Health Discussion about Weight Loss

You may have read about a case in London where an eight year old boy, weighing 200 pounds, was in jeopardy of being taken away by social workers. As it turns out, they decided not to take this boy away from his mom.

What caused the social workers to even consider this outrageous move? Apparently, the young mans diet is largely made up of junk food. Because London offers universal care to all, they determine that they had a legal duty to step in if it suspects a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. As of this past Tuesday, however, an agreement was reached on how he should be cared for.

The mother did consult a dietician, but her son still put on the pounds. She commented, He takes food out of the fridge the minute you turn your back. Moreover, she also revealed we have the moods and the tantrums and the slamming the doors. Unfortunately, if the child continues in this path, according to doctors, he will face an early death.

Here is the question for discussion: Should anyone, in any country, be allowed to take a child out of the home because he is overweight?

If, indeed, the child had been taken, what precedent would have been set? Would children who have anger management problems be removed; would a child who listens to music or doesnt conform to what others consider proper standards be removed? What about the childs civil rights?

While one could play devils advocate and say that, yes, since London provides healthcare for all its citizens, then it has every right to interfere in a childs well-being if that childs health is in decline. And yes, with healthcare costs rising, it is cost-effective to see to it that everyone is following a health protocol to prevent disease.

It seems contradictory, at the very least, that social services fails to remove children being abused, but jump at the chance to remove a child who is overweight. Social services, no where they operate, have failed our children. Here in our own country, hundreds of children have died as a result of poor management and follow-up. Joel Steinberg is one such man who abused and killed a little girl because she was in the way of his having a good time. He was an abuser; and nothing was done to remove the child from the home.

Instead of thinking about overweight children, which is a parents responsibility, it is social services that need to show more responsibility in dealing with children who are abused first and foremost.

What are your thoughts on this subject? How would you, as a parent, deal with a morbidly obese child?

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