http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6396457.stm

I don't care what the mother says about 'having' to give him junk food or he'll starve - let him starve! He'll soon realise he has to eat the healthy food! It's not like he's going to waddle off to the chippy on his own, is it?

We don't know the full facts, NG...

When I saw this news report on TV the other night, the mother said the child was never satisfied, no matter how much he was fed.

I wondered if, perhaps, the lad in question has something like "Prader-Wili" syndrome?

I agree it's frightening that an eight-Y-O should weigh that much, but it definitlely needs investigating further.

what is the world coming to.

what gives them the right to take this poor lad away from his mum/dad.

im not full up to date with the story, (see link below)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/26022007/397/family-faces-talks-obese-schoolboy-0.html

i think its disgusting, the mum has tried to help her son with low fat foods and exercise etc, do the social services think that taking him away will help the situation??

what do you guys think??

Its a hard one as ever, I am sure his mother is not evil but she has let an 8yr old get to 14st!

It does say that he has lost weight since going on the diet and that putting him in care would be a last resort. However as a CP issue, its great SS are looking into it, at that age you are only going to eat what you are given!!

I saw a program where the Mother didn't understand why her son was putting on so much weight, he always ate meals etc...

You then get to find out that he will only eat baked beans if they have been fried in a pan with oil after his sausages have been fried in the pan, and his mum does this for him!!!!

She also says she has received no help, it amazes me how people don't take things as their own responsibility. So its society, the british government, and british GP's fault her child is 14st!?

Looking at him sat on that chair, feeding his face with junk food was disgusting.

It might help if she taught him some manners and sat him at a table, rather than feed his face while watching TV. His mealtimes would at least be more disciplined, maybe this would help focus her mind on what he was actually eating ... rather than stuffing his face to keep him quiet, which is what she appears to be doing.

what is the world coming to.

what gives them the right to take this poor lad away from his mum/dad.
Maybe the fact that the kid's parent/s have fed him huge amounts of crap with the effect that he's now so obscenely overweight as to be dangerous to his health?

I'm a heavily built 6 foot guy and that poor boy weighs more than me, it's just appalling that any parent would feed their child so much as to make that happen.

im not full up to date with the story, (see link below)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/26022007/397/family-faces-talks-obese-schoolboy-0.html

i think its disgusting, the mum has tried to help her son with low fat foods and exercise etc, do the social services think that taking him away will help the situation??

what do you guys think??
Taking a child into care is an extreme step and as the mother finally seems to be doing something to control her childs eating. But it seems clear from the article that she still isn't accepting her responsibilities as a parent and is blaming everybody but herself.

The kid is so fat he's pretty much immobile the only way he's got that fat is by her buying him junk food and then carrying it over to him, that she did that is nobodies fault but her own and she should accept that.

Until she actually accepts that it is her responsibility to control what her young children eat then I can understand why social services are looking at care as an option.

I am sure that this is a form of neglect, she is killing him slowly through lack of care in much the same way as if she starved him. His problem is "too many pies" and the solution is "fewer pies". It really is that simple.

i understand what your all saying and yes to a degree it is the mothers fault, but taking him away from his parents what will that achieve??

instead of blaming everything in the foods that we eat (fatty foods were around when i was young and i didn't become obese) why not try banning things like xbox, ps2 etc.

these are the kinda things that are causing the kids to get obese by sitting there eating while playing on them and getting no exercise.

i understand what your all saying and yes to a degree it is the mothers fault, but taking him away from his parents what will that achieve??

instead of blaming everything in the foods that we eat (fatty foods were around when i was young and i didn't become obese) why not try banning things like xbox, ps2 etc.

these are the kinda things that are causing the kids to get obese by sitting there eating while playing on them and getting no exercise.

I would blame all those devices if they had minds of their own. In fact it is the parents who give children TV's and computer games who are at fault. This childs parents smoke in front of him (see clip) and tried a few fruits once or twice but he didn't like them. I can honestly say that all my children has fought with me endless times over "hating" a great variety of foods but they ate them or went hungry. They also ask for TVs in their rooms form time to time and I say they can have them when they are 30.

i understand what your all saying and yes to a degree it is the mothers fault, but taking him away from his parents what will that achieve??

instead of blaming everything in the foods that we eat (fatty foods were around when i was young and i didn't become obese) why not try banning things like xbox, ps2 etc.

these are the kinda things that are causing the kids to get obese by sitting there eating while playing on them and getting no exercise.

