Do you think that the little english boy who is overweight should be taken from his mother?

Question

He is 8 and weighs 89 kgs, and his mother says when she tries to feed him healthy food, he throws a tantrum. Do you think it is time for some tough love?

I'm not too sure what that is in pounds, but about 200.

Answer 1

I think Mom and son both need a wake up call. She needs one from the doctors and parents who have been in that situation, and he needs one from her. If she can't cope with that, then yes I think it would be in his best interest to be removed from her home while they are BOTH taught better habits.

First, I think she needs to be told what this is doing to her baby. Point blank, no sugar coating it. At this rate she's setting him up to die young, that's all there is to it!

Second, take ALL the junk food out of the house, fill it up with healthy foods, and that's that. She's his Mom and it's high time they both realize it! I know it's hard to tell your kids no, when they say they're hungry. I myself can't do it, but my 8 year old weighs 55 pounds, not 218! If he throws a fit when she offers him healthy food, treat him like a three year old. IGNORE HIM! When he gets hungry, he'll eat. If he eats, it will have to be something good for him.

She needs to stand up to him and tell him no! And the doctors need to stand up to her and tell her she's killing her son.

Answer 2

I read about that this morning. In a way, yes I think that the child and the mother & grandmother need help. Something needs to be done though. I mean an 8 y/o weighing 200lbs is crazy. The article that I read said that the authorities have made several appointments with pediatric nutritionists and the mother has never brought him to the first one. It said that the child eats more for breakfast than most adults eat in a whole days time. That the mother sits there cutting the food up for him and watches him shovel it in. To me, yes that is neglectful to the child. She's the mother and needs to take hold of the situation. If she can't, then someone needs to. Even if it does mean putting him in care. From what I have read about it, the social services over there have given the mother chance after chance to begin resolving this, all to no avail. Someone needs to step in and take charge of this situation for the sake of the child's health.

Answer 3

The boy is 8 years old and about 218 pounds.

The story I read said that the mother was not showing up for visits with nutritionists and not complying with social services plan for her son. It doesn't sound like social services started out trying to take the boy away. It sounds, to me, like they were trying to keep the family together but also get the boy healthy at the same time. The mother has not been going along with the agency's attempts at getting the boy healthy.

The story said that the goal of the agency is to keep the family together, but first and foremost getting the boy healthy. It also stated that the agency has been trying to work with the family for a long time and are only considering taking the boy as a last effort.

The boy's mother said, "If I didn't give him enough at teatime then he would just go on at us all night for snacks and stuff." It sounds like the mother isn't seeing the bogger picture. Yes, he may be whining for something to eat now, but if you give in to him to make him happy for this moment, you're going to wind up killing him.

Answer 4

89 kgs is approximately 200 pounds. Way over his normal weight but I still think that taking him from his parents is not the way to handle this situation. Good dietary teaching with the parents may help and should be tried before removal from the home.

Answer 5

Its criminal neglect. And it will turn to murder sooner or later. The Kid throws a tantrums? So what, every kid does, if she was a real parent she would hold her ground and get him in shape. Its not even fat or overweights, at that point is morbidly obese. Weighing 200lbs at 8 is about the same as 500lbs at 18.

Answer 6

Tough love and a new diet for the whole family. Have you seen what the mother looks like? You can't expect a woman who obviously doesn't watch her own diet to feed her child healthily. I bet she's eating just what he eats. It's child abuse in a way but I don't think the child should be taken from her. Jeez, here in the US every fifth kid would be taken away from his/her parents.

Answer 7

No, I don't think the child should be taken away from his family. I do think that the parents need to get some serious counseling to help them deal with their child. He isn't going to live very long if he keeps going at this rate. I don't see how parents can let this problem get so bad. But taking him away and putting him in a home isn't the answer.

Answer 8

I probably didnt weigh 60 pounds at his age. I know i only weighed 100 pounds when i was 13-14. I had to really go to extremes to "bulk up" when i joined the military at 19, i didnt think they were going to take me!
That poor kid-i feel for him. He has no life or future.

Answer 9

89kg is 14 stones.

I don't think he should be taken away, do you know what UK child institutuions are like? He will be owrse off there he will probably get killed.

She needs to have social workers come over everyday and tell her to be strong, don't keep any jnuk in the house and only offer him healthy foood at specified times, he will start eating it if it is the only thing available.

Or just bring supernanny in to sort him out...

Answer 10

The kg to pounds is 2.2 lbs for every one kg.
I don't think that he should be taken away, but I think that she should be mandated to attend an assertive parenting and nutrition class.