Obese Third Grader Taken From Mom, Placed in Foster Care

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The debate over who is ultimately to blame for childhood obesity heats up with yet another removal of a child from the parents' care in Cleveland, Ohio. While there are many contributing factors to this epidemic (food industry, marketers/advertisers, Big Pharma, growth of technology and the subsequent reduction in physical activity, etc.), parents are being charged with neglect when their children's health declines as a result of excessive weight gain. While culture and lifestyle play a huge part in the dietary choices families make, taking a child from his/her family has been described as "extreme" and has caused more harm than good. This approach to tackling childhood obesity is punitive. There are even greater concerns that children from lower socioeconomic groups may be permanently removed from their homes. According to Dr. David Ludwig of Harvard’s School of Public Health, “Well, state intervention is no guarantee of a good outcome, but to do nothing is also not an answer.” It is time for parents to take the decision about the fate of their children's health and well-being out of the hands of the courts. We must better educate ourselves about good nutrition and how to increase physical activity. It is our responsibility to make the necessary lifestyle changes to save our children. It all starts at home. If we don't, then who will be next?

Read the article in its entirety below: ( http://news.yahoo.com/obese-third-grader-taken-mom-placed-foster-care-201731761.html )

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A Cleveland third grader who weighed more than 200 pounds was taken from his mother after officials reportedly said she did not do enough to help the boy, who suffered from a weight-related health issue, to lose weight.

“They are trying to make it seem like I am unfit, like I don’t love my child,” the boy’s mother, who was not identified, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “It’s a lifestyle change and they are trying to make it seem like I am not embracing that. It is very hard, but I am trying.”

Officials first became aware of the boy’s weight after his mother took him to the hospital last year while he was having breathing problems, the newspaper reported. The child was diagnosed with sleep apnea and began to be monitored by social workers while he was enrolled in a program called “Healthy Kids, Healthy Weight” at the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

The boy lost a few pounds, but recently began to gain some back, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. At that point, the Department of Children and Family Services asked a juvenile court for custody of the boy, citing his soaring weight as a form of medical neglect, according to the newspaper.

Taking obese children from their families has become a topic of intense debate over the past year after one high-profile pediatric obesity expert made controversial comments in the Journal of the American Medical Association advocating the practice in acute cases.

“In severe instances of childhood obesity, removal from the home may be justifiable, from a legal standpoint, because of imminent health risks and the parents’ chronic failure to address medical problems,” Dr. David Ludwig co-wrote with Lindsey Murtagh, a lawyer and researcher at Harvard’s School of Public Health.

A trial is set for the boy’s ninth birthday next month to determine whether his mother will regain custody.

But one family who has been in the same position as the Ohio family told ABC News they disagreed with the practice when “Good Morning America” spoke with them in January.

“Literally, it was two months of hell. It seemed like the longest two months of my life,” mother Adela Martinez said.

Her daughter, 3-year-old Anamarie Regino, weighing 90 pounds, was taken from her parents and placed into foster care a decade ago.

Anamarie didn’t improve at all in foster care, and she was returned to her parents. The young girl was later diagnosed with a genetic predisposition.

“They say it’s for the well-being of the child, but it did more damage than any money or therapy could ever to do to fix it,” Martinez said.

Anamarie Regino, who is now a teenager, agreed.

“It’s not right, what [Dr. Ludwig] is doing, because to get better you need to be with your family, instead of being surrounded by doctors,” she said.

When told of the Regino case, Ludwig said his solution of state intervention did not always work.

“Well, state intervention is no guarantee of a good outcome, but to do nothing is also not an answer,” he said.

ABC News’ Dan Harris and Mikaela Conley contributed to this report

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Be good to yourself! More next time...

Childhood Obesity: Who's to Blame?

Yesterday, I came across an article about the Neenah Joint School District in Wisconsin and its efforts to combat childhood obesity which has reached epidemic proportions in the last decade. An expansion of the district's wellness program, Neenah has issued a ban on sweets. Here is the article: (http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/30887454.html)

Neenah School District Bans Cupcakes, Sweet Treats
Associated Press
NEENAH - Neenah students who want to bring an occasional treat for their classmates will be limited fruit, vegetables and other healthy snacks.

