Reports that Tusla told prospective foster parents that they needed to lose weight to take in a child are ‘extremely disappointing’, the HSE lead for obesity has said.
The Irish Independent reports this morning that Tusla’s foster committee has been using “inadequate or outdated” information on body mass index (BMI) and weight when deciding whether to let people take on a fostering role.
It notes that at least one woman was turned down solely based on her BMI and was told by the State agency that her weight meant she would be unable to run after a toddler.
It comes as Ireland battles a national shortage of care places for children.
"Really disappointing"
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, the HSE's national clinical lead for obesity Professor Donal O'Shea said he was shocked at the claims.
“It's like waking up in the 1980s and reading a headline,” he said.
“I mean, I can't believe [it]; our understanding of weight and our understanding of obesity has moved so far beyond that, so it's really disappointing.”
He said it is essential to set the record straight on modern approaches to obesity.
“The BMI is not an individual assessment,” he said. “It's a population screening tool.
“You can be healthy at any weight.
“It is very important that health screenings are carried out for anybody taking on an important role and parenting is probably the most important role we have in society, so I'm all for health screening but to use a population measure that we no longer apply to individuals is just wrong.”
BMI
He said it is incorrect to suggest someone with obesity would have difficulty keeping up with a toddler.
“Individual assessment is critical here,” he said. “You can have a BMI that has you in the obese category and be an elite athlete.
“You can have a normal BMI and be not healthy enough to take on the role of a parent.
“So don't use a blunt population assessment tool for individual assessment – or blunt language.
“Unfortunately, you know, in the last couple of years, I've been at a meeting where a child was told, if they did not lose weight, that they would be taken away from their family.
“Again, that caused incredible distress to the child, to the family.”
Obesity
He said it is possible for somebody’s obesity to leave them unable to care for a child – but that cannot be judged based on their BMI.
“Obesity is a complex relapsing disease,” he said.
“There's absolutely no doubt, as with any disease, that you may have the disease to such an extent that taking on an important role, any important role, is not appropriate.
“You could have chronic obstructive airways disease be on home oxygen and therefore it's not appropriate.
“So there is no doubt there are individuals who have who are compromised by their obesity to a degree that they're not suitable to take on a parenting role but I can tell you that 95% of the patients attending our service with severe and complex obesity would make incredible parents and we would be fully supportive of them taking on that role if they wished to do that.”
Tusla
It is understood Tusla’s Foster Care Committee (FCC) had been relying on an outdated policy document, which an internal complaints process has found led to the committee having a ‘bias’.
Tusla has said the guidance is currently under review.
