Last fall a Cleveland, Ohio, juvenile judge removed a 9-year-old from his mother's care and put him in a foster home because he was grossly obese. Concerned about the boy's welfare and health risks of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services began working with the boy's mother for more than a year before he was removed from her custody.

The county said the mother was not doing enough to control his weight and he was placed in foster care for several months, and then remitted to the care of his uncle. Since October the boy lost 50 pounds by swimming, playing basketball and going to a gym three nights a week. The boy now weighs 166 pounds, but growth charts say boys his age weigh an average of 60 pounds.

Because of all the publicity surrounding this custody battle, the local YMCA donated a membership for the boy and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gave the family a scale and some pieces of home exercise equipment.

Ohio's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union opposed the county's involvement in this case and said he never should have been placed into the foster care system.

While the boy was placed back into the custody of his mother in March, the county judge removed the boy from protective supervision just last week. The county's time limit of involvement with this case has been depleted and now can only remain involved in the boy's continued weight loss as much as the mother will allow.

Source: huffingtonpost.com, "Obese Ohio Boy, 9, Sheds 50 Pounds, Is Returned Home," John Seewer, May 11, 2012