Is it OK for the State to take a child into custody for being obese? Medical neglect is the stated cause but with obesity rates having tripled in the last 30 years, is it fair to single one family out? 44% of kids are overweight or obese by the time they are 8 to 10 yrs old so where are we going to put all these kids? A 10 yr old in Cleveland was taken from his family for weighing 220 or a BMI of 60 and many are questioning if the state has overstepped its boundary. I think the real question is what is the solution for the 44%? Foster care does not seem to be it.

Did the child have a medical condition that caused the State to take him?

The boy had been monitored for 20 months after being hospitalized with sleep apnea. He needed a CPAP machine to help him sleep at night. Obesity does cause hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, joint pain, liver disease, and psychological stress in children but he was only known to have sleep apnea. His family did attend a free nutrition class and tried to make lifestyle changes.  While he initially lost weight, he gained it back within the year.  The State intervened because they felt that it was a last resort and the boy was at high risk of death before the age of 18 from his obesity. There is a court hearing on December 10th that may return him to his home. He has lost 10 lbs since he was placed in foster care in October but neighbors argue the weight loss may be from the stress of separation from his family.

Does removing children from the home for obesity have a proven track record?

Treating obesity is a very complicated and difficult process with a high failure rate.  State intervention may be a short term band aid if children even lose weight while under custody. One child was taken from his home in Washington, D.C. Terrell Hunter, also known as “Heavy T.“ He was a morbidly obese teenager and his mother was charged with neglect. He was placed in an anti-obesity program and he lost 137 pounds. As he improved, Hunter’s mother gradually regained custody of her son. Eventually, Heavy T got to be back at home full time, where he promptly gained all the weight back. Earlier this year, Hunter died from obesity, still a teenager.

What are the best ways to treat and avoid obesity in children?

Treating obesity should be multidisciplinary approach. It not just about nutrition and exercise, but the psychological and emotional reasons why people overeat. It requires that the entire family get help and be on board with making healthy lifestyle choices as well as learn stress management and obtain psychological support as in any addiction. Anyone can go off and be starved to lose weight but until the emotional reasons at the root of the problem as well as the nutritional environments are addressed, they are almost always destined to gain it back.

A healthy approach that would start to tackle that 44% of obese and overweight children comes from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the 5-2-1-0 Health Initiative.

5-2-1-0 Health Initiatives

5- Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day

2- Limit screens to 2 hours a day

1-Get 1 hour or Play 60 minutes a day

0-Drink 0 calorie beverages daily instead of pop

ReThink your Drink encourages sugar-free beverages as drinking just one sugar drink with each meal and with one snack can add an extra 800 calories a day.

There is never an easy answer when it comes to obesity but the 5-2-1-0 health initiative is a great start. Orange pop is not a fruit and pizza is not a vegetable (no matter what Congress may say) and we could all benefit from these healthy lifestyle choices.

Hoping that all children have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Dr. Deb