Should parents lose custody of super obese kids?

Options
kfitz10103
kfitz10103 Posts: 354
in Health and Weight Loss
http://news.yahoo.com/parents-lose-custody-super-obese-kids-200342454.html

So my opinion is that it should be up to the doctors to get the parents the help and education they need to help children make the right choices. For younger kids I think the doctor should intervene and maybe work with social services to find required weight loss programs. I can't imagine having my child taken from me due to her weight and I don't know if the emotional toll it would take on the child would be worth the health benefit.
So a typical 5 year old is 3 1/2 ft tall and 40lbs with a BMI of about 15. Super obese would have that child at 3 1/2 feet weighing 100lbs. That does seem to be an extreme weight difference, but what do you think?

Replies

  • jamie78
    jamie78 Posts: 514 Member
    Options
    bump will answer later when I have time
  • springtrio
    springtrio Posts: 429 Member
    Options
    As a child who was not removed from an abusive home after years and years of abuse, I say no. The system was able to adopt out my sister, but put me back in an abusive home. So...I say no. Obesity is abusive, but to take away your kids? No. While battling my food addiction from abuse was difficult, I believe this is one area the government needs to GTFO. There are kids like myself who were beat on a daily basis...and IMO, that leaves scars that'll never go away. You can always lose weight, and change your life...but I just can't agree with this.
  • frostiegurl
    frostiegurl Posts: 708 Member
    Options
    This topic already exists.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/287540-should-parents-lose-custody-of-super-obese-kids
  • sittingduck180
    sittingduck180 Posts: 64
    Options
    Very interesting question!
  • Fabnover40Kat
    Fabnover40Kat Posts: 300 Member
    Options
    Being an overweight child myself I would of been devastated had someone takin me from my family! That is not the answer in my opinion. Teach parents how to eat right and they will teach their children how to eat right! They need to stop using that excuse I have no time to cook, therefore stopping at fast food restaurants etc... and take away those darn games and make them go outside like we used to in the old days! Heck we werent even allowed in the house til supper time! LOL!
  • Painten
    Painten Posts: 499 Member
    Options
    I think it should depend on the parents actions. Absurd as it seems they may have not realised quite how bad it got. Once they know though it's them actions that should be looked at. Are they trying to get the child to lose weight or are they just continuing, are there other home issues. I don't think it should ever be black and white like that.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    Options
    I think feeding your child to the point of obesity that is damaging to health, which this is, is abuse. People are offered support, education and intervention way before anyone would consider removing a child, this is last resort (I work in child health and know this is true, at least in this country) I see very overweight children, and it breaks my heart. It is cruel to do that to a child, there is no need to over feed, a walk costs nothing, a cuddle costs nothing and this is how you love a child, not feeding it to death.

    An obese child is going to die young, that is the bottom line.
  • fitness_superstar
    fitness_superstar Posts: 47
    Options
    I don't think children should be taken away. Sometimes it's NOT due to wrong choices. It can be a medical problem that links the child to obesity. Parents should just be made aware that they need to help their child make healthy choices, and they need to work with a dietician but they shouldn't have their child taken away. It's not right.
  • jalara
    jalara Posts: 2,622 Member
    Options
    I agree that there needs to be interventions, but I'm not sure if the doctors would be the right person. To me, Doctors are typically an in-and-out appointment thing. But I think Child Protective Services (or Social Services) should definitely be involved because I would consider it neglect and a failure to provide the necessities of life and health.

    To me, TV + junk x 7days a week = questionable parenting. Of course there are some exceptions, and "everybody has a story that will break your heart" and everyone can explain away their actions (or in-actions) but I don't think it's good parenting, and I think that someone, somewhere, needs to step in so these children aren't given an early death sentence.

    Edited To Add: I think mandatory classes for the whole family would be a good place to start, along with home visits and help learning how to shop and even cooking classes. The whole family can be involved and it may end up bringing the family closer.
  • volfan22
    volfan22 Posts: 149 Member
    Options
    I would have to ask where they are placing this child and what kind of long term solutions are they seeking to reunite and help this family? To just simply remove the child with no plan to educate everyone involved is pointless. I agree with the comments already posted, this family needs help and education, not more stress and pain.

    God Bless them!
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
    Options
    Being an overweight child myself I would of been devastated had someone takin me from my family! That is not the answer in my opinion.

    Agreed. That said, the other day I was watching a documentary "the half ton teen" and this teenager was literally slowly being killed by his mother. And I did say to my husband, they should take him away from her. Very extreme example though
  • chezmama
    chezmama Posts: 396 Member
    Options
    I think a system that struggles to take kids away from meth addicts have more serious issues to deal with. I am not saying obesity isn't serious. It is. But the social service system often falls short of keeping kids safe because it is so stretched to deal with the issues it already deals with. It really doesn't need to add one more.
  • hstallings13
    hstallings13 Posts: 306
    Options
    bump
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    Options
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8144376.stm

    this is an intereting article, talking of children and parent's.
  • shellybsn
    shellybsn Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    These kids obviously already have unhealthy relationships with foods. If you take them away from their parents, are we equipped to get them the psychological help they will need to deal with the emotional turmoil, or will we just be giving them more excuses to eat? Maybe there are very extreme cases where this would possibly benefit the child, but ort system is barely functioning as it is. It isn't capable of dealing with the current caseload and makes some pretty big "oops" still. I don't think this would be handled appropriately at all and wouldn't take into consideration any medical conditions, psych care etc.
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    Options
    There are hardly any medical issues that a child can have that CAUSE obesity, this is just a myth and a co out, but there are MANY medical problems that are directly CAUSED by being overweight and obese
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    Options
    I think my sister was super obese in her teen while I was on the verge of being underweight...my parents fed us the same it' just that my sister did less excercise and spent all her money on sweets, while I did way more excercise and spent my money of dance classes and dance videos as well as sweets. Not my parents fault, and she'd be in the same way or possibly worse with other parents...(Must stress that this analogy begins just before we hit our teens and stays true to this day as small children aged 3 she was always overweight while I was always verging on underweight despite us having the same diet and similar excercise) o I don't think it would help, especially because taking a child away from their parents for their weight is going to be a close range shotgun to their idea of self worth and self image...
  • vglore
    vglore Posts: 9
    Options
    First of all, I'm married to a registered dietician who has very strong feelings about obesity among today's children and adults, plus I work in a college that focuses on the public's health, so my views might be a bit biased with two influences. So, taking a look at this issue from another angle, our current child protective services don't seem to be adequate with their current charge. How could they be expected to handle this hugely increased case load? We need to start with the nuclear family, educated and assisted by our physicians and schools. And, let's keep up the good fight!
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    Options
    I just have to wonder if the people who think that this is a valid option know anything about the system these kids would go into. I had some friends who went through Foster care, because their parents were drug addicts/alcoholics/totally unfit parents. I think it is a huge risk to put children into that system because their parents don't feed them right. I have a huge amount of respect for GOOD Foster parents, but the system is flawed and we should re-educate the family, not tear it apart.

Categories