I don’t think we’re just talking about a risk of high blood pressure or heart disease here. We don’t know how tall the kid is, but the article says the average weight for his age is 60 lbs, so if he is an average height, then he is 333% of the average weight. Comparatively, my average weight should be about 180 lbs, so if I was as obese as this kid, I would weigh 600 lbs. That would make me morbidly obese, or in imminent danger of dropping dead at any moment.
I am not saying that this child isn’t heavy. He obviously must be. That being said, has all medical issues and conditions been ruled out? I don’t like the average weight per age rule. For one thing, there are different body types. One cannot compare, for example, a short/thin eight year old vs a bigger boned eight year old. My best hope for this family is that the parents get some assistance/guidance with this child. I also hope the removal of a little kid from the family who loves him and shoved into a foster care home doesn’t present permanent psychological issues. I feel sorry for this little kid for a number of reasons.