Mother May Lose Custody of Obese Boy
‘Authorities are considering taking an 8-year-old boy who weighs 218 pounds into protective custody unless his mother improves his diet, officials said Monday.
Social service officials will meet with family members Tuesday to discuss the health of Connor McCreaddie, who weighs more than three times the average for his age. [..]
An unidentified health official was quoted as telling The Sunday Times that taking custody of Connor would be a last resort, but said the family had repeatedly failed to attend appointments with nurses, nutritionists and social workers.’
February 27th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
In the picture they show, even though he is only eight, he is very tall, assuming him mother is a grown woman. My eight year old daughter is only about 10 inches shorter, I am five foot three. I have three older daughters, and a son. My son was always the bone of the family, and the girls inherited the “hips” from my husband’s side. They were heavier as children, but instead of harping on that and making them anexoric, I let them go. They were obese by no means, but learned how to control what they ate when they were ready. It wasn’t a junk food diet, kids grow up differently. So here we are, we aren’t we trying to take away the kids when they have eating disorders. Mabye this child and his mother need to be counseled on healthy eating, and exercise first. If she don’t comply, then by all means, take action.
February 27th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
If they are going to start considering over-feeding a child as abusive, then they should also consider subjecting a child to second-hand smoke to be abusive. Let’s just put all the kids in the hands of “social services” and see how quickly the handbasket to hell fills up.
February 27th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Well, the doctors are saying the amount of food he’s eating is damaging for his health. And that the family hasn’t been going to doctors appointments they’ve arranged and things.
At that age, he’s not old enough to decide on his own meals. [shrug]
February 28th, 2007 at 1:41 am
I have a 14 yr old that weigh 190 lbs. I have been concerned about his weight for years but the DR quote that ” The Ritalin is all he needs”. I feel its the problem. Drugs for kids that are active, no a break for the teachers for they are the ones who recomends our kids be put on this. Insted of working with the child just medicate them. My son doesn’t eat much and he plays like a normal kid but the weigh stays. And Parents teach your kids that making fun of kids like that is only adding to their problems. My son is depressed at the age of 14 and not because of his living its that school and kids are the worst. Making fun of people seems to be the big thing for kids to make them look more desirable, but God has a way to deal with people like that and I just hope everyone would stop and see the problem and work on the solution and not compound the problem. These kids need LOVE too and compassion now theres a word to teach kids today.
February 28th, 2007 at 12:56 am
THIS MOTHER APPARENTLY NEEDS HELPS TO KEEP HER SON HEALTHY – WE ASSUME THAT EVERYBODY IS KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT HEALTH LIFESTYLES & HEALTHY EATING.
IN ADDITION, MOST ARE NOT AWARE THAT OVER EATING IS MANY TIMES AN ADDICTION FUELED BY PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES – OBESITY CAN ALSO STEM FROM HORMONAL IMBALANCES.
THIS BOY SHOULD NOT HAVE HIS HEALTH JEAPORDIZED BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE.
IF HE WAS PLUMP AND HEALTHY & HAPPY, THAT WOULD BE A HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOR – SO MANY FOLKS ARE SOOO OBSSESSED WITH BEING THIN – PITIFUL!
