Shocking how this poor child wasn’t taken into care before this had to happen
His death was preventable, but the people whose one job is to care for him let him down.
“A 13-year-old boy died after being told he was too overweight for vital surgery, an inquest heard.
Adrian Balog was seen by two hospitals who said they were unable to treat his health problems because of his weight.
The schoolboy was then left receiving palliative care.”
” Now a coroner has written to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to say that obesity can be as serious a sign of child abuse as starvation.
Adrian had been morbidly obese since the age of three and was hospitalised with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition where the organ fails to pump blood properly.
But because of his weight, he was not eligible for a heart transplant or any interim measures to prepare him for the operation.”
“Adrian, from Chorlton, was never taught how to eat healthily and had no contact with weight management services in his short life, coroner Zak Golombeck said.
Mr Golombek said: “The deceased died from natural causes contributed to by his longstanding morbid obesity, which itself significantly contributed to his death in that it rendered him ineligible to receive appropriate treatment. Those parentally responsible for him did not educate the deceased on the correct foods to eat nor on how to live a healthy lifestyle, and did not take him to (or access support from) weight management services.
“Throughout his childhood he was fed an unhealthy diet and allowed to continue with this diet into his early teenage years.”
He added: “The inquest explored evidence in relation to matters relating to public health concerns in view of the deceased’s morbid obesity and whether this should have led to a referral to children’s services by clinicians in primary care and/or staff at the deceased’s school.” ‘
“The current head of Adrian’s school, Loreto High School, said that Department of Education documents about safeguarding children were used but there is no reference to obesity relating to signs and symptoms of neglect in children.
Mr Golombek added: “The absence of such a reference is a matter of concern as to how obesity in children is viewed as a public health issue in comparison to malnourished or underweight children which are both referenced as signs and symptoms of neglect.” ‘
“Mr Zahawi now has 56 days to respond to the coroner’s ‘ Preventing future deaths report’ .
His reply must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken and set out the timetable for action.”
Knowing the upbringing and lifestyle of this child would really shed light on what went so wrong.
The age of ultra processed food and cheap empty calories are really what new poverty is about now.
> Boy died after being told he was too overweight for vital surgery
It’s a bit of a strange way of titling a story about what is a tragic, but preventable, death. He died *because he was too overweight for vital surgery*; being told about it wasn’t particularly influential.
My aunt in law has two kids, both morbidly obese. She has been told by social workers, nursery staff and teachers that the lunches she packs are too big for any kid and they are seriously overweight. She gets defensive and just tells people her brothers were that size at her kids ages and grew thinner as they became adults.
But I have watched what she feeds them. I went round for a coffee and one was eating a huge slice of lasagne AS AN AFTERNOON SNACK! As we are talking, the kid is whining for sweets and chocolates, and aunt gives in to shut them up.
I took them out for a birthday meal once and they ordered an adult meal for the kids. Then one kid tells me he ate a pizza before coming out. Can’t believe it.
You give your kid a cigarette and there’s outrage. You give them junk food and no one bat an eye. People eating poison has become way too normalised.
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Shocking how this poor child wasn’t taken into care before this had to happen
His death was preventable, but the people whose one job is to care for him let him down.
“A 13-year-old boy died after being told he was too overweight for vital surgery, an inquest heard.
Adrian Balog was seen by two hospitals who said they were unable to treat his health problems because of his weight.
The schoolboy was then left receiving palliative care.”
” Now a coroner has written to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to say that obesity can be as serious a sign of child abuse as starvation.
Adrian had been morbidly obese since the age of three and was hospitalised with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition where the organ fails to pump blood properly.
But because of his weight, he was not eligible for a heart transplant or any interim measures to prepare him for the operation.”
“Adrian, from Chorlton, was never taught how to eat healthily and had no contact with weight management services in his short life, coroner Zak Golombeck said.
Mr Golombek said: “The deceased died from natural causes contributed to by his longstanding morbid obesity, which itself significantly contributed to his death in that it rendered him ineligible to receive appropriate treatment. Those parentally responsible for him did not educate the deceased on the correct foods to eat nor on how to live a healthy lifestyle, and did not take him to (or access support from) weight management services.
“Throughout his childhood he was fed an unhealthy diet and allowed to continue with this diet into his early teenage years.”
He added: “The inquest explored evidence in relation to matters relating to public health concerns in view of the deceased’s morbid obesity and whether this should have led to a referral to children’s services by clinicians in primary care and/or staff at the deceased’s school.” ‘
“The current head of Adrian’s school, Loreto High School, said that Department of Education documents about safeguarding children were used but there is no reference to obesity relating to signs and symptoms of neglect in children.
Mr Golombek added: “The absence of such a reference is a matter of concern as to how obesity in children is viewed as a public health issue in comparison to malnourished or underweight children which are both referenced as signs and symptoms of neglect.” ‘
“Mr Zahawi now has 56 days to respond to the coroner’s ‘ Preventing future deaths report’ .
His reply must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken and set out the timetable for action.”
Knowing the upbringing and lifestyle of this child would really shed light on what went so wrong.
The age of ultra processed food and cheap empty calories are really what new poverty is about now.
> Boy died after being told he was too overweight for vital surgery
It’s a bit of a strange way of titling a story about what is a tragic, but preventable, death. He died *because he was too overweight for vital surgery*; being told about it wasn’t particularly influential.
My aunt in law has two kids, both morbidly obese. She has been told by social workers, nursery staff and teachers that the lunches she packs are too big for any kid and they are seriously overweight. She gets defensive and just tells people her brothers were that size at her kids ages and grew thinner as they became adults.
But I have watched what she feeds them. I went round for a coffee and one was eating a huge slice of lasagne AS AN AFTERNOON SNACK! As we are talking, the kid is whining for sweets and chocolates, and aunt gives in to shut them up.
I took them out for a birthday meal once and they ordered an adult meal for the kids. Then one kid tells me he ate a pizza before coming out. Can’t believe it.
You give your kid a cigarette and there’s outrage. You give them junk food and no one bat an eye. People eating poison has become way too normalised.