In the photo taken at the kindergarten, it is a thin little boy who smiles at the camera. It was then, in elementary school, that Kylian began to gain weight, too much weight. He was in CM1 when the GP who followed his family alerted the parents. They themselves, as far back as they can remember, have always been overweight.
Then Kylian was followed by a specialized pediatrician at the hospital. But at home, nothing changed, or almost, and his weight curve soared, reaching 126 kilos at 14 years old. Catherine and Benoît, his parents, felt overwhelmed – by Kylian’s obesity as much as by their own worries.
An exceptional measure
The pediatrician then takes an exceptional measure: a report to a juvenile judge. The law provides that “if the health, safety or morals of a non-emancipated minor are in danger, or if the conditions of his education or his physical, emotional, intellectual and social development are seriously compromised, educational assistance may be ordered by the courts” (article 375 of the Civil Code).
For Catherine, Kylian’s mother, the reason for the report, for “abuse”, is “hard to hear“.”It’s hard to say that we’ve come to this. Just because we didn’t know how to manage the food… I think that’s unfair!” she reacts. “At the same time, it will help us, because today, they have found that it is not necessarily the children who need to be helped, it is perhaps a little us, the parents.”
Today, Kylian and his sister Eva are followed by educators. As a last resort, if their state of health worsens, the law provides that they can be placed in foster care, on a temporary basis. But the family is confident: Kylian’s weight curve has started to decrease, and his little sister can hug him again by going around his waist.
Excerpt from “Obesity: learning to love yourself”, a report to see in “Special Envoy” on October 6, 2022.
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