Mother May Lose Custody of Obese Son in England
LONDON - 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.
Um. WOW. Okay, so this 8 year old weighs just 30 lbs. less than I do. I have to say this: I’m glad to see that somewhere, somehow, it’s come to this. To label this as “abusive” parenting. Though I’m not sure she should lose custody - I think that’s a bit extreme. But I do think that someone needs to step in and explain to this woman that food does not equal love. Teach them about nutrition, healthy living, and so on. Help the woman, and her son - teach them, give them the tools they need to both (the mother isn’t exactly healthy herself) regain control of their eating and activity habits.
However - do note that they’ve already attempted to go this route:
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.
“Child abuse is not just about hitting your children or sexually abusing them, it is also about neglect,” the official was quoted as saying.
What are your thoughts on this? Is it really a matter of “big brother” or an invasion of privacy? Is it a lawful decision that might be made? If lawful, is it morally acceptable? I mean, America’s not that far behind this train of thought, but I personally do feel that neglect is a very pertinent form of abuse, and neglecting to take appointments provided to you, for the sake of your child’s health, IS abusive - not merely “freedom of choice”.
For what it’s worth: I hope trans fats do get banned everywhere. I also hope the legal hammer slams down on restaurants having to provide nutritional information where they stick to standard serving sizes, uniform across the board. I clap my hands every time a school bans soda machines and junk food. I also believe in mandatory contraception for those in the welfare system too - but that’s for another debate. :P
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Categories: Weight Loss
You know, it’s scary to me on the one hand…like will we be able to teach our children our religion, etc. eventually, but I also feel very strongly that if kids don’t get a good background on healthy eating and being active when they’re young that they’ll have a hard time EVER being healthy. So I’m conflicted here. I do hope that they are able to help that little boy. :( So sad.
Oh, and by the way, I COMPLETELY agree with the mandatory contraception for people on welfare! Here’s your check, here’s your Depo shot! ;)
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To successfully lose weight, you must carry out
a plan to balance your caloric intake with exercise.
Ideally, dieting should be done by eating a nutritionally
balanced, low-calorie diet and increasing physical activity.