If you don't do excercise, you have to eat less.

I was a bookworm as a kid, and put weight on - so my mum put me on a diet. Simple.

His parents don't seem to have the ability or the will power to try and save their kid's life. He'll be dead by his mid-twenties at this rate. He's probably to fat to excercise right now, so needs to lose some weight first.

A comment I heard from his family was 'he's intolerant to fruit and vegetables'; please, give me a break!

If he has got a metabolic disease then he needs hospitalising to sort it out, and his parents need educating.

i understand what your all saying and yes to a degree it is the mothers fault, but taking him away from his parents what will that achieve??
What you mean apart from getting his weight down to a level where his health wasn't endangered?

instead of blaming everything in the foods that we eat (fatty foods were around when i was young and i didn't become obese) why not try banning things like xbox, ps2 etc.

these are the kinda things that are causing the kids to get obese by sitting there eating while playing on them and getting no exercise.
I played computer games when I was a kid and was never overweight, my nephews and nieces have computers & games consoles and none of them are overweight the reason being is that they have responsible parents who make sure that they have a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise.

Why on earth do you think everyone else should be denied consoles just because some parents are so irresponsible and incompetent as to almost kill their children by shovelling huge amounts of crap down their throats?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6396457.stm

I don't care what the mother says about 'having' to give him junk food or he'll starve - let him starve! He'll soon realise he has to eat the healthy food! It's not like he's going to waddle off to the chippy on his own, is it?

a doctor should prescribe him amphetamines or forced exercise and reduced calorie intake, i bet his life expectancy is less than that of opiate abusers, to think how much he must eat and that there are people starving in the world

Why on earth do you think everyone else should be denied consoles just because some parents are so irresponsible and incompetent as to almost kill their children by shovelling huge amounts of crap down their throats?

I have no objection to consoles, but I do think that parents who allow children to have unlimited access to consoles and TV's in their own rooms are as bad as parents who neglect their childrens diet. I even know people who allow their children to eat their own meals away from the family in their own rooms while they watch their own private TV. This is going to cause them, and society in general, just as many problems as them being big and fat.

We don't know the full facts, NG...

When I saw this news report on TV the other night, the mother said the child was never satisfied, no matter how much he was fed.

I wondered if, perhaps, the lad in question has something like "Prader-Wili" syndrome?

If he had Prader-Willi syndrome, he'd be dead already.

i understand what your all saying and yes to a degree it is the mothers fault, but taking him away from his parents what will that achieve??


It is not the parents' fault "to a degree" .. it is their fault ENTIRELY. Since they've amply proven they are incapable of looking after a child, I don't see what option is left BUT to take the child away from them.

If an eight year old weighed two stone, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Everyone would be crying child abuse. This is every bit as bad, so why are we talking?

i understand what your all saying and yes to a degree it is the mothers fault, but taking him away from his parents what will that achieve??


Maybe it will stop him dying young.

His mother is a disgrace.

My brother wouldn't eat anything but sausages and baked beans for about 2-3 years as a kid, and my mum pandered to him. He still even today won't eat vegetables, cheese, most 'foreign' food or anything vaguely healthy... Up until 2 years ago (WHEN HE WAS EIGHTEEN) He still wouldn't eat food with 'bits in'!!! FFS!

what is the world coming to.

what gives them the right to take this poor lad away from his mum/dad.

im not full up to date with the story, (see link below)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/26022007/397/family-faces-talks-obese-schoolboy-0.html

i think its disgusting, the mum has tried to help her son with low fat foods and exercise etc, do the social services think that taking him away will help the situation??

what do you guys think??

i agree with the 1st poster. its the mum's fault he's that big.. i believe all parents should look after their children, and getting the kids fat i thinkis disgusting and unfair on the child.. maybe if they spent a little more time with him when he was younger instaed of letting him eat and watch tv. he may not be in this situation now..

all parents of fat children should have to pay the price, and if the price is taking the kid away then so be it..

if dog owners get there dogs fat, they face charges, so why not humans

My brother wouldn't eat anything but sausages and baked beans for about 2-3 years as a kid, and my mum pandered to him. He still even today won't eat vegetables, cheese, most 'foreign' food or anything vaguely healthy... Up until 2 years ago (WHEN HE WAS EIGHTEEN) He still wouldn't eat food with 'bits in'!!! FFS!

