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Taking Children Away Due to Obesity

deleted_user
deleted_user
Has anyone else heard of this? I heard a few months ago that the government was considering taking over wight children away from their parents because it was "better for them." Now this morning on the news they were discussing a family being tried for this exact thing, they ended up letting the kid stay with his mom, but only if he dieted very strictly during a trial period, if he doesn't fallow through with it then he gets taken away.
I just want to know how everyone feels about this, personally I think it's a bunch of crap. I'm overweight and if they took me away from my parents for being too fat, I think I would become really depressed and stop eating all together or maybe even end up killing myself, but luckily I'm 18 so it doesn't effect me. I just see this as causing mental problems for children and ruining families. I didn't take it seriously though, until I heard the news today. This story happened in England, but it's scary that it's happening at all and that our government is considering it as well (at least that is what I have heard, before all of this even happened) It's bad that kids are overweight at such a young age and it is somewhat the parents responsibility, but I don't think this is the answer to fixing the problem.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Correct my spelling of *follow lol, and heres a link to the story http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/mick_hume/article1444033.ece?openComment=true

it's pretty biased, but it still tells the basics of what happened.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I probably shouldn't be responding to this, as a lot of people might not like what I have to say; but we are all entitled to our own opinions..... Right? Well, I personally believe that if the child is severally obese; I mean really obese. To the point where the child can't hardly walk, can't be like a normal kid; and if the parents are not doing anything to try to help. Then I agree, I think the child should be taken out of the home; because in some ways it's considered child abuse in my opinion. I saw this case the other day, this little boy weighed like 4 times the amount he should for his age and the mother kept feeding him all sorts of sweets and everything. Was doing NOTHING to help her child lose weight, knowing that being that severally obese could kill him. He was taken out of the home and given to his dad and he lost a ton of weight and now is a happy little boy. So, if someone is just moderately overweight or the parents are trying with their kid. Then no, I think it would be wrong to take the child out of the home. But if the child is really obese and the parents do nothing to help, then I believe Social Services has every right to take the child out of the home.
deleted_user
deleted_user
In my opinion, it depends on the situation. Do I agree with a child being removed from his/her home? Absolutely NOT. I would have been horrified. However, I feel that it's the state's right to intervene since the child is clearly in an unhealthy situation. I am all for giving the kid a fair chance at a normal, healthy life, but that doesn't include being removed from your family.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I'm not familiar with the story but I don't think a child should be removed from the home UNLESS the parents are clearly contributing to the ill-health of their child. If the parent(s) are trying (eg having appropirate food around, encouraging exercise, getting counselling for the child etc...) then I see no reason why the child should be removed. IF the child's health is declining because of the parents (like having donughts for breakfast, lunch and dinner) than some counselling or other intervention needs to take place....if they won't accept that then maybe just maybe apprehension should be considered.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I think it would be horrible to have your child taken away...or be taken away from your family. That being said...it is not the child's fault that they are obese...it's the parents. When I was a kid, I don't ever remeber fat kids on the playground. There has to be something really wrong with the parents to let their child get not chubby but OBSESE. Having a child that has high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure is rediculous. I do beleive that the parents should get a change to fix the situation, but if they are unable to....what else can be done besides getting the kid the help they need? It really is child abuse to assist them in becoming dangerously overweight. Just my opinion.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I think it would be horrible to have your child taken away...or be taken away from your family. That being said...it is not the child's fault that they are obese...it's the parents. When I was a kid, I don't ever remeber fat kids on the playground. There has to be something really wrong with the parents to let their child get not chubby but OBSESE. Having a child that has high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure is rediculous. I do beleive that the parents should get a change to fix the situation, but if they are unable to....what else can be done besides getting the kid the help they need? It really is child abuse to assist them in becoming dangerously overweight. Just my opinion.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I agree I don't believe it is the solution to the problem. Just the same as teenage pregnancy, or contracting a life threatining disease at a young age. Are they going to take those children away from their parents to, and send them where? A foster home? A hospital? If they did that children would not be living with their parents. This idea is wrong wrong wrong. The only reason a child should be taken away from their home environment is if they are being physically abused. IS obesity considered abuse should be the topic to discuss. My opinion absolutely not, but I agree a Social Worker could have a hand in monitoring the home situation in order to ensure quality of life for grotesquely obese children.
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