http://www.yahoo.com/_ylt=AnuGrJ7qR6WjvktLkMLUlWebvZx4;_ylc=X3oDMTlkMGMyOGRhBF9TAzIwMjM1MzgwNzUEYQMxMjA2MjIgc2hpbmUgb2Jlc2UgZGFkIHQEY2NvZGUDcHpidWZjYWg1BGNwb3MDMQRlZAMxBGcDaWQtMjM4NjE1NQRpbnRsA3VzBGl0YwMwBGx0eHQDS2lkc3Rha2VuZnJvbW9iZXNlZGFkBG1jb2RlA3B6YnVhbGxjYWg1BG1wb3MDMQRwa2d0AzEEcGtndgM2BHBvcwMwBHNlYwN0ZC1mZWEEc2xrA3RodW1ibGluawR0YXIDaHR0cDovL3NoaW5lLnlhaG9vLmNvbS9wYXJlbnRpbmcvb2Jlc2UtZGFkLWxvc2VzLWN1c3RvZHkta2lkcy1jb3VsZC1wYXJlbnRzLWxvc2UtMTgxNzAwMjkzLmh0bWwEdGVzdAM3MDE-/SIG=13jatdljn/EXP=1340541887/**http%3A//shine.yahoo.com/parenting/obese-dad-loses-custody-kids-could-parents-lose-181700293.html Court Rules Obese Dad 'Unfit' to Parent, Kids Placed Up for AdoptionBy
Piper Weiss, Shine Staff |
Parenting – 18 hours ago
A Canadian dad who's identity is being protected claims he lost custody of his kids because of his size. (CTV)Does a weight problem make you an unfit parent? That's what one dad who lost custody of kids fears. The 360-pound father of two
claims his size affected the court's decision to turn his kids over to the state.
The 38-year-old Ottawa man, whose identity is protected by Canada's Child and Family Services Act, plans to appeal a decision to place his two young sons, ages five and six, up for adoption.
Mom wins back custody of overweight child In an exclusive interview with Canada's CTV he claimed family court medical advisers were concerned he was "too fat, and couldn't keep up with my children."
For the past year, the boys have been in foster care, taken from their mother's home after her suspected overdose and mental breakdown. Because of their father's history of legal problems stemming from accounts of public fights and threats, they were placed in the care of the Children's Aid Society.
But over the course of a year, the father has been trying to rectify his past and earn the right to care for his own children. While he admits he hasn't been a model parent on paper, he's convinced it's his struggle with obesity, not his past anger issues, that's left him childless.
While the judge in the case hasn't released an official statement, a doctor's report submitted to the court backs up the dad's claim. The assessment by a clinic adviser warns the man has "struggled with obesity for years, which impacts significantly on most aspects of his life including [his] functioning as a parent." It continues: "He was short of breath or winded in simply walking short distances about the clinic and he lacks both the mobility and stamina required to keep up with young and active children."
But since his custody battle began, the father claims to have already lost 150 pounds and hopes to lose more. Weight shouldn't be the deciding factor in whether a person can parent, claims the dad, though he does believe in living a healthier lifestyle.
