Morbidly Obese Children- Abused?
NotJustADieter
Posts: 229 Member
Saw this article today: http://news.sky.com/story/1276875/parents-arrested-over-obese-11-year-old-son
The child is 11 years old, 5'1, and 15 stone. BMI of almost 42. The child protective services took him away.
So, here's the question: Do you consider it child abuse?? I see it from both sides, but I lean towards yes.
The child is 11 years old, 5'1, and 15 stone. BMI of almost 42. The child protective services took him away.
So, here's the question: Do you consider it child abuse?? I see it from both sides, but I lean towards yes.
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Replies
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I can't say I'd call it abuse, but I would definitely call it horrible parenting.0
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Oh wow. Take away the Wii and send him outside.0
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If a child's health is put at risk for the choices of their parents (I doubt this 11 year old shops for and prepares the meals) then yes, I consider it abuse/neglect. Should the child be taken away? I don't know, this appears to have been an escalated issue. The parents sound ignorant of basic health. I do think the entire family needs nutritional counseling and regular appointments with a nutritionist & GP to monitor the child's health there after. A parent's job is to care for the needs of their children and prepare them to become well functioning adults. If they don't know how to do this, they need to seek help or be prepared for an intervention.
The bottom line: 15 stone (210 lbs) at 11 years old... totally inappropriate. This child is on his way to be a government supported young person on disability. Better they intervene now then pay the costs later.0 -
i think the net result is that its abuse, but in reality is far more complicated then that.
removing the child from the family is a stupid 'quick fix' that will only further emotionally disturb everyone involved.
they should force the whole family do go to some kind of classes/counciling.
if they refuse to go or there is no improvement, perhaps then there is a call for more drastic steps..
maybe they did that, idk, didn't read the article0 -
i think the net result is that its abuse, but in reality is far more complicated then that.
removing the child from the family is a stupid 'quick fix' that will only further emotionally disturb everyone involved.
they should force the whole family do go to some kind of classes/counciling.
if they refuse to go or there is no improvement, perhaps then there is a call for more drastic steps..
maybe they did that, idk, didn't read the article
From what I gatherewd, the doctors already tried this, many times, and the parents shrugged it off with the all so famous line, "our families are just fat, so we cant lose the weight". It's just genetic blah blah blah. I understand genetics plays a role and there are some special catepillars that, no matter how hard they try, can never turn into butterflies but for the most part and for most people, anyone can lose the weight. Stop eating so much and get active.0 -
We do not know all the facts. Remember those children with brittle bones and parents being accused of abuse. Other child care services had been involved and I get the impression, possibly wrongly, the child's weight was one of several issues on their parenting.
Please remember there can be many reasons for being over weight boiling down to some part of the system not functioning like the healthy majority. I have spent a life time getting to the bottom of my problems, and I'm not finished yet.0 -
nevermind
too tough of a subject0 -
nevermind
too tough of a subject
+10 -
nevermind
too tough of a subject
+1
There is no black and white, only many shades of grey.0 -
nevermind
too tough of a subject
+1
There is no black and white, only many shades of grey.
How many shades?
Oh, and I'm not even going to try to tackle this old chestnut.0 -
I'll stay out of this one but in for the responses0
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I'm an American teacher. I had a fourth grade student who was very morbidly obese. The child wasn't ridiculed much more than any other child, but he was unable to participate in recess and PE activities, often held up his bus because he simply couldn't walk fast enough, and struggled to fit into the desks. The child's life was being impacted negatively by his weight. In the U.S., I'm not sure we're at the point where social services would step in: no where in any of my abuse recognition training was overweight children listed as a sign of neglect, only underweight. However, I do think this is very similar to malnutrition or other forms of neglect. I parent that knowingly contributes to a child being unhealthy in a way that could be life-threatening is neglect in my eyes. My husband was over 300 lbs in high school and his parents saw nothing wrong with it. My husband and I live a fairly healthy lifestyle and strive to be healthier, and we would take it very seriously if our child was eating so unhealthily that she became obese. All children go through cycles of growth where they gain weight, then grow into it, but there is a big difference between "chubby" and obese. And now I step off my soapbox
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In... before the lock.
Controversial topic is controversial and should be handled on a case-by-case basis.
