of food at meals, complete with vegetables, and doesn't give him chips or cookies.

"I do the best I can to cook him healthy meals and everything," Painter told WSPA-TV. "If I'm doing something wrong, show me, show me what I'm doing … if there's something in there I shouldn't have, show me so I can throw it out:"

The Division of Social Services has threatened to remove Justin from their home if he doesn't lose weight.

[lepton]

(1) Have to wonder how heavy the mom is, and... (2) No mention of a dad....

Last I saw, PWS is caused by genetic damage, and occurs spotaneously (the parents don't have to have had it, and generally don't). The woman I know with PWS has two normal-sized parents, as well as normal-sized, athletic siblings.

[HangnJudge]

Prader-Willi Syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prader-Willi_syndrome

Dusting off ancient training in pediatrics 26 years ago...

[devane617]

What the heck do you do with a naughty 250lb 7 year old?

[proudpapa]

Dang. This is just sad.

I thought my 9 yo was a big kid at 5'1 and 105 lbs.

[Calpernia]

Let's see.

7 years old.

Obese.

Threats of losing family.

Prepubescent gawkiness now plastered in international news.

Perception of all that is wrong is his fault.

Great job DSS. This child will be in and out of psychiatric offices for the rest of his life. I know, it's for the children!

[Old Professer]

Emulating GB?

[manic4organic]

LMAO!

[psjones]

Mom, is, to put it bluntly, fat. Saw her on Fox this morning.

[This Just In]

I'm disappointed in the article, which fails to give us a lot of information except for the fact that the child is over 250 lbs., and that Social Services is threatening to take him from the mother.

We are not told what his diet consist of. His could have a medical condition. The mother stated that she's taken him to several medicals doctors in an effort to find out why her son is gaining weight. Judging by the article, it would appear that the parent has been in the process of trying to help her son.

Fellow FReepers may wish to refrain from being critical of the fact that there's no mention of the father. This simply means there's no mention of the father. The article did not mention whether or not he is in the family, or dead, or whatever.

I am hoping the child has a medical condition, and that if this is the case, he can be successfully treated.

[TommyDale]

"But Mom, I'm not hungry!"

"Eat anyway, son, to keep from getting hungry!"

[Old Professer]

The issue here is one of parental rights; while we can all agree that balloons don't fill themselves, that doesn't give us or the state the right to confiscate the balloons.

[Calpernia]

I think you missed the perception of my post.

[basil]

There is at least one obsecure medical condition that can cause this...small hands is a clue. No mention of it in the article.

There sure is--and I can't think of the name of it either. I have 2 nieces with it--and they are from different sides of the family.

[Old Professer]

You would rather he be sick than just having bad judgement?

Feed him empty calories or lots of fibre; keep his stomach full and his bowels active.

[Old Professer]

I was trying to illustrate it.

[This Just In]

Well said.

If DSS has failed to recognized that fact that the boys could have a medical condition, and removes him from his home, then treat him by placing the son on a diet, they'll actually exacerbate the problem.

[ozarkgirl]

I don't believe in government control AT ALL! But, as a mother, if there's a chance of her losing the child (right or wrong), I'd be working that kids butt off in a gym or on a treadmill. I'd be feeding him only veggies and meat (Atkins), whatever it took, I'd do it to keep my child from additional trauma of being taken away. Just a few pounds would keep the "family services" at bay.

[LibWhacker]

mom has two months to get her 250-pound son's weight down

Two months? Kid needs to be in the hospital. NOW. If he's got some kind of medical condition, he needs to be hospitalized. If his mother's shoving cheesecake down his throat non-stop, he needs to be removed from her custody temporarily until the authorities can figure out what in the heck is going on.

[This Just In]

"You would rather he be sick than just having bad judgment?"

Your assumption isn't the only way to confront the problem. The article makes not mention of whether the child's diet is healthy or not. Let us say that he eats a well balanced diet and exercises regularly. If this were the case, then obviously it is not a question of unhealthy living, but rather a possible medical problem.

It is rather simplistic to say that if the child had a regular, healthy bowel movement with a diet high in fiber and nutritious, he'll be good to go.

[LibWhacker]

You tell him, "No tub of ice cream for you today!"