If you don't introduce them to different foods from an early age then it can be difficult. However, I doubt any kid would hold out for more than 24 hours if you kept to a "take it or leave it" regime.

if this is to be used as a scare tactic would it not be better to force a few fatties to live off wartime amounts of rations?

if this is to be used as a scare tactic would it not be better to force a few fatties to live off wartime amounts of rations?

What scare tactic? We're talking about removing a child-abuse victim to a place of safety.

What scare tactic? We're talking about removing a child-abuse victim to a place of safety.

if people who feed their kids too much think they are to be taken away they might buy them a football rather than a mcdonalds, it's kind of abuse but more likely stupidity, i don't think its in anybody's interest to put the bloater in care.

I'm sorry but labeling it child abuse is wrong. Neglect or bad parenting maybe but abuse is an entirely different subject, and one that has to approached very carefully.

It is not the parents' fault "to a degree" .. it is their fault ENTIRELY. Since they've amply proven they are incapable of looking after a child, I don't see what option is left BUT to take the child away from them.

If an eight year old weighed two stone, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Everyone would be crying child abuse. This is every bit as bad, so why are we talking?

I agree with you entirely... That poor boy was so fat he could barely breathe to speak... and all his excuse of a mother could do was blame everyone around her "ooh I haven't had enough help... the authorities should have done something"

Well they tried to offer help, and she didn't bother to turn up for her appointments :rolleyes: ... so what can they do? take him from her. While he is in her care he has no chance for a healthy life :mad: .

This kid is in a worse off state than if he'd been starved - and if that had been the case, everyone would agree that he needs rescuing.

It is not the parents' fault "to a degree" .. it is their fault ENTIRELY. Since they've amply proven they are incapable of looking after a child, I don't see what option is left BUT to take the child away from them.

If an eight year old weighed two stone, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Everyone would be crying child abuse. This is every bit as bad, so why are we talking?

I understand how you feel about this, but unless you particularly want to victimise this family, then we need to decide exactly what weight will trigger this response. There would need to be a continuous graph of age against weight; every child in the country would have to be weighed at least twice a year and if a child were found to be 'above the line' they would be automatically taken into care and the parents prosecuted.

You will also need to decide where the money for all this is coming from, who will do the weighing and where all these children will be kept.

I would suggest that as we dont currently provide protection for children at risk from abusive and uncaring parents, it seems a little unfair to Crucify this woman in the full glare of media scrutiny. Perhaps it would have been better if the problem had been identified earlier and the family supported, instead of turning them into a freak show for everyones amusement.

I'm sorry but labeling it child abuse is wrong. Neglect or bad parenting maybe but abuse is an entirely different subject, and one that has to approached very carefully.
If you not only permit but positively assist a child in doing anything likely to result in their death that's abuse.

I understand how you feel about this, but unless you particularly want to victimise this family, then we need to decide exactly what weight will trigger this response. There would need to be a continuous graph of age against weight; every child in the country would have to be weighed at least twice a year and if a child were found to be 'above the line' they would be automatically taken into care and the parents prosecuted.

You will also need to decide where the money for all this is coming from, who will do the weighing and where all these children will be kept.

I would suggest that as we dont currently provide protection for children at risk from abusive and uncaring parents, it seems a little unfair to Crucify this woman in the full glare of media scrutiny. Perhaps it would have been better if the problem had been identified earlier and the family supported, instead of turning them into a freak show for everyones amusement.
Don't be absurd just because there is absolutely no need to do any of that stuff. To say that a child who's so fat they have difficulty moving, dressing and washing themselves and are at serious risk of an early death should possibly be taken into care is a world away from wanting or logically requiring the draconian measures you suggest.

Also I think you'll find school kids already have the occasional medical where they are amongst other things weighed and teachers and other childcare professionals are already mandated to report mistreatment of children such as that in this case.

Don't be absurd just because there is absolutely no need to do any of that stuff. To say that a child who's so fat they have difficulty moving, dressing and washing themselves and are at serious risk of an early death should possibly be taken into care is a world away from wanting or logically requiring the draconian measures you suggest.

