Are obese parents unfit for child custody?
A single father from Ottawa, Canada claims that his weight stands between him and his two children, CTV National News reported Wednesday.
The 38-year-old, 360-pound man is fighting to gain custody of his sons, ages 5 and 6. The boys have reportedly been in foster care since last year, when the man's ex-wife was hospitalized for a mental breakdown and a suspected overdose.
The unidenitifed man, who said he hasn't seen his children for over a year, says he's locked in a custody battle with the Royal Ottawa Hospital's family court clinic, which conducts court-ordered assessments to see if parents are fit for child custody. A doctor at the clinic voiced concern that the man's obesity could hinder his ability to care for the boys, the news program reported.
"One of the reasons they used is because I was too fat, and couldn't keep up with my children," said the man, who claims he has lost more than 150 pounds since the custody case began.
It's not the first time we've heard of obesity playing a role in a custody battle. In October 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported on the growing role of obesity in child-custody battles in the U.S. -- including accusations from parents that their exes were "too obese to perform basic child-rearing functions."
To see the full interview, go to CTV National News' website, then click through the slides below to read about 10 of the most notorious celebrity custody battles.
