200lb 8 year old boy....

Poor kid! I heard about this. My 8 y/o son weighs about 75 lbs and he is on the chunky side of a growth spurt. I can't imagine how he'd function at 200+ lbs.

I'm assuming he has been tested for all kinds of illnesses to eliminate a medical reason for his weight. Personally, Child Protective Services waited too long, they should have given her 3 months, we all know there can be a change as fast as that. I'm glad he is now under supervised care - this is the best thing to happen to him.

R u serious!?!? My 3 year old is around 40lbs and with his height the doctor ALWAYS presses the issue that hes 3% overweight, how did they let that poor boy get that big?!

That is disturbing and i agree, child protective services did wait FAR too long.

My heart goes out to that little boy.

the child has obviously NOT had a picture perfect life thus far. Like many adults, he may have unknowingly turned to food for comfort and now he is obese at an early age. Very sad...but can be reversed if someone would take the time to teach him and work with him.

My 3 year old is around 40lbs and with his height the doctor ALWAYS presses the issue that hes 3% overweight,

Really? That's almost disturbing to me....that they'd consistently press the issue....my two year old (2 yrs 5 months) is over 40 lbs...and our pediatrician doesn't say much of anything. I've brought it up numerous times, and she is not concerned at the moment, says he's growing normally (he's very tall too). Hopefully with my better eating habits, my son will eat better too.

About the boy in the topic....that's sad. I would never want my kids taken from me for any reason. Wonder if she tried, or perhaps needs help herself. And, I think there are too many people that have no idea how to eat right.....perhaps she had no idea, or didn't get help (Financial reasons?). I don't know. Its not my place to judge without any other facts.

I have to say I am truly on the fence about this one. It is devastating to think of an eight year old boy at 200 lbs. I do think that is child abuse, just like smoking in a car with kids in it, not restraining your kid or child seat in a car with a seat belt, or taking them to a Rated R movie. I just get nervous when Child Protective Services get involved with parenting. I don't know, this is so extreme, and this definitely shows a gross amount of neglect on the parent's part. What would a foster parent be able to achieve, get the child in a weight loss program? Would foster parents that the authorities pick be qualified for that or care enough about the child to make sure he gets the help he needs. Almost all of my children are rail thin because they move around all the time, but my seventeen year old was with me through my heaviest, and he struggles with his weight. I took on the responsibility of taking him with me to the gym to lift and go out for bike rides and walks. It is making a difference. I would just want every possible avenue tried before the kid is taken away. That would be just too traumatic in my opinion.

I'm going to step out of the box here and say I don't agree with the child being removed from his home, BUT I never saw the articles. Instead, the family should have been required (court ordered) to see a Dietitian, family counseling, weekly meetings and weigh in. Even a week or two at a "weight loss camp". Every option should be exhausted before removing a child from their home. The mother may not understand how to help her child lose weight and the child (I have a 9 year old) IS capable of sneaking food, and making his own bad food choices. If they live in an inner city it may be possible that the only food options close to them are fast food. Think about it, there isn't a grocery store on every corner in America, but there sure is a fast food option. In that case they would need nutrition counseling. It's not always just clear cut black and white "yeah take the kid away".

I read another article about this that was posted in another thread that said the foster mother is having issues keeping up with all of his appointments and treatments and they are offering extra assistance to her. This all started when the mother took him to the ER because he was having trouble breathing. There was some type of agreement or program in place where CPS got involved. None of the articles I read stated that the kid had been tested for any type of disease or genetic disorder before being taken. I don't know if they did or not. I would HOPE they did. I think there are way to many facts that are not known about this case to pass judgement. I'd be curious to know what type of assistance the family received to help the kid before he was taken and if why the results they were looking for did not happen. Not to mention the numerous other factors that could contribute to his weight. He's 8. He could be trading his healthy lunch for something else at school. Or eating his lunch plus one from the school. Or sneaking food. The mother could have financial issues were she couldn't afford whatever is was that she was being told to do. I don't know and I don't want to place any blame anywhere as it could be a combination of a multitude of things. I just think that there are way to many unknown facts to be able to make a judgement on this.

Let's not judge others. It is most wrong with this world. Our society is so quick to judge others. The reality is that this is more common. Childhood obesity has a myriad of factors, this is just one case that has made national headlines. It started prior to this child's life and can be attributed to not only what he eats but other toxins in his neighborhood, school, as well as his emotions. We can however become more informed and learn from this enlightenment and start by making better choices for ourselves and our family members and loved ones. We are all connected. To observe this type of condition in such a civilized society clearly indicates the issue is much bigger than 200lbs and has gone on for more than 8yrs.

I have to say I am truly on the fence about this one. It is devastating to think of an eight year old boy at 200 lbs. I do think that is child abuse, just like smoking in a car with kids in it, not restraining your kid or child seat in a car with a seat belt, or taking them to a Rated R movie. I just get nervous when Child Protective Services get involved with parenting. I don't know, this is so extreme, and this definitely shows a gross amount of neglect on the parent's part. What would a foster parent be able to achieve, get the child in a weight loss program? Would foster parents that the authorities pick be qualified for that or care enough about the child to make sure he gets the help he needs. Almost all of my children are rail thin because they move around all the time, but my seventeen year old was with me through my heaviest, and he struggles with his weight. I took on the responsibility of taking him with me to the gym to lift and go out for bike rides and walks. It is making a difference. I would just want every possible avenue tried before the kid is taken away. That would be just too traumatic in my opinion.

We were foster parents and then were blessed to adopt our 2 older boys. There are levels of foster care licensing (at least where we live)...they do have some familes trained to work with health related issues in children. At least here...CPS tries to keep the children in the home and work with the parents as long as they deem the situtation is "safe" for the cihld to be there. CPS rules and regs vary by region.

It is cruel to do that to a child, there are very few medical reasons why a child gains weight, this is a case of poor parenting, I see a lot of obese children in my work, they almost always have an obese parent, who tells you all manner of excuses why their child is overweight....they never eat too much or do too little...they are big boned, the family are all like this...they all eat healthy, small portions and none of them ever eat too many treats or snacks...at least according to the parents, the child and their lunch box often tell a VERY different story. I am sure from my own experience that a LOT will have been tried and offered to help before this child was removed, and also in my experience they probably waited too long, in the vain hope that the parents would care enough to make the effort for their child, they clearly didn't.

People who are overweight themselves are often still of an excuse filled mind set to see things as they really are, all the reasons under the sun do not make a child overweight, it is too much food and not enough exercise.

There was a story like this years ago and the child was removed from the home with supervised visits from the mom. Once the child was removed, he dropped a lot of weight and reversed his diabetes.

At the first visit with his mom, she brought him McDonalds! Seriously?!? I think the parents need nutrition classes, not just the children. The mom said she's going to feed him whatever he wants...if he wants McDonalds, he's getting McDonalds.

And you have to ask this...he wouldn't know those foods if he wasn't introduced to them by parents who neglect their children's health!

Actually it has been reported that the child has already lost over 10 lbs in the month he has been in foster care.

It may not be a popular opinion but it's mine. I don't believe any government office should have the ability to come and take a child out of his home for something like this. The extended family should have intervened with the mother and took care of the problem in that manner. Yes I feel for the child and think it's wrong of the mother to let this happen.
Too many people look to the government to solve all our problems. Absolute BS!
It takes a village to raise a child. To me, that means family not government. Shame on that entire family!