Also I think you'll find school kids already have the occasional medical where they are amongst other things weighed and teachers and other childcare professionals are already mandated to report mistreatment of children such as that in this case.

Absurd am I? Maybe so, but I haven't fallen into the media circus as you have. Do you think anyone gives a monkeys about this poor kid and his condition? The childs school was idealy placed to observe and report if they felt the child was in danger, and should have done so long before this. If he was unable to attend shool because of his weight then this again would be another oportunity to identify the problem and help.

Now, because of all the attention in the press and on TV, all the agencies involved are busily trying to cover themselves and blame the mother.

To acuse the mother of child abuse is not helpful, and frankly I despair
.

As far as I can tell from the limited evidence available, this is a clear-cut case of poor parenting. Taking the kid away may not be that great, but, if he's not taken away, then the parents sure as anything need to be told how to look after their kid. That means they need to realise that he is the kid, and damn well needs to learn to do what he's told, and they, as the parents, need to stop pandering to him.

Of couse he doesn't want to eat fruit and veg and prefers the processed rubbish - it's because he is given the choice! At that age the parents should be telling him what he can and can't eat, not the other way around.

Absurd am I? Maybe so, but I haven't fallen into the media circus as you have.
Who here has?

Do you think anyone gives a monkeys about this poor kid and his condition?
Yes I do, I know a number of people working in childcare positions and they all care deeply about children and their responsibilities to them, if they felt otherwise they'd be in different jobs.

The childs school was idealy placed to observe and report if they felt the child was in danger, and should have done so long before this. If he was unable to attend shool because of his weight then this again would be another oportunity to identify the problem and help.

Now, because of all the attention in the press and on TV, all the agencies involved are busily trying to cover themselves and blame the mother.
And you know that this is the first action the authorities have taken how exactly? As KATIEB_23 points out the mother has failed to turn up to several appointments set up to help her.

My mother's a teacher and has been involved in a large number of cases involving child protection and they often move fairly slowly and will generally go through a great many proactive steps of trying to actively assist parents, taking children into care is a last resort.

To acuse the mother of child abuse is not helpful, and frankly I despair.
Please do explain in what way enabling your child to become so obscenely and unheathily overweight isn't abusive?

It's nice to see that Darwinism is alive and well. Why on earth do we keep interfering with natural selection at it's zenith?

:huh:

Please do explain in what way enabling your child to become so obscenely and unheathily overweight isn't abusive?

If it's been done deliberately to cause the child harm then it is abuse, otherwise it is not abuse.

I don't believe anyone has suggested that this was intentional harm, although it is definately bad parenting bordering on stupidity.

If it's been done deliberately to cause the child harm then it is abuse, otherwise it is not abuse

I don't believe anyone has suggested that this was intentional harm,
And since when does 'abuse' have to be be fully intentional and deliberate?

The kid is so fat he's essentially immobile, the only way he ended up like that is by his mother buying him food and then carrying it to him. This didn't happen overnight and by accident she has been positively enabling and assisting in this damaging behaviour for an extended period of time.

My mum has been involved in cases with incompetent parents (often with addiction of one kind or another) who didn't deliberately cause harm to their children but they certainly harmed them and in some cases lost their children as a result.

although it is definately bad parenting bordering on stupidity.
'bordering on stupidity' :o if almost killing your kid by shovelling junk food down his throat isn't stupid what is?

If he had Prader-Willi syndrome, he'd be dead already.

How would he be? on what basis do you work out that premise?

prader wili is not an inherently fatal condition as conditions go, I know of plenty of adults with PW, who are in their 20s and 30s. yes, the weight can cause problems to those with PW, as it can with anyone who is obese. It's not like conditions like Muscular Dystrophy , etc where the person usually has little life expectancy beyond their teens.

Look PW up. It's a condition where the person has an "abnormality" in their brain which fails to switch off the person's "hungry" signals. It is characterised, usually, (But not necessarily in all cases) by mild to moderate learning disabilities, and poor muscle tone.

There is no doubt that the child needs some serious help, and I'm sure there are those here who know better than I where best he should get it. As he has already lost over a stone in weight, perhaps the home environment has improved sufficiently that taking him into care is unnecessary?

The problem with calling this 'child abuse' is that would make it a criminal offence. Would it solve anything to prosecute and convict the lads parents for child abuse? Surely this would destroy the family completely?

