link (http://www.click2houston.com/news/Ohio-third-grader-weighs-more-than-200-pounds/-/1735978/4834708/-/b01vvn/-/index.html)

Ohio Third-Grader Weighs More Than 200 Pounds
Posted: Nov 28 2011 1:08:09 PM CST
Updated On: Nov 28 2011 1:18:53 PM CST

Cleveland - An Ohio third-grader who weighs more than 200 pounds has been taken from his family and placed into foster care after county social workers said his mother wasn't doing enough to control his weight. The Plain Dealer reports that the Cleveland 8-year-old is considered severely obese and at risk for such diseases as diabetes and hypertension. The case is the first state officials can recall of a child being put in foster care strictly for a weight-related issue.

Lawyers for the mother say the county overreached when authorities took the boy last week. They say the medical problems he is at risk for do not yet pose an imminent danger. A spokeswoman says the county removed the child because caseworkers saw his mother's inability to reduce his weight as medical neglect.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

I wonder if foster care will help though. I mean, what will foster parents be able to do, that the mother couldn't have done? Weight problems aren't that easy to solve, just ask yours truely, and I doubt this will help the boy.

This is just stupid. Putting the boy in foster care will not likely solve the problem. It will do nothing more then transfer the problem to someone else who knows nothing about this child. Instead, DCFS should have required the mother seek help from a dietician who could have put the child under diet/exercise regiment. Then, if after a certain amount of time, the child wasn't making any progress, more serious action could have been taken. Honestly, foster care is NOT the answer to everything.

The way I look at it, the DCFS should instead go after parents who let their kids watch trashy TV shows.

I wonder if foster care will help though. I mean, what will foster parents be able to do, that the mother couldn't have done? Weight problems aren't that easy to solve, just ask yours truely, and I doubt this will help the boy.

Well, for one, foster parents could monitor his diet, something his real parents obviously haven't done. This boy didn't get that big by accident, or by getting a virus. Unless he has some sort of disease, he got that way because, like all kids without any supervision, he ate what tasted good instead of what was good for him. If the parents were starving him, he'd be taken away...this isn't that bad, but it's close.

The only thing that could hurt the child is being away from his family. Starting with a new family will be damaging to the child. Being put with the foster for say a 1/2 year and then go back to his parents can't be good.
But the family is to blame, I can see getting help but just how. The only real way is to leave the family where the chubbiest is coming from. Maybe the boy and his mother could live in a center to start to eat and cook properly.

It's stupid they would take this boy away from his parents because he is overweight, but yet there are thousands of children who are kept in their homes where they are physically abused. The Social workers need to work on their priorities.

Poor kid.
Well, I would imagine in a case like this it's all up to the foster parents. There are some good foster parents, though you only hear about the bad. Also it is up to this child. He will likely have to stuggle with his weight for his whole lifetime, but everybody has some kind of struggle. Maybe the birth parents are neglectful. This is situation is dramatic.
If someone offers to do a reality show, (grass roots) and the kid agrees, that will help to keep the foster parents in check. Commercial endorsements or donations could go a long way in physical therapy, nutritionists or eating disorder camp. Just thinkin'. :)

A 200 8 year old??? I have a hard time believing that this is just caused by overeating. Perhaps he has a thyroid condition.

When I was in grade school eons ago we had one girl who was considered chunky. My mom always told me never make fun of her weight. The boys would occasionally call her Carol the barrel. I felt so sad for Carol. We became friendly. I remember my dad took me and Carol to an amusement park. But today it seems there are many Carols. I don't know if it the different foods, much today foods I never saw as a 8 year old. We did have gym class several times a week where we would play kickball, jumping jacks, and I rode my bike to school. I don't what the average grammer school child does today. We had no school made lunch. My mom made my sandwich which I put in my lunch box.

A 200 8 year old??? I have a hard time believing that this is just caused by overeating. Perhaps he has a thyroid condition.

Good point.
One wonders if the child has even had a full medical workup to determine what might be going on.

The mother may not have the time or the money to take the boy to the doctor.