Has anyone read this article? Obese 3rd grader removed from home (diabetic, lose weight)
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These numbers are nothing new. Kids have been trying alcohol and tobacco and pot for decades. And it is not always the failing of the parent. The best we can do is lead by example and give your children the skills to make good choices. Other than that parents have no power whatsoever over their children. They will do what they will do regardless of what we want.
But if they grow up in a home that has open communication, parents who do not smoke or do drugs and drink responsibly, and also eat healthy and not crap, chances are good the kids will emulate the parents.
Older kids will do what they want to, including trying alcohol and tobacco (and, unfortunately, driving too fast).
But if a preteen is drinking or smoking, I put the blame on the parents for allowing the circumstances to exist that make it possible. It boils down to inadequate adult supervision.
In this case, the mother obviously has no clue about healthy nutrition, and she was unable to implement changes even when given over a year to do so. If she did not keep junk food in the house and supervised the child (so he could not get junk from other kids), he would be losing weight and not in a foster home. One of the articles mentions both parents are overweight. How much overweight we do not know.
The sad thing is that the mother most likely knew that there was a risk that CPS would intervene well in advance of the actual event.
Older kids will do what they want to, including trying alcohol and tobacco (and, unfortunately, driving too fast).
But if a preteen is drinking or smoking, I put the blame on the parents for allowing the circumstances to exist that make it possible. It boils down to inadequate adult supervision.
In this case, the mother obviously has no clue about healthy nutrition, and she was unable to implement changes even when given over a year to do so. If she did not keep junk food in the house and supervised the child (so he could not get junk from other kids), he would be losing weight and not in a foster home. One of the articles mentions both parents are overweight. How much overweight we do not know.
The sad thing is that the mother most likely knew that there was a risk that CPS would intervene well in advance of the actual event.
Oh I agree 100% that this mother was negligent. My goodness its the health of her child and she cannot say 'no' to him over eating? She is the one buying and preparing the food. She is the one who is responsible.
By age 14, 41 percent of children have had least one drink.
The average age at which Americans begin drinking regularly is 15.9 years old."
So, yes, there are parents who are failing in their responsibility to their kids with regard to tobacco and alcohol. Preteens who drink and smoke are not being properly supervised, and that is a failure of parenting.
In Europe it's closer to 100%. I see no problem with teens being allowed some beer or wine with a family meal. I was raised that way and did the same with my kids and it worked out fine.
Of course they are...but that should be your choice....I've known quite a few (much as I hate to admit) .. healthy non-smokers/drinkers that have succumbed to cancer.....and then I know others who's lifestyles are very unhealthy, and detrimental...yet they keep on ticking
Same argument as the anti-seat belt sentiment. "Oh, I know a guy whos' car caught fire and if it he were belted, he wouldn't have gotten out in time"! Yet statistics show, that on average, non-smokers AND healthy weight individuals live longer and consume less $$ in health care over a lifetime.
I completely agree, this is fat hysteria gone horribly wrong. What happens when the foster care providers can't induce significant weight loss in this kid? Should he be taken away from the state? My mom worked for CPS and foster care is terrible for children and should be an absolute last resort.
And if the child was dangerously skinny because of aneroxia and/or bulimia and the parent(s) failed to follow the guidance provided, would you say the same thing?
In Europe it's closer to 100%. I see no problem with teens being allowed some beer or wine with a family meal. I was raised that way and did the same with my kids and it worked out fine.
The problem I have with that is the mixed message it sends. You are in effect abetting underage drinking and breaking the law. It tells the kids it is all right to break laws you do not agree with.
He was removed because he is so fat he is sick, and his mother was not able to deal with the problem over a period of a year and a half. He is so fat that he cannot breathe properly. He has a life threatening condition.
If you read the article (link below) the only condition he currently "suffers" from is sleep apnea which is being treated and is not life threatening. The kid was taken because his mother was not able to maintain his weight loss long enough to satisfy the social workers. In other words, the kid was taken because like 90+% of people who go on a "diet" he failed to maintain the weight loss.
Let's say the state puts the child in foster car. If the foster care provider also fails to sustain this kid's weight loss should he be removed from foster care?
"Last year, the boy lost weight but in recent months began to gain it back rapidly. That's when the county moved to take the child, records show."
Older kids will do what they want to, including trying alcohol and tobacco (and, unfortunately, driving too fast).
But if a preteen is drinking or smoking, I put the blame on the parents for allowing the circumstances to exist that make it possible. It boils down to inadequate adult supervision.
In this case, the mother obviously has no clue about healthy nutrition, and she was unable to implement changes even when given over a year to do so. If she did not keep junk food in the house and supervised the child (so he could not get junk from other kids), he would be losing weight and not in a foster home. One of the articles mentions both parents are overweight. How much overweight we do not know.
