An 8-year-old Ohio boy was removed from his home over the weekend because of severe obesity, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The child is in the third grade and weighs approximately 218 pounds. The Cleveland case is the first instance of a governmental agency placing a child in foster care due to physical health concerns in Ohio.
Ohioans shared their thoughts on the issue via email, instant messaging and Twitter.
* "There must be a big difference in the definition of the term imminent threat in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Job and Family Services sent little Demarcus Jackson to his death by putting him back in a home where it wasn't safe to live since he was born. In Cleveland being too fat is so dangerous that a child is taken away." -- Nina Stalling, retail manager, Cincinnati.
* "There are hundreds of obese children in Ohio, maybe this one case of extreme action will prompt the parents of other overweight children to take the issue far more seriously. We are not talking about a poor and uneducated family, the mother is a school teacher. She has to see firsthand how much the poor boy gets teased at school and cannot enjoy playing at recess of gym like the other children." -- Charlotte Perry, teacher, Columbus.
* "The government made a huge mistake in this case. They should be offering free programs to train parents how to deal with obese children and how to cope with all of the commercials pushing their family towards fast food and sweets. A day camp or training sessions and counseling should be offered by county agencies for the overweight children as well." -- Rashawna Eastman, Ohio State University graduate student, Columbus.
* "I can't believe that the boy's mother and other liberal thinkers are actually blaming the childhood obesity problem on fast food ads and "food deserts" in their neighborhoods. Parents have forgotten how to use the word no apparently. If you do not want your child to eat super-sized happy meals ever day, do not buy them. So what if convenience stores sell mostly junk food. Go to the grocery store once a week and buy healthy snacks. The adults unwilling to do their duty as parents are the problem." -- Mike Loudner, construction worker, Lancaster.
* "I don't have a problem with helping this one child after a year of no progress working with the mother, but what is the state to do with the thousands of youngsters just like him. What about the children who live with drug addicts and go hungry on a daily basis? Why are they still in the homes or returned to the home repeatedly? Government agencies need to be concerned with the best interest of the child only. The tears of the parents should not factor into decisions to protect our children," -- Connie Mechem, retired grandmother, Marietta.
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