Should an obese person lose custody of their child because of their weight? Obese Father Claims He's Losing Custody Battle Because Of His Weight
Child Custody: Obese Father Claims He's Losing Custody Battle Because Of His Weight
Are obese parents unfit for child custody?
A single father from Ottawa, Canada claims that his weight stands between him and his two children, CTV National News reported Wednesday.
The 38-year-old, 360-pound man is fighting to gain custody of his sons, ages 5 and 6. The boys have reportedly been in foster care since last year, when the man's ex-wife was hospitalized for a mental breakdown and a suspected overdose.
The unidenitifed man, who said he hasn't seen his children for over a year, says he's locked in a custody battle with the Royal Ottawa Hospital's family court clinic, which conducts court-ordered assessments to see if parents are fit for child custody. A doctor at the clinic voiced concern that the man's obesity could hinder his ability to care for the boys, the news program reported.
"One of the reasons they used is because I was too fat, and couldn't keep up with my children," said the man, who claims he has lost more than 150 pounds since the custody case began.
It's not the first time we've heard of obesity playing a role in a custody battle. In October 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported on the growing role of obesity in child-custody battles in the U.S. -- including accusations from parents that their exes were "too obese to perform basic child-rearing functions."
To see the full interview, go to CTV National News' website, then click through the slides below to read about 10 of the most notorious celebrity custody battles.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/child-custody-obese-fathe_n_1613946.html?utm_hp_ref=divorce
honestly i think at a certain point if the person is not trying to get the weight under control and their weight is making basic functions difficult the children should be removed. and it says the he at 360 has lost 150 since battle started so he weighed 510 pounds. yeah that would make moving difficult
If they've observed him and his children and he was not able to properly care for his children, then he should be allowed to see them providing there's someone to assist in caring for the children.
HOWEVER, from the looks of it they are not even interested in seeing if he can care for his children or not, and that is WRONG.
If the boys were infants and the dad couldnt move, then they could set him up with a helper. But the boys are older, able to move with out parental help, and if dad is capable of raising them, he should get them back. If we allow kids to be taken away for the parents being overweight, where do we draw the line? do we take away children from wheelchair bound parents? What about parents who suffer long term depression.
So now any parent that might have a physical disability may be in jeopardy of having their children taken away because they "can't keep up" with them?
If they reach a point that they cannot care for the children and the children end up caring for the parent yes, yes they should.
If their weight is not hindering their ability to properly parent, then no.
If they can't keep up with their children, take care of their children or protect their children than yes. But if they are able to do what most good parents do, then I don't think their weight should be a reason.
Who would you save?
- futureshock
on Jun. 20, 2012 at 9:58 PM