Six young brothers and sisters face being taken from their parents and put into care because they are overweight.

 

Social workers have warned they will intervene if three of the youngsters – including a 12-year-old boy who weighs 16 stone – do not shed several pounds in three months.

 

The parents have been told they risk losing all their children if there is no improvement in the 12-year-old or two of his sisters aged 11 and three – who weigh 12 stone and four stone – by June.

 

The family have also been ordered to send their children to dance and football lessons to help them lose weight.

 

The shocking development highlights Britain's childhood obesity crisis, which has already forced those as young as 13 to seek NHS weight-loss surgery.

 

Only America has more overweight children than the UK, leading health experts to warn that our current generation of youngsters may not outlive their parents.

But critics last night described the intervention of social workers as "deeply worrying" and questioned their powers to break up families.

 

Dr Colin Waine, of the National Obesity Forum, said: "This has to be a last resort.

"We must understand the health dangers associated with obesity, but the approach I favour is regular monitoring of children's weight from birth to avoid drastic action like this."

 

Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP for Mid- Bedfordshire and a former nurse, described the measure as "draconian".

 

"A far more sensible and costeffective solution would be for the localauthority to provide round-the-clock support within the home, aimed at both assisting the children in attaining a healthier lifestyle and educating the parents," she said.

 

The family, who The Mail on Sunday are not naming to protect the children, say their slimming deadline was set at a meeting with child protection officers last Thursday in which they were warned all six children would be taken away.

 

If the children are put into foster homes it opens up the possibility they could be adopted, which would leave them unable to make contact with their birth parents until they were adults.

 

Last night the children's 39-year-old mother, who weighs 23 stone, said: "This is every family's worst nightmare.

 

"I just can't stop crying at the thought I could lose my beautiful children for ever."

The 12-year-old has developed "anger issues" and has been bullied at school.

His 11-year-old sister has now stopped eating proper meals because of her anxiety over the threat and her parents fear she is developing an eating disorder such as anorexia.

 

Social workers have also raised concerns about the couple's 21-monthold, who weighs 26lb, labelling him "overweight".

 

The other two children – a ten-yearold boy and seven-year-old girl – are also heavy, although the parents insist this is "puppy fat".

 

In an emotional interview, the mother said she and her 52-year-old husband – who weighs 18 stone and suffers from heart problems – were now living in fear.

She admitted: "They keep making an issue about the kids' weight. I don't even own a deep-fat fryer.

 

"All my food is home-cooked and the kids are not fed junk food at all.

"I feel we are being victimised. Children can carry a bit of puppy fat but they tend to lose it as they get older. Ours are not being given that chance."

 

Ironically, the family, from Dundee, first came under scrutiny by the authorities when they called asking for help managing their children, including their three-year-old daughter, who suffers from developmental problems.

 

The constant questioning by social workers has left the children aware that they may be taken from their mother and father.

 

Last night a close family friend, who has attended social services meetings with the parents as support, said: "They are a very vulnerable family who have simply been picked on.

 

"If they had just struggled on in silence I firmly believe they would not be in this horrendous situation.

 

"The parents do both have problems with their weight but the children are spotlessly clean. They are in the bath every night and their clothes are beautifully ironed. You never see them running around with bags of sweets."

 

Dundee City Council said: 'We are not able to comment on individual child protection issues.' Last year, an eight-year-old girl from the Cumbria area was taken into care because she weighed nine stone.

 

Should overweight children be taken into care?

 

Source: Sunday Mail

 

:lol:

I hope the kids get to choose between dance or football. I know I'd rather do dance.

:P

11 year old girl weighing 12 stone :o thats like 2 stone more thn me and im a 19 year old almost 6 foot guy!

I don't think the issue is whether it's 'junk food' or 'home cooked'...just reduce the portions...and cut out the snacks.

its disgusting that any parent should feed their brats to the point of explosion....

 

'just one waffer thin mint' anyone? :lol:

This is so fattist

 

Surely underweight kids are at as big a risk if not more than overweight kids so if fat kids are at risk of being put into care surely unduly skinny kids who aren't getting enough food should be too

 

Think its unfair to pick on fat kids here

I think it's this exception that makes it newsworthy Vic Vega, of course very skinny children should also be taken into care - many would argue they'd be taken in first.

 

A 16 stone 12 year old is in danger of dying of heart failure before he even reaches 30 - he needs to lose at least half his body mass and quickly.

A bit of puppy fat? LOL

 

I would say I have more than a bit of puppy fat and have never been anywhere near that big!

This is so fattist

 

Surely underweight kids are at as big a risk if not more than overweight kids so if fat kids are at risk of being put into care surely unduly skinny kids who aren't getting enough food should be too

 

Think its unfair to pick on fat kids here

 

this is more then picking on fat kids... they are morbidly obese and are in danger of having significant health problems if they dont do the simple thing like losing weight.

 

its much harder to determine wether or not skinny kids are in any health dangers, as kids are by nature skinny. ive seen the weediest kid grow up to be a strapping bloke... thats a far more likely outcome then premature death.... assuming the kids arnt bullemic.

This is so fattist

 

Surely underweight kids are at as big a risk if not more than overweight kids so if fat kids are at risk of being put into care surely unduly skinny kids who aren't getting enough food should be too

 

Think its unfair to pick on fat kids here

Underweight kids are underweight for a variety of reasons though, eating disorders, fast metabolisms (tape worms FFS! :lol: ) and all kinds of other stuff. It doesn't necessarily mean that the parents are at fault and they're not feeding their kids, if that be the case i'm all in agreement - take them away.

 

As for these fat kids, it's pretty straight forward - they're being fed FAR too much, and not too much of the good stuff, too much junk food and other fatty c**p that is going to damage their hearts and drastically diminish their life expectancy.

 

Put it this way, I actually weigh a few stone less than that 11 year old and i'm hardly a size zero. It's sickening, there's a world of difference between a healthy appetite and just plain greed and indulgence. I bet the parents are fat too.

Oh and JESUS at a child of not even TWO YEARS weighing almost 2 stone, that is absolutely disgusting. My daughter is almost 4 and she weighs pretty much the same.

"A far more sensible and cost effective solution would be for the localauthority to provide round-the-clock support within the home, aimed at both assisting the children in attaining a healthier lifestyle and educating the parents," she said.

I have to agree that this suggestion is far better than taking the children away from their parents. Taking the children away would cause more problems than it resolves, but it is important that children don't get so heavy as it can cause long term illhealth and premature death.The parents and children need to know the importance of healthy eating and exercise and receive practical support from health workers.

It is actually quite hard to take kids into care now - this family will have had support and input before it got to this stage.

 

Allowing a child to eat to such an extent is neglect / abuse - this is covered by the new updated "safeguarding children" guidelines for social services (guess who has been on a course)

 

Mother weighs 23 stone - that is her choice but she has a responsibilty to her children.

 

.... and for a 2 year old to be over weight is incredible - most 2 year olds are so active that the burn off everything you feed them ..... that child must me eating a lot and the 'wrong' stuff.

 

Whilst this action seems drastic - it will be a last resort. Those older kids cannot have got through primary school without the input of health workers and school nurses - and if they have shame on that school.