Connor McCreaddie, who at 200 pounds weighs four times the healthy weight of a child his age, will not be removed from the care of his mother, 35-year-old Nicola McKeown.
The child protection hearing was held under Section 47 of the Children Act, which allows local authority to conduct an inquiry if it has "reasonable cause to suspect that a child... in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm."
Nicola McKeown, who is a single mother, says her son will not eat healthy food like fruits and vegetables, and also rejected a suggestion to put a lock on the refrigerator. As a result of the boy's ballooning weight, social workers had considered placing the boy in protective custody, but decided against the move after holding a meeting with the local council.
In a statement released Tuesday, the North Tyneside Council, said, "We have had a useful discussion today during which all agencies and the family confirmed that the priority in this matter is the eight-year-old boy. The Local Safeguarding Children Board was able to confirm that its hope and ambition is to enable this child to remain with his family."
According to the report, Britain has the worst rate of obesity among children in Europe, prompting calls to ban television advertising for junk food aimed at school-age children.
