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The boy was removed from his family over health concerns and placed in foster care in October after Cuyahoga County case workers said his mother wasn't doing enough to control his weight. The county's Children and Family Services agency said it had worked with the family for more than a year before he was removed.
The boy was considered at risk for developing diabetes or high blood pressure. Government growth charts say most boys his age weigh about 60 pounds. He weighed as much as 218 pounds, but dropped to 166 pounds when he was with his uncle.
The child has been an honor roll student and there were no allegations of neglect or abuse other than his obesity.
His case came to the county's attention in April 2010 and the county said they worked with the mother for more than a year, during which the child's weight fluctuated.
Wow, good for that kid. Sometimes you need a little outside help learning new habits.
I think the foster care was a bit of over kill but it's nice the uncle stepped in. Sometimes it's hard to see how to change these things from the inside. You need some outside help. I think it seems to have worked out well in the end.
Crazy story. I wonder about the lifestyle of the mother though.
If she is going to cook fried chicken for dinner and take out McDonalds every other night and not bring the kid to the gym of course he is going to gain it all back.
Hopefully she used the time to make any necessary life changes.
I read an article that she was getting help as well - nutritional counseling, etc. But it also said he already gained 6 lbs back. Hopefully just an adjustment.
This case was very interesting and I really hope it turns out for the best, but I kind of have my doubts. For those that claim this wasn't abuse, think about it this way: What if the child was smoking? So, no weight issues, everything else is fine, but his parents let him smoke a pack a day.
If that was the case then I imagine that most people would be fuming over it. They would hear that the mother has received counseling on the dangers of smoking, but hasn't stopped the boy from doing it. Her excuse is that, he just really wants his cigarettes. I venture that everyone would be up in arms and saying that the parents were horrible. The fact of the matter is that obesity and all of its associated diseases and health issues are arguably just as bad as anything associated with smoking.
With that said, I think the mother deserves another chance to make it right and the help and support she needs to do the right thing, but I just have a sinking feeling, the next time we hear something, the kid will have gained all the weight back, plus another 20 pounds.
Even after loosing 50 pounds, that boy is more than double the average weight for his age, and way too young to make sensible food decisions on his own. I don't think he should have been returned yet.
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