This is a rough one...he seems to be a good, well-adjusted kid who gets good grades and stays out of trouble.

On the other hand...and I may be a bit extreme in this belief, I'll admit...I think allowing your child to be obese is tantamount to child abuse, for two reasons.

1. Whether we like it or not, or agree with it or not, in a world full of challenges being really obese just makes it harder. Our society does not view obese people very well...which is kind of funny, since we are just about the fattest country on earth.

2. Obesity is the number one cause of health problems and early death in our country. It might be "heart disease"...it might be "diabetes"...but the fact of the matter is that if you are obese, you are in trouble health wise for a ton of physiological and orthopedic problems.

If you are an adult, then I think you have the right to be obese and unhealthy...if you are a 12 year old that responsibility falls to your parents.

Assuming that is true...the next question is...

Is the kid better off in foster care than with his mom?

In my opinion that's the only question that really matters, and the only way I'd say "no" is if the mom acquiesces, and the kid loses about 80 pounds, and they get back together and do it right the second time around.

Would that happen? Will the kid being in foster care make that more likely? How much more likely?

These...are really, really tough questions. As a general rule I think kids are always better off with their parents, all other things being equal.

Fish on...

Todd