Supersize Me

It’s bloody miserable outside. Snowing and blowing - ack.
I think it’s about time that winter left us alone for another year by now…

Anyways.

I read this article today in the paper, and saw the video piece on it last night on the national news:

Overweight eight-year-old sets off child obesity debate
Wednesday, February 28, 2007

LONDON (AP) -- A mother who feared she might lose custody of her obese eight-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.

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."

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 21/2, Connor was too heavy for his mother to pick him up, and at age five, he weighed more than 126 pounds, said The Journal, a regional newspaper. Now the boy, who is tall for his age at five feet, wears adult clothes, 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 ... he was born hungry. He has always been hungry."

"Bacon. Mmmm.... That's my favourite. Um ... chicken , steak, sausage," the boy told the camera.
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.

It remained unclear whether doctors had determined whether diet and lifestyle were the only cause of Connor's obesity. -

Here’s a pic of Connor:

This is a horrific story.

I understand that the mother loves her child and wishes to give him what he wants as an expression of her love, but like, come ON lady.

Your kid is 218 pounds at age 8!! Be concerned for his health for crying in the sink.
I mean really.
His heart must be working some serious effen overtime! I bet he has high blood pressure and/or diabetes too.

I’m sure it’s possible that a genetic condition of some kind may be contributing to his predisposition to be overweight, but I suspect diet is the main culprit here.

I was eating my dinner last night when the footage of this child came on, and I totally lost my appetite.
He was devouring the nastiest, greasiest chicken drumstick I've ever seen in one shot, and sucking on the gristle of a shiny, fatty pork chop in the other, professing his love to the food as he inhaled it. “Mmm…I love me pork chops..slurp, narb, hum, blargh, snort, yum...*

Gah. Turned my stomach.

I hope the mother can get some professional assistance from a dietician or something to change this kid’s diet on the ASAP. As well as her own eating habits no doubt - she does buy the fattening stuff from the grocery store on her own accord.
Maybe she just really doesn’t know any better.

I’d hate to see the family broken apart due to this - a kid in the “system” rarely results in a good outcome.

But I suppose if nothing changes and the mother doesn’t put her foot down by seriously restrcting caloric intake, then a stint away from home for health may be the only answer.

Sweet Christ.
I still can’t even believe he’s only 8!