The case of an eight-year-old American boy taken from his family because he weighs more than 200lb has renewed a debate on whether parents should lose custody if a child is severely obese.
The boy, from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was placed in foster care in October after county case workers said his mother was not doing enough to control his weight.
The boy is considered to be at risk of developing diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Government growth charts say most boys his age weigh around 60lb (27kg).
Children and Family Services officials said on Monday that they stood by the custody move, which was approved by a judge.
Experts, however, say there are no easy answers when it comes to determining who is to blame in such a situation.
When Fulton, New York resident Jay Wornick set out to lose some weight at the urging of his wife, he didn't have high hopes. Weighing in at more than 360 pounds this past January, Wornick thought, at best, he'd lose 20 or 30 pounds and then put it back on. But that wasn't the case. Not by a long shot.
