Have you been following the story of the 200 pound 8 year old boy that was taken away from his mother? I am disturbed and saddened by the severity of this story. Anyway way that I try to look at this story, I am left with one thought, that’s a large 8 year old who is certain to have the possibility of numerous health problems should his weight continue to climb.

What are your thought regarding the state taking children out of the homes of parents who allow them to reach this size? Would you or do you consider it to be a form of child abuse? I wonder if it wouldn’t be consider to be more neglect than anything else. After all, it seems almost as if the child is given whatever they want to eat. To me, that in its own way is a form of neglect even if it’s a result of spoiling. In fact I wonder how often childhood obesity start from a form a spoiling, the inability to say no to the child that is loved so much.

One thing to consider, is that even if it began by not wanting to say no, the fact that it continued knowing that the child was becoming more and more unhealthy is disturbing and to some degree even scary. In the end, I guess even if there was a slight amount of psychological damage from the initial removal at least the endangered child will live. In fact chances are, once the child is placed in a healthy environment the damaging weight will most likely begin to fall off.