Should Morbidly Obese Kids Be Taken From Their Parents?

[Ellen]

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...930772,00.html

[Joretta]

It is a sad day when a parent who is not fully educated and has poor resources is not offered help first before they arrest her.
I am a single mom and I am lucky to have medical insurance and I am very knowledgeable on working my through the systems that govern our society yet, I am at a loss on how to help my daughter. She was diagnosed 10 23 09. When I first expressed concerns way back when she eight year old that she was gaining weight even though she played sports and ate healthy, my doctor said oh she will out grow the weight she has put on just cut back on sweets (they did not believe she did not like sweets). Every year I expressed the same concern and over the next 3 years she put on even more weight, started to crave sweets, and she was getting tired and had broken bones that sidelined her from regular sports - even though she still went outside and played every day. By age 11 she was sleeping more, now prefered staying in, hide candy, and had no energy - I again complained and asked for an appointment to an end. Dr and was granted since she was now about 35 pounds over weight. She was then diagnosed insulin resistant and put on oral medication but not Dx diabetic. By the way now my insurance stinks and I cannot afford many of the things she should get for help - so I have to choose wisely and pray I am making the right choices becasue I also make to much money for support.
Now during the last two years they played around with very slowly putting her on the oral meds. Then this June I put my foot down and said maybe we need to max her out on the oral medication and have her test her BG. They started to say no but then left the room only to return and agreed to raise the meds a little and let her test. However, if things did not improve by the next appointment they would max her out. At this point my child hated being fat could not lose the weight, was hungry all the time, and was giving up. Over the summer though when she was almost maxed out and the dr agreed to start letting her test after meals so she could see the impact of what she ate - she started to lose weight and was getting more energized. Then the dr called and said she was doing well and could stop testing. Only then school started and so did peer presure. Well, at that fall appointment we were told it is to late her ac1 was 8.9 and they diagnosed her. Was I a bad mother during this time? No! I was only providing her with healthy food around me and yes a very rare treat of something maybe once a month, I even manged to stop the hiding of food and candy. But when she was at school teachers feed her, the cafeteria feed her - even when I cut off all money, and her friends feed her. She choose to eat what she wanted when she wanted when away from me- she was hungry. I had to work I could not be a stay at home mom who had lunch everyday with her child and I could not stunt her socially either or they would want to come after me for that too.
With that being said until social service made every effort to help the mom get proper medical care - and that does not mean a diet for her child shoved at her and sent home. A child like that needs a psychologist, a nutritionist, and endo. dr, and medical test for metabolic disorders. Even maybe some help getting her child in a program with other children for group activities and supply these around the hours the mom needed to work to stay off state aid. Then if the Mom did not follow through absolutely remove the child - but until the help is put into place and efforts made to help the family - no the state needs to leave them alone. Where was the school in all of this - I bet they contributed to the problem. I know our schools do.

[Toni]

I think you will be able to get a lot of help at the Tudiabetes website (in addition to this one). Tu has a lot of Type 2s, covers diet, exercise... you name it. Another wonderful website called "Blood Sugar 101", which leaves no stone unturned as far as Type 2 diabetes is concerned. I have learned from these sites that weight gain can be a symptom of Type 2; people gain weight because they have Type 2. That weight gain is not the cause of Type 2 for most people. And very difficult to lose weight if you are Type 2. It's that which came first, the chicken or the egg? They are blaming the victim, once again.

[Toni]

To answer the direct question, no. The foster homes the State may have available for the child could be horrific. Get nutritional and professional help for the mother and child.

[Joretta]

I appreciate the leads. I am so frustrated at this point.