The sad thing is that the mother most likely knew that there was a risk that CPS would intervene well in advance of the actual event.
So how do you keep him from getting junk from other kids? My ex (who was a very overweight child) used to bring stuff in to school to trade with other kids so he could get the twinkies from their lunch boxes. He also joined boy scouts so he could go on campouts and volunteered to cook so he could have more access to food. He became a very good cook but he lost the extra weight when he was 17. He had a very slow metabolism and never was able to eat much after that, though he did manage to keep the weight off.
I know what you all are saying here, but I'm reading in an assumption that everyone starts in the same place and that the parents were terribly abusive, when in fact overweight comes on one choice at a time, and though the parents may have originally been the source of the problem, once it's gained a certain momentum, there's no going back until the child himself chooses to turn it around and even then it's very hard. It's not like you just stop eating sugar and start eating spinach. Think of all the overweight and obese adults in this country--many of them are quite mature and hardworking but they can't control this one area of their life.
If you read the article (link below) the only condition he currently "suffers" from is sleep apnea which is being treated and is not life threatening. The kid was taken because his mother was not able to maintain his weight loss long enough to satisfy the social workers. In other words, the kid was taken because like 90+% of people who go on a "diet" he failed to maintain the weight loss.
Let's say the state puts the child in foster car. If the foster care provider also fails to sustain this kid's weight loss should he be removed from foster care?
"Last year, the boy lost weight but in recent months began to gain it back rapidly. That's when the county moved to take the child, records show."
Unlike an adult, who can purchase his own food, a child this age can only eat what is provided for him. Properly supervised, he will lose weight. That means he cannot be left alone or with other children who will provide him with unhealthy types and quantities of food.
I would hope that the foster care home in which he is placed would be able to accomplish what his mother has not been able to do. If one foster parent is unable to do so, then a change would be indicated.
Ideally, the mother would use this time to learn about proper nutrition and exercise and make the changes in her home that would allow the child to be returned to her. One big source of excess calories, for example, is sugared beverages. Just not bringing those into the home would be a very big start, even if it means everyone in the family has to give them up: no soda, no "sports beverages", no fruit juice.
Jessica Gaude weighed over 400 pounds at age 7. She could hardly move and had trouble breathing. Her diet apparently consisted of soda, French fries, hamburgers, and chocolate, to the tune of 10,000 calories per day. Fortunately, she lost weight, but she has orthopedic deformities in her legs related to her previous weight.
In reading about Jessica, the comments on various blogs almost universally expressed the opinion that her weight was a result of abuse. Many people wondered why something was not done sooner. It turns out that her mother did not take her to the doctor for four years. Jessica was hospitalized and lost about 300 pounds. One online video shows her demonstrating the loose skin she has, and it is painful to watch her walk.
It took outside intervention to get help for Jessica.
The boy in Ohio was in a toxic environment at home. Should we wait until he hits 400 pounds to call it abuse?
So how do you keep him from getting junk from other kids? My ex (who was a very overweight child) used to bring stuff in to school to trade with other kids so he could get the twinkies from their lunch boxes. He also joined boy scouts so he could go on campouts and volunteered to cook so he could have more access to food. He became a very good cook but he lost the extra weight when he was 17. He had a very slow metabolism and never was able to eat much after that, though he did manage to keep the weight off.
I know what you all are saying here, but I'm reading in an assumption that everyone starts in the same place and that the parents were terribly abusive, when in fact overweight comes on one choice at a time, and though the parents may have originally been the source of the problem, once it's gained a certain momentum, there's no going back until the child himself chooses to turn it around and even then it's very hard. It's not like you just stop eating sugar and start eating spinach. Think of all the overweight and obese adults in this country--many of them are quite mature and hardworking but they can't control this one area of their life.
The key is supervision. This child has to be watched while he is taught to make better food choices. That includes being watched at school as well as during activities and at home. He is not a teenager with access to money and a car. He's in the third grade. He should be eating lunch with his teacher in the room with him. His classmates have to understand they cannot share their snacks with him, just as they would not give peanuts to a child who is allergic to them.
The rest of the family has to sacrifice access to soda and junk food. They cannot be kept at home. The entire family has to adopt a more healthy lifestyle for the sake of the morbidly obese child. That includes the mom, who must herself eat better, exercise, and lose weight. We still do not know where the dad fits in the picture. His role has not been described. But if he has access to his son, the dad must adopt a healthy diet and exercise and lose weight, too.
When his mother has demonstrated that she can implement these changes, he should be allowed to come home.
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