The Neenah School District tightened its wellness policy this year and banned cupcakes, candy and other sweet treats.

Parent Vicki Denzin is asking the Board of Education to ease those rules. Denzin says banning the items doesn't teach the children moderation or portion control.

Denzin asks how excited a 6- or 7-year-old would be to bring bananas or carrot sticks to share with their friends.

Tullar Elementary School Principal Diane Galow says it's not the sugary cupcake that's important, it's the ability of the students to share a treat on their birthday or special day.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The alarming part of this story is that there are parents who oppose the ban- one that would move towards educating children about proper nutrition. As the article points out, one parent in particular (Vicki Denzin) points to the fact that this policy doesn't teach moderation or portion control. In this instance, consuming a "food" that will impair your health over time by eating it "in moderation", is innappropriate. It is more appropriate to teach children to eat the right amount of healthy foods, from the proper food groups, at the proper times. Neenah is attempting to accomplish a task that was once taught in the child's home--by their parents.

I reviewed Neenah's wellness policy and it appears that they are on the right track. Here is an excerpt of the Mission and Goals of the program:

Wellness -- In order to fully achieve the mission of the Neenah Joint School District, we recognize our responsibility to promote lifelong wellness behaviors that link proper nutrition and physical activity to students' overall health, growth, development, academic performance, and readiness to learn. This District-wide wellness policy encourages all members of the school community to create an environment that supports lifelong healthy eating habits and promotes opportunities for increased physical activity.

546.1 Wellness Goals

546.11 Establish an environment that empowers the school community to make good nutritional choices during the academic day and school-related functions outside of the instructional day.

546.12 Establish an environment that empowers the school community to increase physical activity during the academic day and supports the continuation of these activities outside of the instructional day.

546.13 Provide a high quality lunch program for students and staff.

546.131 Provide students with well-balanced nutritional choices of food and beverages;
546.132 Assist students in making healthy choices; and
546.133 Encourage and promote participation in the school lunch program.

546.14 Educate our school community, including students, parents and staff, on the benefits of good nutrition and physical activity.

The program further outlines nutrition standards, district food service, lunch and snack recommendations, school-based activities, physical activity and nutrition education, and policy regulation. As a parent, how could you object to this type of program? If executed properly, the children will lose the weight, miss fewer days from school due to preventable illness, improve grades and conduct, and become more physically active. Here is the link. Please read it and decide for yourself: http://www.neenah.k12.wi.us/publications/wellness/wellnesspolicy

On October 28, 2008, The New York Times published an article entitled, "A Rise in Kidney Stones Is Seen in U.S. Children"written by Laurie Tarkan. Kidney stones? I wonder if there is link between children's diets and kidney stones? Here is how some of the experts respond:

"“What we’ve really seen is an increase in the salt load in children’s diet,” said Dr. Bruce L. Slaughenhoupt, co-director of pediatric urology and of the pediatric kidney stone clinic at the University of Wisconsin. He and other experts mentioned not just salty chips and French fries, but also processed foods like sandwich meats; canned soups; packaged meals; and even sports drinks like Gatorade, which are so popular among school children they are now sold in child-friendly juice boxes."

"Dr. Slaughenhoupt has seen more overweight children at his clinic. “We haven’t compared our data yet,” he said, “but my sense is that children with stones are bigger, and some of them are morbidly obese.”

Dr. Pope, in Nashville, agreed. His hospital lies in the so-called stone belt, a swath of Southern states with a higher incidence of kidney stones, and he said doctors there saw two to three new pediatric cases a week.

“There’s no question in my mind that it is largely dietary and directly related to the childhood obesity epidemic,” he said."

At the end of the day, we can protest, litigate, and criticize the food and medical industries and even the schools. But, in this country we have a choice. Children are the most easily influenced people on the planet if parents would judge take charge of their health. It starts at home and we must be found modeling the behavior: increase fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats; eliminate processed foods; increase water intake; increase physical activity; get proper rest. It really is that simple. Here is a link to help you assess your family's needs: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1&tax_subject=256

I am going to conclude with some "food for thought" about the food and beverage industry and its relationship with the health care industry. Have a look!

Dr. Alim Muhammad "The Atonement and Purification of a Nation"



Morgan Spurlock "Super Size Me"



Michael Moore "Sicko"



More next time...