An eight-year-old boy who weighs 89kg (14st) may be taken into care because of fears for his health. Connor McCreaddie, who is four times the weight of an average child of his age, has difficulty dressing and washing himself and misses school regularly because of poor health.
His mother has been summoned by letter to a child protection conference tomorrow to decide on his future. She and Connor's grandmother complain that they have not received sufficient support from the local health authority on North Tyneside in dealing with his weight problem.
But the conference, which will be attended by two specialist obesity nurses, a consultant paediatrician, the deputy head of Connor's school, a police officer and two social workers, could result in his being placed on the child protection register, or the less serious children in need register. It will assess his progress on a diet and exercise regime which has seen him lose 9kg (20lb) in two months.
Connor, whose story will be told on ITV1's Tonight With Trevor McDonald this evening, lives with his mother and sister in Wallsend, where he is a target for bullies. "People pick on us 'cos I think of my weight. They call us fat. It makes us feel sick of the nutters always shouting at us," Connor tells the programme.
Connor's family say he eats "chips with everything", loves curry and snacks on sausage sandwiches, burgers, chocolate biscuits and "junk food all day long while sitting at the computer".
The latest figures from the Department of Health show that obesity in children under 11 increased from 9.9% in 1995 to 13.7% in 2003. Prevalence has trebled since the 1980s, and well over half of all adults are either overweight or obese - almost 24 million.
According to a survey of more than half a million children from the National Childhood Obesity Database, 13.8% of year 6 boys and girls were overweight, and 15.4% of girls and 18.9% of boys were obese.
Connor's mother, Nicola McKeown, tells Tonight: "[I feel] really terrible receiving this letter. I don't see how they can say we are not doing enough when everyone is rallying around trying to do something for Connor. We have all got Connor in our best interests ... At the end of the day, these are people that have never helped us before now."
She adds: "The worst case would be Connor getting taken into care. He is well cared for. It is just the fact that he has totally demented me wanting to be fed constantly. It is so hard. It seems that it has all turned around and I'm getting blamed for it all but I would like to say, 'cope with a hungry child 24/7 and constantly hassling and nagging you'. I would love them to actually have to handle Connor for a couple of days. They would soon want to give him back."
His grandmother, Barbara Bake, says: "[I'm] extremely worried because if he ever gets taken into care I think that would be the finish of me seriously."
Consultant paediatrician Michael Markiewicz tells Tonight: "We are looking at a child who is going to be exceedingly unhappy, exceedingly unhealthy and probably will face an early death. They actually love him to death ... they are slowly killing him. As far as I'm concerned this is a form of child abuse. Not done intentionally but the result is child abuse."
In a statement the Wallsend authorities said: "North Tyneside council and North Tyneside Primary Care Trust have been working with the family over a prolonged period of time and will continue to do so. The child's interests are paramount."
