To think this is discrimination and its damn right wrong.

[EvalionAngel]

A Salford woman is 'too fat' to look after children, says council

dailym.ai/2c2xwoB

If this was race it would be wrong if this was a disability it would be wrong if this was gender it would be wrong. So why is fat discrimination allowed. Time for overweight people to be protected under discrimination and hate speech laws. Overweight people have to face daily abuse and thin privilege. The same way black and POC face white privileges and women face make privilege.

I'm so sick of this.

Sorry for the rant.

They'd do better in a foster family with one carer who is morbidly obese then in children's homes.

Not for every child, no. Fostering isn't suitable for all children.

It certainly isn't the case that any foster carer, regardless of their suitability especially one who will struggle to fulfill the child's basic needs is better than any children's home.

Through my previous work I've seen some great foster parents and I've seen some rotten ones where they are motivated by the money the child brings with them and precious little else.

I would also suspect there's a lot more to this than meets the eye and that there was more to the council's decision than her weight alone (which would quite rightly be a cause for concern)

Fatness should be a protected characteristic?? What sort of halfwit suggested that?

I think it was on the thread about the obese and surgery, but could be mistaken

You're telling me that a movement called HEALTHY AT EVERY SIZE is not trying to say that you can be healthy at every size?

No, I'm telling you that a movement called HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE (notice the lack of of a Y, it makes a difference) is saying that despite your size you can and should engage in healthy activities and love yourself.

There are multiple studies that show that shaming fat people doesn't help them lose weight and that yo-yo dieting is damaging to the body. There's also multiple studies that say that your body doesn't like to lose weight and will use every means it has available to keep you from doing it.

This isn't saying people can't lose weight, it's just saying that it's not as easy as Calories in, calories out. And that it isn't all about willpower.

The people I know, myself included, who have lost weight and kept it off are those who follow HAES general principles. Exercise, eat good foods, love yourself as you are. Don't make weight loss the goal. I've lost 30 lbs. I'm fit and healthy and my weight is stabilized for the first time in my life.

Also, HAES isn't just for overweight/obese people, there's a lot of underweight, low-normal BMI people that are part of it because they hate the shame they get for being too skinny.

Anyway I digress away from the main point of the OP again (which is actually about discrimination against overweight/obese people so...explaining the inaccuracies in BMI and myths about fat vs. fit and fat = unhealthy is actually addressing the OP????).

It's not just about her fitness but it's about her inability to choose healthy foods/sensible portions. You don't getbthat big without problems concerning food and I say that as a fat person.

The danger is that she fosters some kids and because she cooks them crap/big portions/sweets then they put in weight and become obese. You only need to look at families where the parents are badly overweight and then see their overweight kids to know this happens.

'thin privilege' - have heard it all now and only on mn.
I am sure foster carers (as with adoptive parents) have a higher bar to reach than birth parents and I suspect the age of the foster carer would also be taken into account. It is the needs of the child that must be paramount not the desires of the fosterer.

It's not just about her fitness but it's about her inability to choose healthy foods/sensible portions. You don't getbthat big without problems concerning food and I say that as a fat person.

I agree. I think there were probably a lot of issues with this woman.

They no longer worry too much about age in fact there is a preference for kinship carer now (many of these are grandparents) if at all possible so that long term solutions (kinship care or adoption) are found this is also why there are so few younger children in the foster system.

They are really looking for people to be long term carers rather than short term as it provides stability that these children desperately need but you are only approved if you can show you can holistically care for a child and know where to get appropriate help. In addition you have to prove that child's needs come before all else (except other children in the house) which would include jobs and hobbies

Hi mrsdevere I can promise the bar for kinship care is not lower I underwent the same checks as a work colleague who is a foster carer. The only difference was I had to ensure I proved above and beyond what they did that I would ensure the safety and wellbeing of my lo and ensure that I would follow directions in regards to supervising contact between bps and lo. The process is exactly the same as foster carers the only difference is what happens after. If you remain a kinship foster carer you continue to undergo ongoing assessment as a foster carer does but if you go down the guardian route after a year you are solely responsible for managing contact and issues.
In relation to OP and this article my husband's BMI was just over 30 and his waist was measured however he is generally fit and showed that over the last few months he had lost weight and his BMI is now down to 29 and still going down. My BMI was 29 at my health check but again I could show I was losing weight and now at 28. Both healthy but in my case under active thyroid was the issue back in control now and able to be more active as no longer tired. So weight not the bar as we were approved.

Maybe it depends on area? We were told we had to move so she had a room of her own. We had to prove we could support without assistance. Can't speak re law but if anything things were more rigid for us. Ours was done in last few months. Interested in different processes here

Thank you mrsdevere very helpful

So what was she going to feed these children? What example was she going to show them in terms of an active lifestyle? If you can't look after yourself, you shouldn't expect to be handed vulnerable children to look after.

Response to original post.