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I'm an American teacher. I had a fourth grade student who was very morbidly obese. The child wasn't ridiculed much more than any other child, but he was unable to participate in recess and PE activities, often held up his bus because he simply couldn't walk fast enough, and struggled to fit into the desks. The child's life was being impacted negatively by his weight. In the U.S., I'm not sure we're at the point where social services would step in: no where in any of my abuse recognition training was overweight children listed as a sign of neglect, only underweight. However, I do think this is very similar to malnutrition or other forms of neglect. I parent that knowingly contributes to a child being unhealthy in a way that could be life-threatening is neglect in my eyes. My husband was over 300 lbs in high school and his parents saw nothing wrong with it. My husband and I live a fairly healthy lifestyle and strive to be healthier, and we would take it very seriously if our child was eating so unhealthily that she became obese. All children go through cycles of growth where they gain weight, then grow into it, but there is a big difference between "chubby" and obese. And now I step off my soapbox
Did you share your concerns with the parents? Point them toward resources that could help?
In regards to the OP, the family was already well known by Social Services, so there were probably more factors at play in the kid's removal from the home.0 -
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I'm an American teacher. I had a fourth grade student who was very morbidly obese. The child wasn't ridiculed much more than any other child, but he was unable to participate in recess and PE activities, often held up his bus because he simply couldn't walk fast enough, and struggled to fit into the desks. The child's life was being impacted negatively by his weight. In the U.S., I'm not sure we're at the point where social services would step in: no where in any of my abuse recognition training was overweight children listed as a sign of neglect, only underweight. However, I do think this is very similar to malnutrition or other forms of neglect. I parent that knowingly contributes to a child being unhealthy in a way that could be life-threatening is neglect in my eyes. My husband was over 300 lbs in high school and his parents saw nothing wrong with it. My husband and I live a fairly healthy lifestyle and strive to be healthier, and we would take it very seriously if our child was eating so unhealthily that she became obese. All children go through cycles of growth where they gain weight, then grow into it, but there is a big difference between "chubby" and obese. And now I step off my soapbox
Did you share your concerns with the parents? Point them toward resources that could help?
In regards to the OP, the family was already well known by Social Services, so there were probably more factors at play in the kid's removal from the home.
I wasn't the child's primary teacher, but his homeroom teacher and past teachers has all had conversations with the parents and the school counselor. I just don't think it was without our realm to truly do much about it...0 -
how is it controversial? it's blatant abuse and neglect
"you can be genetically fat" did make me laugh though0 -
I would def say NEGLECT not abuse. Abuse would be more of verbal or physical. Just my opinion 0
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My sister is a foster mom. She got one child who was 6 years old and weighed over 110 pounds. The parents never let him outside to play and obviously overfed him junk. There were other abuses going on also. I don't think he has been with my sister a year and has lost all the excess weight and looks like a normal. healthy little boy. I definitely think it is abuse when it gets to this extreme.0
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how is it controversial? it's blatant abuse and neglect
"you can be genetically fat" did make me laugh though
do you have children?0 -
I have 3 children and a grandchild, why?0
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how is it controversial? it's blatant abuse and neglect
"you can be genetically fat" did make me laugh though
Neglect is not automatically abuse, legally speaking.
Also, there are lots of factors at play when talking about how others raise their children. When you're talking about situations where CPS gets involved, there are always layers upon layers upon layers.
Am I rooting for the parents? Do I think the child is healthy? No. But that doesn't mean that all cases of overweight children should result in a one-way ticket to foster care.0 -
the boy has a bmi of forty-****ing-one! he's not just overweight!0
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The boy's BMI is above 41, he's at an age where the parents strongly influence their eating, and other attempts to protect the child were unsuccessful. I don't know in this case if it's abuse or neglect, but I'm totally okay with such an intervention. Even setting aside personal ethics, this is not acceptable parenting in a society where his healthcare needs may eventually be borne by others.0
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This was a single case. There could have been any number of other circumstances around this case. One cannot shine a light behind it to cast a similar shadow on all childhood obesity. The facts and details just won't fit.0
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I can't say I'd call it abuse, but I would definitely call it horrible parenting.
^this0 -
"I'm chubby and the whole of my husband's side of the family is big. It's genetics - you can be genetically fat."
:explode:0 -
nevermind
too tough of a subject
+1
There is no black and white, only many shades of grey.
How many shades?
Oh, and I'm not even going to try to tackle this old chestnut.
50?0 -
I read and can comprehend that his BMI is 41. I'm saying that not ALL cases of OVERWEIGHT (being above overweight does still mean overweight) children shouldn't be treated the same way.
Really? Why so aggressive?0 -
I read and can comprehend that his BMI is 41. I'm saying that not ALL cases of OVERWEIGHT (being above overweight does still mean overweight) children shouldn't be treated the same way.
Really? Why so aggressive?
felt like I'd scrolled through a lot of child cruelty apologia by the time I'd posted, if someone had starved a child that thoroughly would that be abuse? but whether feeding them so much junk they weigh the equivalent of two adult women by the age of 11 amounts to abuse is debatable? feel a bit despairing
poor boy0
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