Thread: son taken from his mom cause of weight.

An eight-year-old boy who weighs more than 200 pounds was placed in a foster home by child welfare officials in Cleveland Heights, Ohio who contend his mother was not doing enough to control his weight.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports the third grader was taken from his mother's home last month by Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services because caseworkers believe his weight puts him at risk for developing hypertension and diabetes. The child and mother are not named in the story, because the paper says it generally does not identify those involved in abuse cases.

Child and Family Services officials tell The Plain Dealer it has no set policy on weight but claims in this case the mother's inability to get her son's weight down was considered a form of medical neglect.

Spokesman Mary Louise Madigan said the county worked with the mother for a year, and the caseworker felt the child's weight problem was the result of his environment, and the mother was not following doctor's orders.

"This child's problem was so severe that we had to take custody," Madigan said.

The mother disputes the claims of child welfare officials. She tells the paper caseworkers make it look like she doesn't love her child. "Of course I love him. Of course I want him to lose weight. It's a lifestyle change, and they are trying to make it seem like I am not embracing that. It is very hard, but I am trying."

The attorney handling the case for the mother, Juvenile Public Defender Sam Amata said, "I think we would concede that some intervention is appropriate, but what risk became imminent? When did it become an immediate problem?"

He tells the Plain Dealer that during his career, he has often seen cases where children are left in homes with parents who are severe drug abuses or parents who beat their children, because caseworkers believe the child is not in imminent danger.

Amata says the child is on the honor roll at school and participates in school activities and is a normal student, other than the weight problem.

The case is scheduled for Juvenile Court on the date of the child's 9th birthday next month where a magistrate will decide what's in the child's best interest.

What do you think? Should a child be taken from his or her parents because of an extreme case of obesity? Leave you comments below.

What do you think? Should a child be taken from his or her parents because of an extreme case of obesity? Leave you comments below.

Yes..

Thats criminal negligence!

a ~100KG 9 year old?
I'm pretty sure that's not easy. though it depends on what was being done to maintain his health.

that is considered a medical emergency and the child should be treated asap even if it means being taken away from his enabler mother. Its a shame that his mother really allowed a 9 year old boy to let himself go like that. If i were his parent after the 1st 100 something pounds gained that boy would have eaten nothing but salad and multivitamins until he was a healthy weight.