Posted on 11/29/2011 5:49:42 AM PST by Libloather
Case of 200-pound 8-year-old in Ohio renews question: Should parents of obese lose custody?
Article by: THOMAS J. SHEERAN, Associated Press
Updated: November 29, 2011 - 7:16 AM
CLEVELAND - The case of an 8-year-old Cleveland Heights boy taken from his family because he weighs more than 200 pounds has renewed a debate on whether parents should lose custody if a child is severely obese.
The boy was removed from his family and was placed in foster care in October after county case workers said his mother wasn't doing enough to control his weight. The boy, at his weight, is considered at risk for developing such diseases as diabetes and high blood pressure. Government growth charts say most boys his age weigh about 60 pounds.
Roughly 2 million U.S. children are extremely obese — weighing significantly more than what's considered healthy.
Cuyahoga County removed the boy because case workers considered the mother's inability to get his weight down a form of medical neglect. The county's Children and Family Services agency said Monday it stood by its custody move, which was approved by a judge.
"We have worked very hard with this family for 20 months before it got to this point," agency Administrator Patricia Rideout said.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Should parents of anorexic children lose custody?
Should parents of depressed children lose custody?
Should parents of socially inept children lose custody?
200 pounds? What were they feeding him? Triple Baconators?
bur putting an 8 year old on sex change drugs is not a problem?
No photos of the big fat kid??? I am disappointed in this news story
Should parents of obese lose custody?
...........only if they are Browns fans. /s
Yes! The moment the kid is 3-4 oz overweight. (and parents should be forced to take a child to a government weigh station every week) If there is even the slightest scent of Twinkie on the childs breath, the parents will be jailed! ~ sarc (wouldn’t surprise me)
Sexual psychosis, in every manifestation, is a protected constitutional right. Being fat is unforgivably unfashionable.
I once knew a 10 year old boy that weighed 205 pounds. His mother was also severely obese which makes me wonder what the mother weighs in this story. If she is close to a normal weight, this may be something besides overeating. Either way, the government has no business taking this kid.
Bingo!
Believe this is an adopted child - so some Govt. adoption agency is complicit.
I hereby call for the firing of all obese social workers.
The kid probably needs more bacon and less pasta.
My gues is that the parents are very overweight as well. Nontheless, it ain’t the stinking govt’s business.
Boiling the frog, IMHO. First they come for the overweight kids... If this is allowed to stand, what is next? Parents who home school? (they deprive their children of socialization). Parents who take their kids to a conservative church? (the children are being brainwashed that abortion is murder and homosexuality is wrong). The list is endless if you think about it.
Should out-of-control governments lose legitimacy?
Generally speaking no, but we really need to know more about the case.
What is the cause of the weight gain?
A 200 pound 8 year old is unusual. It could indicate a medical condition beyond the parents control. Or it could indicate neglect.
I have an 8 year old son. I would never want him taken from me, ever. But I can’t for the life of me figure out how any 8 year old could get to 200 pounds. That has to pose a severe health risk.
Without the medical file on this boy, it is difficult to know if this rises to the level of danger to the child.
I’ll bet both mom and dad are severely obese. In the article, Mom says she’s doing everything to help him control his weight. I’m going to call B.S. on this one. My bet is these kids haven’t eaten a fruit or veggie in their life. Lots of Mickey D’s. I don’t know what the answer to this is because it’s a fairly new pheonomina. Truly 50 years ago you didn’t have 450 pound parents with 200 pound 10 year olds. The only thing heriditary is their diet.
College scouts are probably already looking his way.
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