The problem with calling this 'child abuse' is that would make it a criminal offence.


That's a benefit, not a problem. Anyone who can put their child's life in such danger deserves to be prosecuted.

I listened to the mother on the radio this morning.
She's as thick as her brat is fat.

Well you just cant educate pork!!:hihi:

How would he be? on what basis do you work out that premise?


Does this kid look to you like he's been restricted from gorging himself to death? He doesn't to me.

It amazes me how people can form such strong opinions based on a couple of hundred words written by a journalist.

I listened to the mother on the radio this morning.
She's as thick as her brat is fat.

there is so much BS in this thread - not specifically refering to the post i've quoted, but several people in the thread have refered to the women as "thick" and also suggested that this would instantly make her a bad parent!

Maybe we should have an IQ test for would-be parents then?!
Having said that - you could have an IQ of 150 and still be the worst parent in the world, or have an IQ of 70 and be the best parent in the world.

----

As for social services threatening to take him away from his parents - what a joke! If they were slightly quicker off the mark in "REAL" abuse cases I think we'd all be a lot happier!

If they do this, what next?
*Parents who dress their kids in very unfasionable clothes - making them a target for bullies - maybe that is a type of abuse!
*Parents can't get their child to eat (anarexia) - well it must be the parents fault so better take the child away!

I would have thought the Social services should still be ashames of what they did in the 1980's to the families in Greater Manchester when they came up with the story of several parents being devil worshipers - with no evidence - and removed the kids from their families!

Does this kid look to you like he's been restricted from gorging himself to death? He doesn't to me.

that's not the premise, you simply said "if he had pW, he'd be dead by now"

that's got nothing to do with how he looks, whether he has been permitted to "gorge" or even price of fish.

I was talking about whether the doctors had taken his mother seriously enough to check him out for PW.

as I said in my above post, The mother is reported to have said "What he eats doesn't satisfy him, he's still hungry, even when he has eaten!"

so I asked whether, seeing as PW is a neurological condition, that prevents the area in the brain, which tells us when we have eaten, from working, whether the lad might have PW.

As for social services threatening to take him away from his parents - what a joke! If they were slightly quicker off the mark in "REAL" abuse cases I think we'd all be a lot happier!
In what way is this not a 'real' case of abuse? The kid's parents not only allowed but positively assisted him to become grossly and dangerously overweight.

If they do this, what next?
*Parents who dress their kids in very unfasionable clothes - making them a target for bullies - maybe that is a type of abuse!
How is this remotely equivalent to giving an 8 year old so much junk food he can't effectively move, dress or clean himself and misses lots of schools due to ill health directly caused by being so obscenely overweight?

*Parents can't get their child to eat (anarexia) - well it must be the parents fault so better take the child away!
Anorexia is an illness that isn't the parents fault in contrast the only way this kid could get so fat is by his parents feeding him huge amounts of bad food, which most certainly is their fault.

I would have thought the Social services should still be ashames of what they did in the 1980's to the families in Greater Manchester when they came up with the story of several parents being devil worshipers - with no evidence - and removed the kids from their families!
And this is relevant to this case in which a child clearly has been harmed by his parents how?

there is so much BS in this thread - not specifically refering to the post i've quoted, but several people in the thread have refered to the women as "thick" and also suggested that this would instantly make her a bad parent!


My opinion is based on the woman's interview on radio 4.
She is making no attempt too stop the kid eating crap and so, in my opinion, a bad mother.
Are you really telling me that a woman can't stop an 8 year old kid from eating crap food. If she stops keeping that crap in the fridge he will have no choice.
So he dosn't like it but if she only buys better quality food the little sod will eat it when he gets hungry.
Having said that I would guess that he is going to die young now regardless if what anyone does.

Looking at him sat on that chair, feeding his face with junk food was disgusting... feed his face...stuffing his face.


I agree Glennis, the parents have to take the bulk of responsibility in such a case, but remember, we're talking about an eight year old here, and I think eight year olds should have the right to live free from such language being used about them and adults should know better than to refer to eight year olds like this. He's the victim in this, remember.

I'm sorry but labeling it child abuse is wrong. Neglect or bad parenting maybe but abuse is an entirely different subject, and one that has to approached very carefully.

Neglect is a form of abuse.

Child abuse is an apt description in this case.

does anybody know if the parent(s) own an automobile?

