Seriously?? Obesity and Child abuse questionable....
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I think the parents should have called Morgan and Morgan and sued the fast food industry for this...lol. Education would have been indicated in this case if if was not offered already. My child is overweight, doctor has cleared her of all problems including overeating, and says she is doing fine. I guess I gotta watch my back and make sure we don't get reported to the fat child gestapo...lol.0
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FYI - the dad (if in the picture) should also be arrested. Oh, and they should all sue all fast food chains, because of COURSE it as their faults after all.... smfh.0
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You know what else this has me thinking? Just because someone is your parent doesn't mean they're the right person to raise you. My daughter moved 500 miles away to live with her father because she and I didn't get along (in a very bad way). I was not the right person to help her grow in to a successful adult. Now that she's with dad, she's thriving, happy, and stable. I am fully capable of admitting that I couldn't provide her with what she needed at the time, and she's better off for it. Who's to say a foster home couldn't have provided her with the same support?
Not everyone is cut out to be a parent, and if a kid can do and be better with someone other than their biological parent, I'm all for it. It takes a village and all that.0 -
If the child was neglected or abused then yes. But because he is overweight...NO! There are alot of factors to consider, one maybe the child had a health issue and his parent didn't know how to treat it. The other big thing is fast food.......we think we are feeding our children something nutrisious because they put apples or oranges in happy meals now...but not really.Even in school, they have vending machines and soda machines, and who knows what other kids bring to school to share. Last year my son had a teached who would reward them with candy at the end of the day....I was like seriously....a "good job" sticker would have been just fine!!!!!!0
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I read about the push for this on twitter over the summer. Arrested, I don't think so. That won't help anyone. Educated, most definitely.
I work with so many people trying to turn them onto a healthy lifestyle. Most times the parents are just ignorant and that leads to obesity. I mean, a freaking Happy Meal with just a burger and fries has almost 500 calories! Now what parent really sits to think about that. It sure doesn't seem that much from what you get. And don't get me started on the Lunchables and popsicles and fruit juices. They market themselves as being great for kids but are just loaded with artificial crap that our bodies can't process.
If they can spend money to arrest parents, they should be able to invest money on actually educating our society.
^^^ THIS ^^^0 -
If she'd been starving him to death, it would be called child abuse.
If she's been feeding him to a premature death, yes it's child abuse.0 -
this in my opinion is cirrumstantial... if this mom was purposely feeding her child to bring harm/hurt him in any way then yes the above measures should be taken. But in this case here's a divorced mom who is attending college, working full time on a fixed income. Sounds like she's doing the best she can. Why take the child away from his mom? Why not educate her and the kid. Teach her how to prepare meals for him that are healthy. Taking her shopping to show her how to buy healthy food on a budget. Maybe suggest (if her finances permits) to sign him up for after school sports or YMCA membership...I mean, the skies the limit to helping her out
but to arrest and press criminal chrgs is unnecessary. Just flat out unecessary!
FYI: According to the story she was seeing the doctor/peds on a regular bases. And received very little help, but lots of criticism.
I grew up very poor and we didn't eat healthy....and we weren't morbidly obese. There is a lot ot be said for prioritizing and stepping back and taking responsibility. I just watched a Dr. Phil about this and there was a mother with the exact same story that you just outlined. Her 14 or 15 year old was 555...went to live with his aunt (foster home) and lost 250. Me thinks this is probably the same story....but when they reviewed what she was feeding him...not only was she feeding him junk but feeding him so much over what he should have had for calories and not because she didn't know better but because "he wanted it and it was better than him crying and begging".0 -
Authorities were tracking this family for awhile. There were several opportunities to get the child the treatment he needed, but the mother didn't take advantage of them. According to her, she couldn't afford them. They were free, but she couldn't take the time off of work. According to a CBS article, "Asked how his weight gain got so out of control, Gray said, "Well, a lot of times it had to do with lifestyle. A lot of times I had to work fulltime second shift or fulltime, third shift. And I wasn't home a lot."
Gray told guest host and "Britain's Got Talent" judge Amanda Holden she had been monitoring her son's diet, but that there were times she had to purchase fast food, when she'd have to sleep between shifts. "
She even failed to show up to the custody hearing... I'm not saying she didn't care, but she didn't care enough.0 -
Child protective services doesn't take kids away on a whim. "Oh, look, a fat kid. Let's throw him in foster care." That's BS. The goal of CPS is not to take children away from their families! The goal of CPS is to PROTECT CHILDREN. They only take children into foster care when the child is in danger at home. I'm certain that CPS tried everything they could to help out the boy and his parents--nutrition education, counseling, etc. CPS will take every available measure to help families out in the home before they even consider putting a child into foster care.
They had to take him away because he was IN DANGER. Obviously the parents were not getting it through their heads that they needed to change this kid's lifestyle. If he had been allowed to stay there and continue gaining weight, he could have died. And then there would be all these upset people saying "Why didn't CPS do anything? Why didn't anyone step in to protect him?" CPS can't win.0 -
Parents raise racist and homophobic kids that become bashers, and no one notices to take those kids away - but corrective action isn't meant to punish, it's meant to rehabilitate, or correct a situation, and in the case of children it's meant to protect.
If a child's health is truly in danger due to their obesity then I suppose child protection is warranted, however perhaps not with the result of removing the child from the home.0 -
I am not sure if arresting the mother was necessary but I have a huge problem with parents that let their children be overweight. I am a parent and it is not that hard to just purchase healthier choices for them to have. Really, how quick and easy is it to grab an apple or banana out of the drawer than a bag of chips or lunchables or any of the other snacks that they have out there that are full of junk. Pure fruit juice or orange juice instead of sugary drinks or soda.
