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Robynmarie
Regular Poster
Username: Robynmarie
Post Number: 330
Registered: 04-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 12:49 am: | 
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LONDON - A mother who feared she might lose custody of her obese 8-year-old son unless he lost weight was allowed to keep the boy after striking a deal Tuesday with social workers to safeguard his welfare.
The case has set off a debate over child obesity and raised questions about whether genetics, junk food or bad parenting is to blame.
Connor McCreaddie, of Wallsend in northeastern England, weighs 218 pounds, four times the weight of a healthy child his age.
Connor and his mother, Nicola McKeown, 35, both attended a child protection meeting Tuesday with North Tyneside Council officials.
Before it began, McKeown, a single mother of two, said she hoped she would not lose custody of her son.
¡°I¡¯m not too good, and I¡¯m very nervous about the meeting. I¡¯m hoping for the best,¡± she said.
Afterward, the Local Safeguarding Children Board issued a statement saying it ¡°was able to confirm that its hope and ambition is to enable this child to remain with his family. In order to move this matter forward, we have made a formal agreement with the family to safeguard and promote the child¡¯s welfare.¡±
The agency provided no details about what Connor or his mother would have to do to fight his obesity.
The hearing was held under the Children Act, which places a duty on the local authority to conduct an inquiry if it has ¡°reasonable cause to suspect that a child ... in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.¡±
¡®Born hungry¡¯
The boy¡¯s case attracted national attention after his mother allowed an ITV News crew to film his day-to-day life for a month.
When he was 2¨ö, Connor was too heavy for his mother to pick him up, and at 5, he weighed more than 126 pounds, said The Journal, a regional newspaper. Now the boy, who is tall for his age at 5 feet, wears adult clothes and size eight shoes, the newspaper said.
Sky TV showed footage of Connor¡¯s mother serving him meals of french fries, meat and buttered bread.
¡°He¡¯ll hover around the kitchen for food. He¡¯ll continually go in the fridge,¡± McKeown said of her son. ¡°I just keep telling him to get out of the fridge, wait until meal times and stuff. But at the end of the day, he was born hungry. He has always been hungry.¡±
¡°Bacon. Mmmm... That¡¯s my favorite. Um ... chicken , steak, sausage,¡± the boy told the camera.
Obesity has tripled in England
Obesity is essentially caused by eating more calories than you burn. Obese people are sometimes thought to have lower metabolic rates than normal, meaning they need less food to maintain their weight.
Childhood obesity is of particular concern because it greatly increases the risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, skeletal disorders and strokes. Certain cancers are also associated with obesity, and obese children have a higher chance of premature death.
Several genetic conditions also contribute to obesity, such as Prader-Willis syndrome, a rare disease characterized by excessive appetite, problems in the central nervous system and a low IQ. Another rare genetic disease, Bradet-Biedl syndrome, can lead to problems such as vision loss, obesity and being born with extra fingers and toes.
Levels of obesity have tripled in England since 1980, according to the Food Standards Agency. More than half of women and about two-thirds of men are either overweight or obese, it said. Obesity causes about 18 million sick days and 30,000 deaths a year in England alone, the National Audit Office said.
Assumption of guilt
It remained unclear whether doctors had determined whether diet and lifestyle were the only cause of Connor¡¯s obesity.
Neville Rigby, a director at the International Association for the Study of Obesity in London, declined to discuss Connor¡¯s case. But he said the public often stigmatizes overweight people without knowing their situation and assumes they are guilty of self neglect.
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Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 192
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 09:04 am: |
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The sad thing is, in the UK two brothers had their DOG taken away from them as they overfed him.
The child wasn't taken away from his mother in the end, BUT the mother needs to have some sort of parenting and diet classes so she is better educated about how to feed her child.
Cannot believe people need to be taught the basics of parenting nowadays. If you had seen some of the boy's meals in the documentary...wasn't rocket science his diet was terrible. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8594
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 11:14 am: |
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There are PLENTY of kids who eat how this kid does who do NOT weigh over 200 lbs.
So is the issue the mother's actively STUFFING tremendous quantities of junk food into her kid's mouth?
Or is it the kid has a very SERIOUS condition that would likely result in his being obese REGARDLESS of what he eats?
Instead of villifying the mother, how's about trying to address the TRUE source of the kid's problem: He's got a serious enzymatic, hormonal or other metabolic problem(s) of some sort that prevent his being able to eliminate and pass excess food from his digestive system. |
Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 199
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 11:30 am: |
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ABM I was willing to put it down to prader willis syndrome and all sorts. BUT, I watched the documentary and the mother came across as loving and willing but incapable.
Even her eighteen old daughter said the boy was spoilt and manipulative and they had a very bad diet and it was ENORMOUS. The boy didn't even come obese until he was six.
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8595
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 11:41 am: |
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Latina_wi,
it's ridiculously EVIL what they're doing to that woman.
OBVIOUSLY the kid's got a serious medical condition. Because if fast food were the true cause of the problem, about 1/4 of all American ten year olds would weigh 200 lbs.
As if a sane mother would want and attempt to facilitate her eight year old kid to be and LOOK like THAT. |
Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 201
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 11:47 am: |
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I do agree that the kid obviously has a problem medically in addition to the weight being down to a bad dier. It is sad because he is quite an adorable little boy and he is well loved (what it seems anyway).
Also, the british tabloids have a field day when they can put people down and condemn them - the paper who 'revealed' this family are notorious for this and have been in serious trouble in the past.