It is not the parents' fault "to a degree" .. it is their fault ENTIRELY. Since they've amply proven they are incapable of looking after a child, I don't see what option is left BUT to take the child away from them.

If an eight year old weighed two stone, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Everyone would be crying child abuse. This is every bit as bad, so why are we talking?

I don't often see eye to eye with you Heyesey but, in this instance you are bang on and that that is a very valid analogy you have raised.

Some weeks ago I saw a thread regarding the dog owners who had been prosecuted for cruelty by overfeeding their dog so that it became dangerously obese and it asked if parents should be prosecuted for doing the same to their kids.

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=165756&highlight=overweight+dog

I do however object to this poor lad being displayed like a freak show, surely this is also a form of abuse.

I agree Glennis, the parents have to take the bulk of responsibility in such a case, but remember, we're talking about an eight year old here, and I think eight year olds should have the right to live free from such language being used about them and adults should know better than to refer to eight year olds like this. He's the victim in this, remember.

Here, Here. well said.

He's 8 years old for Gods sake.

Abuse is a very strong word and should be used carefully but in this particular case i believe it fits very aptly.

I also agree with plekhanov (not often that happens!)

This child has been abused and failed by his parents. There probably isn't an 8 year old on the planet who wouldn't exist on crisps, chips, coke and chocolate if they could. You can't blame a child for acting like a child.

You can however blame a parent for not behaving like a responsible parent. I'm sure this woman thought she was doing what was best for this chi9ld but the truth is she wasn't. We all know that we want to see our kids eat properly but there are limits. You can't shovel crappy food down your offsprings face on a daily basis without there being consequences.

Of course kids don't want to eat vegetables (actually mine does, hes a strange child in many ways!) but thats no excuse not to try. The rule should be that you eat what you're given. If you don't want to eat it thats fine but you get nothing else.

I also don't want to hear about kids should be given unlimited freedom and choices because thats rubbish as well. Being a parent means taking tough, unpopular decisions. Nobody likes to discipline their children but it needs to be done. Children need rules, boundaries and routines. They need stability at home. If you are unable to provide that then you shouldn't be allowed to look after children, you obviously aren't fit to do it. In this case social services have intervened and people are saying its wrong. If social services hadn't intervened then they would have been roundly condemned. I think its good they have done what they've done. This child in that environment would soon be dead. Possibly before he reaches his teens, do people want that?

I think its also worth mentioning that slating the child as some have done on this thread is also wrong. He's 8 years old. Hes not capable of making informed choices, hes a victim of his surroundings and he should be helped. Condemning him isn't going to help.

OMG - his mother has to wash his tackle! :o

Ive read none of the posts before mine and just had a quick look at the tv program but i just want to say. That is the most heartbreaking thing ive ever seen. That poor boy. I feel so, so sorry for him.

Looks a right set up, her smoking in bed:rolleyes:

My 12 year old is watching this and just said "how can that be right, hes holding a can of pepsi in his school photo! Its just wrong."

OMG - his mother has to wash his tackle! :o

That's his grandma I think
Poor Fella
I feel for him too :(

My opinion is based on the woman's interview on radio 4.
She is making no attempt too stop the kid eating crap and so, in my opinion, a bad mother.
Are you really telling me that a woman can't stop an 8 year old kid from eating crap food. If she stops keeping that crap in the fridge he will have no choice.
So he dosn't like it but if she only buys better quality food the little sod will eat it when he gets hungry.
Having said that I would guess that he is going to die young now regardless if what anyone does.

I heard that interview this morning too - the mother did not come across very well - she said on air that she kept crisps and other junk food in the house (but, she argued, what could she do? He wouldn't eat healthy food?)

She didn't do herself any favours and came across as weak - surely a parent can prevent an 8yr old from eating crap? If you expose yourself to public scrutiny you only have yourself to blame if the public vote against you

(but, she argued, what could she do? He wouldn't eat healthy food?)



When he's got no teeth left ...."What could I do? He wouldn't clean them."
When he breaks his neck diving out of the bedroom window .... "What could I do? He refused to use the stairs."
When he is hit by a car .... "What could I do? He refused to look both ways."

Is this 'parent' for real?

