Children to be removed from parents for failing to lose weight
A mother and father in the UK are on the brink of losing four of their children because they failed to bring their weight under control.
Their three daughters, aged 11, seven and one, and five-year-old son, are set to be either "fostered without contact" or adopted.
In the first case of its kind, the obese children will only be able to see their parents again if they track them down when they become adults.
According to The Mail on Sunday, the couple were given an ultimatum three years ago to get their children to lose weight.
The family lived in a 'Big Brother' style house in Dundee, Scotland, where their food was monitored and they were constantly supervised.
Despite this, social workers didn't place rules on what the children could eat and there was little improvement in their weight.
Now a decision has been made to remove the children from their parents, a move which critics call "a disgraceful breach of human rights".
In an interview, the 42-year-old mother said: "We might not be the perfect parents, but we love our children with all our hearts. To face a future where we will never see them again is unbearable.
"They picked on us because of our size to start with and they just haven’t let go, despite the fact we’ve done everything to lose weight and meet their demands. We’re going to fight this to the bitter end. It feels like even prisoners have more human rights than we do."
The couple, who have been married for 20 years, also have three older children.
They're all distraught about the ruling, their 15-year-old daughter said: "The social workers should hang their heads in shame. A person’s weight is their own business and only we can do anything about it, not them. My parents are good people and they love us all. The four little ones don’t know what is about to happen to them."
Social workers originally became aware of the family in 2008 when one of the sons accused his father of hitting him.
Although he later admitted he'd actually fallen and hit his head against a radiator, social workers started investigating the weight of the children.
A council report at the time said: "With the exception of [one of the names], the children are all overweight. Advice has been given regarding diet but there has been no improvement. Appointments with the dietician have been missed."
At the time, then 12-year-old son weighed 102kg; his 11-year-old sister weighed 76kg; and his three-year-old sister weighed 25kg. It is not known how much the four younger children weigh now.
The family were then given a series of ultimatums, including enrolling the children in activities like dance and football lessons and were placed in foster homes.
The father, aged 56, said: "We have tried very hard to do everything that was asked of us. My wife has cooked healthy foods like home-made spaghetti bolognese and mince and potatoes; we’ve cut out snacks and only ever allowed the kids sweets on a Saturday. But nothing we’ve done has ever been enough."
According to their solicitor Joe Myles, the couple haven't committed any crime and aren't accused of deliberate cruelty or abuse. He said there was "nothing sinister lurking in the background.
"The parents were constantly being accused of bad parenting and made to live under a microscope."
Although the weight was a major factor, social workers said they were also concerned about other aspects in the family home.
Dundee City Council said: "The council always acts in the best interests of children, with their welfare and safety in mind."