The Mum and Nan do not help by keeping crisps and sweets in the house though. |
Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 203
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 11:52 am: |
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2007090577%2C00.html,http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007090577,00.html
The paper who 'revealed' the boy have found another little girl. I think her parents should see if she has Prader's Willis (sp) from the way her food addiction is described.
Adults actually tease her. How ignorant. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8597
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 06:22 pm: |
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Latina_wi,
Perhaps the especially harsh and intrusice behavior of social services foks is due to their being intimidated by the tabloid media.
As if the British press don't have more important things to cover (e.g., explain how the British people were as suckered by Prime Minister Blair as the American people were by President Bush into getting into the Iraq War fiasco.) |
Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 204
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 07:09 pm: |
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Unfortunately ABM, us Brits have been suckered into celebrating and indulging in the most ridculous parts of celebrity and sensationalism.
I know this has always been evident throughout history but since the UK is suffering from crisis within its NHS, home office and international repuputation I hardly think it is appropiate.
We do have an obesity crisis out here, we are the fattest country in europe. BUT, we aren't handling it too well. The average dress size in the UK is a UK size 16 and the average woman in Britain has a 34 inch waist (a 35 inch waist means health problems by the way). You would never know the average woman in britain was so chubby when you look at some of the images we are inaudanted with and how much plump women are vilified.
I told my size 16-ed friend that I found it odd that clothes occur more in my size (a UK size 8-10 which is like american size 4 I think) than in the average size.
And the media loves to condemn social services and the police whenever they can, but when it comes down to the facts these two groups are faced with a much more difficult job than most tabloid journalists. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8604
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - 07:25 pm: |
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Latina_wi,
Obesity is a growing problem here in the States, as well.
I think one of the curses of living in an advanced society is we simply do not have to PHYSICALLY exert ourselves in the same way/degree prior generations did. So we're not buring off foods that turn into fat like we previously did.
Also, the the great ubiquity and tasty variety of food that available in wealthier, more advanced countries contributes to the problem.
Latina_wi: "I told my size 16-ed friend that I found it odd that clothes occur more in my size (a UK size 8-10 which is like american size 4 I think) than in the average size."
I've heard/read similar sentiments expressed here. And I'm sure some measure that is true. However, this begs an obvious question: Wouldn't clothing companies make even MORE money if they made more clothing for the fatty majority? |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 1926
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 04:59 am: |
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"Wouldn't clothing companies make even MORE money if they made more clothing for the fatty majority?"
Bro ABM, ya know, that's a good question! I see so many huge people these days you would think that the clothing industry would ramp up the sizes being that they are in the business of making money. People are bigger and taller today than any other time in American history. It's never amazes me how big so many people are these days. A friend of mine has a grandson who is 15 years old and wears a size 15 shoe at a height of about 6'1"!! I never knew anyone who wore size 15 when I was a teenager. I wore a size 10-101/2 shoe at 15 (still do) and I thought that was big!
I remember last summer I drove down to Pacific Beach for some odd reason or another and I was walking around. Well, as I have said before, I'm not very tall, 5"11", but bro, I was coming up guys waists and chests! I don't know what was going on but I think I saw about maybe three or four people shorter than me out of hundreds. Now, these were all young people (college students and the like). But here's the story. I was standing next to a guy who was super big (385-410 lbs)and very tall. The guy was about 6'5" (not an inch less!). He had a pair of Levi jeans on. As you know, Levi jeans have a patch in the back that tell the waist and length of the jeans. Listen up bro -the guy had a waist of 56 and an inseam of 32..!!!!!!! YOU READ IT RIGHT!!!!! I almost fainted!! WTF..!!!??? The guy was about 6'5" with an inseam of 32??? I WEAR A 32 INSEAM!! And my legs are not long by any means. Explain that!
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Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 218
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 09:44 am: |
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ABM: I've heard/read similar sentiments expressed here. And I'm sure some measure that is true. However, this begs an obvious question: Wouldn't clothing companies make even MORE money if they made more clothing for the fatty majority?
Exactly, I have always felt that. British skirts, dresses and trousers are now adapted for those with less of a waist as the british woman is becoming more 'straight down' and the hourglass figure seems to be becoming a thing of the past.
We do have plus size shops but funnily they are usually aimed at older women or quite hard to find. Very odd. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8610
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 10:59 am: |
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I see A LOT of Baby Huey types walking around too. Within about a year, I went from looking down on a nephew to looking up at him. And I’m over 6 foot tall (and dude just TOWERS over his pops, who shorter than I am).
One of the prevailing theory is there was (perhaps still is) something going on with the baby formula that radically altered the trajectory of infant development over the last few decades.
And we ALL are eating more than prior generations, the difference being though kids are gorging themselves at a stage in their life we’re they’re still growing/developing.
The cynical old man in me wonders why it seems the BRAINS of so many of our young foks have NOT kept pace with their gargantuan bodies. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8611
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 11:10 am: |
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Latina_wi,
This is really (unprovable) Conspiracy Theory stuff: But I often wonder whether the garment sector is working in cohoots with the dieting industry in a way such that clothing is designed to embarass the masses of people into spending BILLIONS on dieting products/services. Where my theory loses it's, uh, weight is where I try to divine WHY the garment business would be motivated to help the dieting industry. |
Latina_wi
Regular Poster
Username: Latina_wi
Post Number: 225
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 02, 2007 - 05:16 pm: |
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If the picture you paint is true ABM then it is all about money.
The diet industry has a lot of money to be made and if the clothing industry got in on the game then they could profit too. |
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