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 don;'t think that he can have Prader Willi, because he says he isn't hungry all the time and eats when he is bored.

God, i would think there is nothing wrong wiht him that a dose of exercise and proper food wouldn't cure.

Only after he'd been given a normal diet and exercise level, would I even consider syndromes and illnesses.

corkgirl, he is 8 not 11. He just looked so much older because of his weight and height. An 8 year old on the 95st, is 4'6......he is way over that, he is average 12 year old height. No way an excuse for his weight but I still think there is an underlying condition adding to his issues

He is just a little boy and his mother needs help. I really hope they all get what they need, however it is implemented

yeah, he did say that....like I said, I am sure they would have diagnosed that anyway...and I think it was more the way he was that made me think of Prader Willi...but then..don't think the family is the bright kind....so, probably to do wiht lack of stimulation and the environment, as he struck me as somehow "emotionally underdevelloped"

Must say, I thouhgt the programme last night was very sad...and it certainly could have been done in a more dignifying way, i.e. there was no need to show the lad in Underpants etc. and say that he edds help having his bits washed...!
The grandma truely seemed to care, however, she also seemed like she waas enjoying that she was needed so much, hence being the enabler of this situation as much as the mother, etc...!
Must say, I jsut felt yuk when I saw the mom cooking dinner fag in gob...shudder...evne when I was still smoking, that is just to unhygenic and YUK!

agree totally with that 3and.....

the pic they showed of him at 2 1/2, when the mum said it all started , showed a bigger than average child, so i guess after 6 years of overeating and no exercise, that is the result

it also struck me he is immature for his age, but then his childhood has been far from normal, and he has little contact with peers

his lack of school attendance is just as important as the eating issue too IMO

His mother doesn't make it to medical appointments for him, but allows a TV crew to show him in his underwear, and share the intimate detail that he needs help washing. What is this strange modern world?

At the moment he's GB's fattest 8 year old - if he loses the weight he will be nothing special, just a kid with a lot of stretch marks. Will that be enough for him/his mum?

Does anyone know the outcome of the meeting his family had today? Have checked on BBC website but can't see anything.

Just heard on Radio 4 that he isn't going into care, but no more detail.

I didn't see the prog but saw a clip of it.

The mother was stood at the cooker with a fag hanging out of her mouth, then she took a huge meal to him to eat off his knee????????

It's the parent that needs educating.

Well his mother needs a rocket up her arse and some anti depressants by the looks of her and someone needs to tell her if she smokes in bed she'll kill them all by burning the ruddy house down.

I really hope he gets the help he needs, I'll look after him, poor love.

Didn't see it. Was the mother overweight too? In our town there are plenty of seriously overweight people and they tend to have overweight kids - so sad to see it carrying on down the generations - unusual to see a fat kid and a healthy parent though.

She is overwight, but no-where near as big as he is.

Yes, and his sister looked completely normal weight too. It can't be Prader Willi, for the reasons here and because children with PWS tend to be shorter, not taller, but although it could have and should have been controlled with a decent diet I do wonder if there isn't something extra underlying it all.

Grandma and sister normal, mum overweight but not terrible.

the amount of food he consumes is the reason..the mum was desperate to shift blame...that social services should have stepped in when he was younger

IMO, they should have stepped in to address her severe depression issues, as this could well be a contributory factor to the way he is fed..this could have been nipped in the bud

In our town there are plenty of seriously overweight people and they tend to have overweight kids - so sad to see it carrying on down the generations - unusual to see a fat kid and a healthy parent though.

I have to say I disagree with that statement. I'm mordibly obese but my children are all slim (aged 17,16,14,12) My sister is and has always been size 8. All of her children are overweight. I love my food and my children have the same as I eat but it is healthy. We also eat at a table, at the same time everyday, all together. My sister is on a permanent diet and live son lettuce, so she cooks separate foods for her kids,mostly junk as it's easier. They eat when they are hungry and never at a table

I have seen many slim mums with overweight kids, so it's not just the obese creating obese

There was also an article in the papers at the weekend about the unhealthy slim. How some slim people eat such rubbish that their health is as much at risk as someone overweight who eats more healthily but too much. No-one ever picks it up (or checks their cholesterol etc) because they look slim.

Thought it was interesting - think the focus should be on healthy eating rather than absolute thin/fat. Though I do agree that generally thinner is better than fatter (being fat myself)

Ah now that is a bugbear of mine sue. I taught a lot of children who ate utter crap, but thought it was OK because they weren't fat. I think we emphasise the problems of childhood obesity over the problems of poor diet.

Oooh how i would pay good money to see Gillian with this family . Though i think i would turn off at the poo bit if he is that into curries

I would not unleash that woman on anyone.

another case here from sky...

The mother of a 14 stone nine-year-old girl has spoken about the "agony" of having a grossly overweight child.

Angela Collins, 42, said she has even tried padlocking the kitchen door to stop her daughter Samantha Hames from eating.

But the youngster simply searched the house for the key.

Ms Collins told The Sun newspaper: "Nobody wants her to lose weight more than I do. It's agony seeing my daughter this size.

"People will look at us and assume we're lazy or we're not trying - but it's not true.

"Can you imagine how hurtful it is for a mother to be told they're harming their own child?"

Samantha, who wears size 18 clothes, eats a 500g family-size bar of Galaxy every day which she buys with her £10 per week pocket money.

The schoolgirl, from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, says she is more interested in chocolate than DVDs, toys or clothes.

But she admitted she would rather have a figure like US star Beyonce Knowles.
-----------

Err stop her pocket money d'oh

Good grief! £10 a week pocket money for a 9yo child?

Don't give her pocket money and get her interested in something that will stop her from being bored.

The girl has been allowed to develop poor eating habits imo.

I am slightly (say slightly as going to Weight Watchers and have lost a stone so feel better about myself!) and know how hard it is to loose weight. However, I have 2 DD and would hate to over feed them junk. I cant say I am perfect, they have treats but within reason. I can put hand on heart and say I would never allow my child to be obese. When I had my girls my eatin habits changed. I ate crap everyday before they were born and as soon as I started weaning my DD1 I changed and we all started eating healthy. My problem is the wine and chocs I see as a reward for getting through the day . But like said in previous messages, its not always about size. I have a good friend who is a size 6 (she wears childrens clothes!) but she eats crap all day. She has two children and the eldest has a terrible eating problem. She wont eat anything and if she does its rubbish. I believe its the example the mum or dad is setting which determines the weight and overall health of the child and they are at fault if its bad.