Now repeat after me woman: "NO!!" ... "NO!!" ... "NO!" Now try saying it to your kid.:rolleyes:

well DS#1 said shes a bad mother! smoking over the cooking pots and feeding him crap!

OMG - his mother has to wash his tackle! :o

He's 8 not 18. :confused:

He's 8 not 18. :confused:

I thought that too FYTC ... :confused:

The SF pack in full cry ... what an edifying sight, and I haven't had my tea yet :help:

Sorry chaps but my boys are quite capable of washing their own undercarriage.

edit: and would be mortified if I offered.

My thoughts too Ruby.

The mother is a disgrace, ignorance is no defence.

I also think the filming of him in his underpants is shameful and degrading. How can he give informed consent for such an intrusive act.

The kid needs protecting from his mother and the trashy tabloid-esque media we seem to be lumbered with. :rant:

The blame for this is wide and far reaching.
What has been the purpose of humiliating this child throughout the country?
Who let the 'media' in on this?

The child and his parents need help in this situation.
His picture and story has been splashed across our papers and TV screens, he is now told that he is to be seperated from his mother.
The reason given to him 'she has neglected you'

In what way can loving and feeding a child be described as neglect?
And to describe it as abuse is even worse.
What she seems to guilty of is stupidity, and ignorance.

Something could have been done about this well before it reached this stage.

Incidentally, how do kids get fat, after the toddler stage.?

We all used to be as thin as whippets, and always hungry.
Because we were always on the go.
My mother could have fed me treacle pudding every day, and you would still have been able to count my ribs. :hihi:

The blame for this is wide and far reaching.
What has been the purpose of humiliating this child throughout the country?

Well said artisan ... I haven't followed the story but if what's been said is true, the 'media' should be ashamed. How is he going to go on at school after all his friends have heard their parents banging on, in the same way we've seen people ranting on here? Poor little boy.

:(

I'm not ranting Rubes, I just feel for the kid, and like MY son said, they have let him down.

artisan;1994466]

In what way can loving and feeding a child be described as neglect?
And to describe it as abuse is even worse.
What she seems to guilty of is stupidity, and ignorance.Something could have been done about this well before it reached this stage.

What she is guilty of is rather worse than stupidity and ignorance. She is guilty of the present national disease, throughout all social classes, of irresponsibility: utterly unwilling to accept that her behaviour has repercussions for her child, who cannot protect himself from them. I do accept however that this particular defect has been fostered by the state and constantly encouraged through the media.

I saw it on GMTV yesterday, the mother said that she had asked the press and social workers, profressionals for help etc but felt like she was being made an example of. However she also said she'd been given appointments with people to help with his diet but hadn't turned up to all of them as she suffers panic attacks. It's good she asked for help but I think she let it get out of hand in the first place, she must have seen him getting bigger and bigger, she could have stopped this surley.

What she is guilty of is rather worse than stupidity and ignorance. She is guilty of the present national disease, throughout all social classes, of irresponsibility: utterly unwilling to accept that her behaviour has repercussions for her child, who cannot protect himself from them. I do accept however that this particular defect has been fostered by the state and constantly encouraged through the media.

Very true! This seems to be an epidemic sweeping through the country :rolleyes:

I was reading in the paper yesterday what he ate in a day, co co pops, burgers, fizzy pop, chips, toast, 2 packets of biscuits, crisps, chocolate. All rubbish, not one mention of fresh fruit and veg. I don't believe that he can't possibily not like all fruit and veg, surley there must be something.

The blame for this is wide and far reaching.
What has been the purpose of humiliating this child throughout the country?
Who let the 'media' in on this?
:

That is simple to answer, - we all like freak shows. Look at the channel 5 type shows were we see people with two heads or with massive tumours. These have some medical content so we can pretend we are viewing a documentary, but really we just want to pay our sixpence and look at the freaks as we did in circus tents 50 years ago.

His mother said she contacted the press, maybe she was after more money to buy him more rubbish to eat!

It was clear from watching this programme that the boys mother had mental health problems. As a result she has seriously neglected him and he now has serious health problems.

We don't really know what support has already been offered, we only had the families side of the tale, but I doubt if this situation has arisen overnight.

Clearly, if a family can not look after a child, even with support, then the child should be placed into foster care, where he can be properly looked after.

Maybe both the mother and boy need help. It's not happened overnight no, but how can anyone sit back and watch their son get to that size. Feeding him all that rubbish processed food is clearly damaging his health, maybe the boy is too young to understand but the mother?