AS FOR THE SECOND HAND SMOKE COMMENT – MANY SOPHISTICATED SMOKERS DO NOT SMOKE AROUND THEIR KIDS NOR THEIR PETS FOR THAT FACT! – GET A LIFE & BE CONCERNED WITH YOUR YOUR MULTITUDE OF ISSUES THAT I SEE THROUGH YOUR COMMENT.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:38 am
They should put bars and locks on the refridgerator and cabinets. Iif the kid can’t get the food then he can’t eat. Instead of eating his family out of house and home they should hire a private fitness trainor or get him involved at a gym. After he works out then he can eat dinner as a trade off. I think that would help. If they don’t help that kid, then later on he will probably die. If the mother really loved him she would get him help.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:29 am
well there might be other things to concider i mean i have 2 very big kids they are not over weight but they are very tall and big boned they are not considered overweight and the boy in the pic does seem to be as tall as his mother i have always watched the foods my kids eat not because i think that it is bad for them i know that obesessity runs in the family but that is not alway the case some ppl have throid promblems that controls weight and all of that there might be something else going on just like the medicines for adhd they say they can eaither gain weight loose weight whatever it depends on the kids i think that as long as they are trying they should not loose him that isnt abuse cause what if the parents are trying and the boy is still sneaking how is that fair when the parents are trying the state needs to stay out of it they get involede in cases they shouldnt and the ones they should they dont i know this first hand i have seen it and the state has not did anything not even a case working to investact anything
February 28th, 2007 at 3:49 am
they should cut off her welfare . if she can afforrd all that jewlry she can afford to get off welfare. if she got off her butt and got a job maybe she and her family owuldnt be obese. children learn form their parents and if she isn’t taking care of herslef the children will also learn a sedentry life and be obese. yea she has taken him to a doctor as so many moms like her do, becasue its free for them. i’m sick and tired of paying for all these abusers and having them take advantage of the system. if welfare is gone they wont have the money to buy unhealthy foods. I know she uses her food stamps to buy junk instead of nutritious fod and they al eat that crap. follow her to the grocery store some day. if she were to at least go out for a walk a wlak that doesnt involve going to get food, maybe the kids will follow her and strt getting some exercise. this is ridiculous and some of you are feeling sorry for her and making excuses. yea , your kids may be big too but making excuses wont make them better. this is clearly abuse. she is endangering this boys life. and the vicious cirlce continues becasue this child will need medical care for the rest of his life at the taxpayers expense.
February 28th, 2007 at 4:26 am
I have two children of this age. My 8 yr old weighs 115 lbs and my 9 yr old 135. They are happy and healthy and obese. My kids eat the same way that every other child their age eats, home cooked meals that I watch the portions on and maybe out to eat once a week. They excercise regularly and still stay big. I understand what the mother is going through, my kids used to ask for snacks ALL THE TIME, but you know what? I’m the mother and I said no. Evenually they will come to know that if they ask for extras they will get told no. If their hungry, eat an apple or an orange. The parents need to watch their children. I know my kids are big, but we are working on it. That’s all this mother needs to do, start out small and work up from there. My prayers are with her, I know it’s difficult.
February 28th, 2007 at 6:02 am
I think people need to stay out of their business. When this child is older he will take care of the problem on his own if he so wishes. Child abuse??? People don’t know what child abuse is! Here’s a clue to everyone that is so concerned about over weight people, if you really wanted to end fatness you would close down the fast food places and end all production of junk food period!! But lets get real that isn’t going to happen. If we allow children to be taken away from thier parents because of over eating then what else will follow??? I understand that overeating can be life threatening. But so is the example that parents put forth by drinking, smoking and having multiple sex partners and various other things. Are we going to allow the government to take those kids away as well??? WE all do things that others find wrong but you can’t allow the darn government to step into family affairs and start taking kids away from their parents?? Do you really believe that the government will and can save this kid?? I doubt it!!! Yea they might be able to make him loose weight but what other problems will happen because he was taken away from his parents??? People need to step off and mind their own darn business. Nobody can raise someone elses kids better then someone else. The social services where put into place for kids that where neglected-not being fed-beaten-sexually abused- not being bathed or clothed correctly. They have enogh to do with that alone and quite frankly we all know they can’t even do this correctly!!!!
February 28th, 2007 at 10:49 am
‘Nobody can raise someone elses kids better then someone else.’
That’s that plain nonsense. Anybody can raise a kid better than a pedophile that’s abusing that kid for example.
‘The social services where put into place for kids that where neglected-not being fed-beaten-sexually abused- not being bathed or clothed correctly.’
So you argue the government should take children away from parents who don’t dress them correctly, but not from parents who endanger the health of the child?
Obesity is damaging the health of the child, there’s no real doubt about that. Why do we take children away from parents who beat them? Because the beating does harm to the child.
If a poor diet, and neglecting to see doctors to deal with real medical issues is considered to be damaging to the health of the child, it should be treated no different than other forms of abuse.
The story said many times that taking the child was a _last resort_, which they are only considering because the family has, over a long period of time, resisted all other possible remedies.
February 28th, 2007 at 10:59 am
‘They are happy and healthy and obese.’
“healthy” and “obese” are mutually exclusive terms. Obesity has long been associated with a variety of health problems, and dramatically increases the risks of developing heart disease, diabetes, and a general lowering of expected life span.
If your body mass index is over 30, you are obese and you are unhealthy. [shrug]
Similarly, for the people who think their children are just big-boned, that means nothing. You can be big-boned, you can be small-boned, if you’re body mass index is above 30, you’re fat and that’s just that.