Should the boy be put into care cos of childhood obesity.....

[crispyduck]

Watching the news tonight, a young boy has been threatened to be taken into care by SS, do you think SS have the right to put a child into care because of obesity....

i think its a shame it ever got this far. I think that such a poor diet is a type of neglet, but hope some other arangement can be found as i cant see that taking him away from his home would really make him want to eat heathily

The story is available online here Sunday Times for those that didn't see it.

I think I'll hold complete judgement until I've seen the programme tomorrow. However it does sound like something HAS to be done - that poor boy!
Certainly the mother does not seem to be able to control/influence the situation, so definitely needs help. On the surface it sounds as if she hasn't taken up the help offered in the past (lots of missed health appointments etc) so i can see why this is being regarded as neglect.

Should make some interesting debate for the sausage rolls and fruit shoots brigade!

I worry from the point of an already over-stretched care system, actually.

no! not at all

Not convinced that care is the answer.

I wonder just how much has already been tried, and if this is some form of 'shock' tactic.

It is a bit of a last resort to try to save this boy before his mother ends up killing him, I think. he is over 14 stone at eight. He is morbidly obese and she refuses to do anything about it, and he doesn't even go to school very often. He will probably end up on the 'at risk' register and hopefully it will actually force this woman to take responsibility for her child, which she has refused to do so far.

The headline is a bit cruel

Having made my previous point, the majority of children in care come into the system because of parental maltreatment/neglect, and as Aloha says that's what has happened in this case. I do think he needs to be out of his immediate family environment. I think probably both he and his mother may be depressed.

I can't see care being a better option for him.

But Jeez, that woman needs to be slapped round the head with some fresh vegetables.

If she were letting him smoke and drink, would this be any less acceptable than killing him with food?

sorry but i agree, if she was failing to give him medical attention that he needed to save his life there would be no question.
He is 8 years old and she is buying this food for him. As her child she needs to make sure his health needs are meant, if not its neglect.

Lisa

I just feel so sorry for him. Over 14 stone at EIGHT! My dh weighs that and he is 6'4" and while certainly not fat, he is not skinny either.

I think that both he , and his mother need a considerable about of support and education into what constitutes a healthy diet.

And they must do this. Some form of compulstion seems to be needed. the threat of care may do the trick.

He doesn't like fruit & veg What a sad statement to make Surely if he had been used to it from he was a baby it would make a difference.

Is Connor an only child?

I will watch this tomorrow night, they say they need help, but I can't help thinking the blame is largely laid at the feet of his mother.

I don't think he should be taken into care - I think being taken into care will cause far more damege than obesity.

I do think both mother and son should be educated and they should be referred for the intolerance/thyroid tests etc mentioned in the article.

I think what his mom is doing is awful but taking him away might make things worse for him emotionally, which might make him over eat more.

well you can't make a child eat fruit and veg but you can give foods which in sensible quantities won't make him obese

So far the mother has refused to take him to any medical appointments. She clearly does need to be forced to take her child's health seriously.
The stuff about intolerance is just crap. They are trying to make out he is 'intolerant' to fruit and vegetables

If it can be proven that she was refusing support offered, including medical care, then there is a case that he may need to be removed, at least temporarily.

A good friend of mine and his wife are completely blind - she from birth and he from the age of 7 - but they brought up a lovely young woman who's also an excellent cook!

They had support, but they also accepted it when offered and asked for it as well.

In addition to help from the NHS, as their daughter has CP.

Aloha's right; if he stays in that family environment it will kill him.

Cant believe that mum is that silly, he is oimited on what he likes"
If I feed my daugther on what she says she likes it would be biscuits for breakfast, lollypops and crisps for lunch and a dinner of chocolate cake with a side of ice cream!!

Lisa

Exactly, Lisa, part of parenting involves discipline and boundaries, which you often have to live within, too, as an example.

A lot of people, though, are afraid to discipline or too lazy and/or too lazy to set up boundaries.

I doubt if being taken into care would cause an early death like obesity would.

And as for the intolerance tests - sorry but this is a waste of NHS resources. The main problem for the child is that he has been fed a diet of shite from the time he was weaned. Get him used to moving and eating proper food and then if he's still this unhealthy, then you can spend NHS money investigating if there is a sinsiter cause. But to be frank, I suspect it's down to being fed junk and I really don't think these idiots (his family) should be pandered to by pretending that maybe there's something different wrong with him, than their neglect.

I think like something like an extended period of foster care might be good for all concerned here - to give Connor the support and diet/ exercise he needs and the mother some time for reflection on the seriousness of this/ perhaps some help with her depression.

A friend of mine fostered a little boy from the age of 2. He was stunted in growth, had lots of health problems resulting from the fact he had never been weaned properly, didn't 'like' solid food, and just existed on 12 bottles of follow-on milk a day .

She was fantastic with him - took him back to basics, introduced purees, then solids. Was firm when he kept demanding just milk, and surprise, surprise he started to eat properly. He's now 5, and is a happy healthy little boy!

Whenever I read someone on MN saying 'what business of yours is it what I feed my child' I always think of these sorts of stories

She says he asks for snacks every 20mins

& she obviously gives in to him. She said on the news he was constantly hungry.. it's a habit he needs to break. She needs to get educated. The poor wee fella will collapse in a heap some of these days.