Social workers take children away from obese mother

The government steps into murky waters when it tries to determine what should and should not be considered child abuse. If children are morbidly obese, should the government step in and remove the kids from their home? Are parents abusing their children by allowing them to become overweight?

This is a controversial question that has emerged in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, where obesity rates continue to climb. Recently, a 40-year-old mother who weighs 322 pounds had her new born taken away from her after giving birth via Ceasarean section. Within 24 hours of giving birth, social workers took the child because they feared the baby was at risk of being raised in a nutritionally unhealthy environment.

The new born is not the only child that the government took custody of. The married couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have also lost custody of two other children, including a 3 and 4 year old.

The parents originally contacted social workers last year because they needed help managing their children’s weight. At the time, they had a toddler who weighed 56 pounds, and 13-year-old who weighed 224. One of their six children also suffered from developmental problems.

The social workers gave the couple a timetable and indicated that they needed to have the children slim down within a specific period of time. When the parents failed to follow through, the government took action and removed two of the children.

The family is currently fighting to get their children back. The father said the whole family is heartbroken.

“I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I can’t tell you how powerless I feel. The other children are devastated too,” he said.

The controversial question that many ask in response to this story is whether or not the government crossed the line. Although I remain somewhat torn on the matter, I do believe the government went to far in this case.

For many people who are obese, food is a serious addiction. According to The Boston Globe, a study published in 1994 found that the brain’s D2 dopamine receptor, already implicated in alcoholism, is also involved with obesity and with cocaine and tobacco dependence. And just last month, Princeton psychology professor Bart Hoebel presented research to the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology that suggests sugar is an addictive substance.

In other words, people who are obese and have an addiction to food need help, not severe punishment. In the case of the overweight parents in the UK, the government should have thought of ways to help them recover from their undeniable addiction. Compulsive eating is so difficult to overcome that there are organizations like Overeaters Anonymous that provide a support system for those who are trying to get over their addiction.

In addition, removing children from their homes when they are not mentally or physically abused makes no sense. While one can make the case that raising children in a nutritionally unhealthy environment leads to physical “abuse,” these parents obviously love their children. The fact that they contacted social workers in the first place indicates that they want to change their family’s unhealthy lifestyle. Also, snatching children away from their homes and throwing them into an unfamiliar environment can lead to mental trauma.

There is no clear cut solution to this growing problem. But something as extreme as taking children away from their homes should be used as a last resort. These people need health education and counseling. The social workers may have given this family a single chance to shape up, but they didn’t provide much else.