Mother may lose custody of obese boy

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By COURTNEY FRENCH, Associated Press Writer

Authorities are considering taking an 8-year-old boy who weighs 218 pounds into protective custody unless his mother improves his diet, officials said Monday.

Social service officials will meet with family members Tuesday to discuss the health of Connor McCreaddie, who weighs more than three times the average for his age.

"The worst case would be Connor getting taken into care. He is well cared for," the boy's mother, Nicola McKeown, told ITV television.

A spokeswoman for health officials in Wallsend, North Tyneside, 300 miles north of London, said the hearing was part of a process that could eventually lead to Connor being taken into protective care. She declined to comment further.

The health agencies organizing the meeting said they "have been working with the family over a prolonged period of time and will continue to do so."

Officials would not say whether Connor suffered from a medical condition that led to his obesity, citing privacy issues.

An unidentified health official was quoted as telling The Sunday Times that taking custody of Connor would be a last resort, but said the family had repeatedly failed to attend appointments with nurses, nutritionists and social workers.

"Child abuse is not just about hitting your children or sexually abusing them, it is also about neglect," the official was quoted as saying.

Dr. Colin Waine, the director of the National Obesity Forum in Nottingham, England, called Connor's lifestyle "extremely dangerous," adding he is at risk of developing diabetes in his early teens, and cardiovascular and nervous system problems in his 20s.

"He's really at risk of dying by the time he's 30," Waine said.

Dr. Michael Markiewicz, a pediatrician, agreed.

"I'm not saying they can't care for him, but what they are doing is through the way they are treating him and feeding him, they are slowly killing him," he said.

Connor's case attracted national attention after his mother allowed an ITV News crew to film his day-to-day life over the course of a month.

Connor's mother said he steals and hides food, frustrating her efforts to help him. He eats double or triple what a normal seven-year-old would have, she said.

"If I didn't give him enough at teatime then he would just go on at us all night for snacks and stuff," she told ITV.

Connor, who lives with his mother and sister, has difficulty dressing and washing himself, misses school regularly because of poor health, and is targeted by bullies.

"People pick on us because of my weight. They call us fat. It makes us feel sick of the nutters always shouting at us," Connor told ITV.

[Fandango 1,439]

a 218lb 8 year old is disgusting. Well, unless there's a medical reason for that condition, otherwise it's gross and abnormal and the boy should be taken away from his mother.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Hopefully they can educate the mom as well as the rest of the family to do things differently.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Short of an underlying medical condition, an 8 year old at 218lbs is clear evidence of child abuse and the parents should be held accountable just like those that abuse their children in other ways.

[Aymerlu 3]

Sounds like he has prader willi syndrome. Seriously....there was a case here about 10 years ago and the parents were also going to lose their daughter because she was grossly obese. Finally had some genetic testing done on her to confirm this.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Sounds like he has prader willi syndrome. Seriously....there was a case here about 10 years ago and the parents were also going to lose their daughter because she was grossly obese. Finally had some genetic testing done on her to confirm this.

Is that where a person can never feel full?

[Mags 112]

Sounds like he has prader willi syndrome. Seriously....there was a case here about 10 years ago and the parents were also going to lose their daughter because she was grossly obese. Finally had some genetic testing done on her to confirm this.

Is that where a person can never feel full?

The part of the brain that deals with satiety is never turned off. Hence they feel the need to eat constantly. They are fine until the age of 3, are actually underweight and generally fail to thrive. After the age of 5 they suddenly develop a need to eat. Parents actually have to padlock fridges.

It is a devastating condition and there is no way to make it any easier for the patients. There can be other symptoms of PWS, although the majority of patients can live within society quite normally, although they tend to prefer to live in controlled homes where the food is kept locked away.

http://www.pwsausa.org/syndrome/index.htm

Edited February 27, 2007 by mags

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Sounds like he has prader willi syndrome. Seriously....there was a case here about 10 years ago and the parents were also going to lose their daughter because she was grossly obese. Finally had some genetic testing done on her to confirm this.

Is that where a person can never feel full?

The part of the brain that deals with satiety is never turned off. Hence they feel the need to eat constantly. They are fine until the age of 3, are actually underweight and generally fail to thrive. After the age of 5 they suddenly develop a need to eat. Parents actually have to padlock fridges.

It is a devastating condition and there is no way to make it any easier for the patients. There can be other symptoms of PWS, although the majority of patients can live within society quite normally, although they tend to prefer to live in controlled homes where the food is kept locked away.

http://www.pwsausa.org/syndrome/index.htm

Wow, that is tragic. I hope they can correctly diagnose this boy if that is the case.

[Donna A 4]

i still think obesity is linked to the foods we eat here. giving our animals steriods to plump them up really dont help things im sure.