Apparently one county thinks so. In Cleveland, Ohio an 8-year-old boy in third grade was taken from his mother because he is obese. Social Services in Cleveland Heights say they have been working with the mother for over a year to try to help the 200lb child to lose weight.
At more than 200 pounds, the third-grader is considered severely obese and at risk for developing such diseases as diabetes and hypertension. Cuyahoga County does not have any particular policy on handling cases of childhood obesity. The agency did say they found the mother’s inability to help her child lose weight medical neglect. A trial will take place next month to determine whether the mother will get her child back.
Apparently, the agency became involved when the mother took her child to the hospital for breathing problems more than a year ago. Medical experts admit that at over 200lbs the child is a ticking time bomb but the debate wages on as to whether the government should intervene in these cases. What do you think?
N.C. Family Law Blog 
A 200 pound third grader would qualify as “abuse” under any rational standard. The problem would then be identifying the lower limits where removing a child from parental custody would not apply but additional monitoring would be appropriate.
Posted by Opus the Poet | December 2, 2011, 11:28 am