| His comments came after a Dundee family, who cannot be named for legal reasons, again featured in news reports about the efforts to control their weight.
Parents and two sub-teenage children alone tip the scales at a combined near 70 stone.
Just over a year ago the family of eight was warned by social workers that they risked having their children taken into care unless they did something about the children’s weight.
Causing social workers most concern is the weight of the 12-year-old boy, who is more than 16 stone, an 11-year-old sister weighting 12 stone and another three-year-old child who weighs four stone. Social workers have allegedly even labelled the 21-month-old child, who weighs 26lbs, overweight.
All six children faced the prospect of being separated from their parents unless there were significant improvements.
Reports now suggest that the council is considering another strategy — contracting out the management of the family’s diet and fitness, as well as parenting skills advice, to a three-strong team at a cost of £114,000.
Council sources suggested the measure was taken in an effort to contain the drain on resources and said they were in a “no-win” situation whatever they did.
They were criticised for suggesting the children could be taken into care and are now being criticised when a possible alternative is being put forward.
Making it plain he would not comment on individual cases, Mr Barrie said, “I support anything we can do to help children get fitter.
“We are doing this through school meals. Start right and we often take that on as we get older.
“There are stories of children now going home from schools and telling their parents they don’t want certain foods as we use education along with healthy school meals.
“Children are encouraged to avoid the wrong foods.”
Conceding not all children take school meals and the advice cannot be applied to all children, Mr Barrie said that Scotland as a whole has a bad reputation for child obesity and obesity at all ages.
“We want to do something about that and start with the children.
“We want more facilities and to encourage children to use them, particularly over the summer holidays.”
Asked to confirm reports of the cost of contracting out the family’s management, a spokesman for Dundee City Council said they were not able to comment on individual child protection issues. |