Maybe we should have an IQ test for would-be parents then?!


There are no absolutes but generally speaking intellegent people will make better parents than dopes. Their "raw material" will also be better and as such will, generally speaking, produce a better quality stock than that produced by dopes.

I'm not entirely with you on not letting thick people breed though because we need them to do the crap jobs. I would agree that we need to strike a balance to make sure there are not too many or, as is happening, they become a burden when the crap jobs run out. I think you have something Blade1983 but I'm just not sure an IQ test is the best way to go about it. :thumbsup:

There are no absolutes but generally speaking intellegent people will make better parents than dopes. Their "raw material" will also be better and as such will, generally speaking, produce a better quality stock than that produced by dopes.

I'm not entirely with you on not letting thick people breed though because we need them to do the crap jobs. I would agree that we need to strike a balance to make sure there are not too many or, as is happening, they become a burden when the crap jobs run out. I think you have something Blade1983 but I'm just not sure an IQ test is the best way to go about it. :thumbsup:
Look at vanilla ice for example!:hihi:

Did anybody see Tonight with Trevor McDonald last night? What a bad impression of single parents was that? I am a single parents and my son doesnt eat like that and my house does not look like that! I do not sit in self pity because I have depression and neither do alot of other people who yhave it either! What do you think of the decisions of the social services to remove this child for his own protection? Personally I think that she needs alot of help with him, what do you think?

I thought it tasteless tabloid journalism at its best.

I thought it tasteless tabloid journalism at its best.

Totally agree. Wasn't there a long thread about this yesterday in the General Discussions bit? Quite a few varied and interesting viewpoints on it you might be interested in.

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=190839

Check this out

I think it's difficult to define intelegence in this context. Certainly a high IQ score is no guarantee of good parenthood. People here who saw the mother on TV described her as 'thick' and having 'mental problems' but how well would the average person come across when interviewed on TV in difficult circumstances?

I think some people allow their mental adgility to be suppressed by the dull repetetive routine of their lives, free from inspiration and stimilation...they just loose the abillity to use the common sense that they were born with.

get up - feed the kids - pick up crap - jeremy kyle - feed the kids - bed

I'm supprised she can remember who she is after years of that...

How do we know that this child has not got some genetic disease where he just gets fatter and fatter. I know the woman wasnt portraying a good picture with smoking in bed and smoking around her kid and the scruffy house as well, but have we thought that if she has really bad depression she probably cant even get out of bed.

I know it sounds like a cop out, but if you have ever suffered from depression you might understand what I mean.

I think that she needs to seek help both for her and her family otherwise, this kid will be another statistic.

Gizzy

I think it's difficult to define intelegence in this context. Certainly a high IQ score is no guarantee of good parenthood. People here who saw the mother on TV described her as 'thick' and having 'mental problems' but how well would the average person come across when interviewed on TV in difficult circumstances?



She did have mental health problems. She suffered from depression.

What she is guilty of is rather worse than stupidity and ignorance. She is guilty of the present national disease, throughout all social classes, of irresponsibility: utterly unwilling to accept that her behaviour has repercussions for her child, who cannot protect himself from them. I do accept however that this particular defect has been fostered by the state and constantly encouraged through the media.

I can't help but agree with you on this about irresponsibility. There are so many people who don't seem to realise that they themselves have to make some decisions relating to their lives and those of their families. Decisions like getting a job unless there are overwhelming reasons for not working. Decisions to limit a family size to what can be afforded. Decisions to put your children before a succession of partners. Decisions about what to feed your children?

If the woman in question has got mental health issues, then her child has been badly let down by the system. But because so much money goes to supporting all the 'can't be bothered' brigade there may not be enough to go round the really deserving cases.

Trevor is God... Question not his word :thumbsup:

not read all posts on this but... his mum says he eats aroung 30 bags of crisps a day:o simple solution, dont buy crisps/ junk food replace them with fresh fruit and veg then he'd have no choice but to eat healthy. hungry son have an apple, simple. the only reason kids dont "like" fruit is because they've never had it.

She did have mental health problems. She suffered from depression.

i've had depression, i still didnt give my kids fry ups, crisps,ect.. cried alot was in bed alot but didnt resort to junk food