I have also been on the other side of this. I was the child of a single mother who rationalized that it was cheaper for her to purchase a jr. value meal from the Burger King near our home *EVERYDAY* instead of cooking an actual meal. Kids Cuisine, lunchables, prepackaged twinkies, brownies, anything to keep her from cooking.
By the time I was 16 I was tipping 200lbs. My children stopped going to her house when she tried to do the same thing to them, it is negligent on the parents part. Maybe not jail, but there should be some type of recourse for the lack of care or concern these parents have for their children's health.
Just my thoughts. :drinker:0 -
A cheeseburger and fries everyday for lunch won't make your kid 400 lbs......letting them eat that 7 times a day will.
I can't believe this is even a discussion. It's not like he was 4 years old and 100lbs....He was FOUR HUNDRED effing pounds!!! MOST MEN ON THE BIGGEST LOSER DON'T WEIGH THAT MUCH!!!!!0 -
this thread is literally making me sick to my stomach and making me not want to eat.0
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Just to add to people that think McDonalds does not label their food, they have started to label the food. It says right on the box of chicken nuggets 190 calories and small fries 210. I could make a lot more food at home for that many calories !!! Just because people refuse to read it doesn't mean it's not there. Food that is loaded with fat and calories is more often than not cheaper but it doesn't make it right. My 4 daughters have no problem eating Subway instead of McDonalds. It doesn't mean I'll never let them go there but limitations.0
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Several of you clearly do not understand how the system works... They would not have just went in and said, "Wow that kids fat, foster care for him!" They would have done all of that stuff you are preaching about... educating the mother, getting them in touch with a nutritionist, making sure they had the appropriate finances in place to buy healthy foods, etc. For the child to have been removed, and the mother charged... that means she ignored all of this assistance and continued to let her child suffer..
Does that change your opinion?
Exactly. They don't just yank a kid away from their home the instant they put on weight. They give the family (mother) time to do something about it, and the tools to do it. If they don't make improvements, the parent is putting their kids health and life in danger. That is abuse- plain& simple.0 -
Just to add to people that think McDonalds does not label their food, they have started to label the food. It says right on the box of chicken nuggets 190 calories and small fries 210. I could make a lot more food at home for that many calories !!! Just because people refuse to read it doesn't mean it's not there. Food that is loaded with fat and calories is more often than not cheaper but it doesn't make it right. My 4 daughters have no problem eating Subway instead of McDonalds. It doesn't mean I'll never let them go there but limitations.
Good call....and I have found from experience with my friends (whom all of them have a child or two with weight problems) is that "oh we only have fast food now and then" but it turns out to be a few times a week, they have several snacks a day of atleast 200 cals (and on days when it's crappy out and they're just sitting in watching tv, it's not necessary)....eating adult size portions... etc.0 -
I personally do not agree with this, at all. Example.. my son will be 4 in october. He is 42" tall and weighs 60 lbs. He is a BIG kid for 4 years old. Does he eat nothing but unhealthy crap? no. He LOVES fruits and vegetables, eats lots of lean meats, he does get to eat a happy meal occassionally, maybe once every couple of weeks, he is a VERY active kid, always running around. He is 4 and wears a size 6/7 HUSKY size pants. Should he be taken away from me since he is considered overweight for his age? NO! He is not over fed, eats lots of healthy foods, this is just the way he is built. My husband is a big guy (6'4" around 250 lbs) and my dad and brother are both 6'8".
I don't think anyone would intentionally make their child obese (unless they were extremely sick in the head), the problem is that all these food companies make junk food much more accessible (and cheaper) than healthy options.. while that is no excuse, maybe the police should go after these food companies instead of parents!!!!
"Husky" is not the same as 400 pounds at age 13.
This parent was negligent. Either in lack of education or lack of concern for her child. The CPS professional in this thread is right - before a child can be removed from a home, there are interventions, education, mandated pareting classes. Once all of those avenues are exhausted, if things still aren't working right, the child should be removed from the home.
What if a parent had a disgusting dirty house? Would you want a child left in that environment just because the parent 'didn't know how' to keep it clean?
You're right, it isn't the same. But what's to stop them from taking any kid that is considered "obese/overweight" from their parents.0 -
And is the pediatrician going to be brought up on patient negligence? Why didn't the child's pediatrician step in before it got that far... or even the school for that matter...
it's about education people ... not punishment.0 -
And is the pediatrician going to be brought up on patient negligence? Why didn't the child's pediatrician step in before it got that far... or even the school for that matter...
it's about education people ... not punishment.
Probably not because I bet they said something to the parent...it's not listed, but I know any Doctor would say something.
And the whole slippery slope thing about obese/heavy etc....that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You can play the what if game till the cows come home, it's ridiculous.0 -
I think that there are two parts to this debate. Childhood obesity and the consequences for parents. I can not fathom any MORBIDLY OBESE child getting there on his own. Even if he is sneaking food why is it in the house? Parents are not automatically arrested when social services are called. It takes months, warnings, meetings, evaluations and services offered before a child is removed unless the situation is life threatening. Working in a hospital, it is so hard to call social services and watch you patient be sent home to the same situation, but it is how the system works, in order to protect the family unit. for the child to be removed and the mother to be arrested there was way more stuff going on. Likely she failed to take care of the child and as a result of the gross neglect they felt there was substantial evidence to arrest her0
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