Two teenagers were removed from their parents’ care after social services told a judge in the family court about their weight. The judge, Gillian Ellis, ruled that the children of Sussex be admitted to long-term foster care. She described the case as ‘very sad and unusual’.
The social service staff at the West Sussex Land Board told a family court judge about their concerns. The local authority provided Fitbits (fitness trackers) and paid for membership of the gym for the family, which also reported to Weight Watchers.
But Ellis said the children’s weight did not decrease months after the family court proceedings began, and that they did not record their Fitbits or attend the Weight Watchers appointments consistently.
The judge said that the parents of the children did not seem to understand the seriousness of the problems of social services, and that they did not set boundaries and promote healthy eating and exercise. She said the children need the chance to ‘learn ways to live healthier’ and to improve their health by losing weight.
The judge said there were also concerns about poor home conditions and a lack of guidance on personal care.
‘Everyone agrees that this is a very sad and unusual case of a loving family, where the parents provide for many of the basic needs of the children, but the local authority is concerned that the parents do not meet the children’s health needs does not provide. that both children are severely overweight, and that the parents cannot help the children deal with this condition, ”the judge said in her ruling.
She added: “The case was so unusual because the children clearly had very good parenting, as they were polite, bright and engaging.”
The details of the case come from a statement by Ellis that was published online on Wednesday. She considered evidence last year during a private trial in family court in Sussex. The family could not be identified in media reports about the case.
Ellis added: ‘The children did not consistently participate in exercise, although the local authority provided Fitbits and paid for membership of the gym. The children were supposed to deliver recordings of their Fitbits, but this was not done. The mother blamed the closure for the inability to exercise, but exercise can still be taken indoors or by walking outside. The attendance of the family at Weight Watchers was contradictory. ”
In 2012, a five-year-old girl was admitted after her weight was 10 pounds, more than three times the weight of a healthy child her age. She was placed in foster care by the Newport Council, Wales.
According to figures in 2014, an estimated 74 sick obese children were admitted to England, Wales and Scotland over a five-year period.