To fat to adopt?

Charlotte and Damien Hall are teetotal non-smokers with a stable 11-year marriage behind them. She has a career as a nanny and he shares her love of children. They would appear to be ideal candidates as adopters for a child in need of a new family.

But yesterday it emerged that Leeds city council has rejected the Halls – because he is too fat. The couple had approached the authority about adoption but after health checks were informed his 6ft 1in (1.8 metre), 24.5 stone (156kg) physique gave him a body mass index of 42, categorised as morbidly obese and at increased risk of serious illness or death. The couple were told that if his BMI dropped below 40 and he was able to maintain the weight loss, they would be reconsidered.

The Halls are shocked by the decision and yesterday Mr Hall insisted his weight did not mean he could not provide a child with a healthy domestic environment.

“It’s hard to lose weight under pressure,” the 37-year-old call centre worker said. “I’m not a couch potato and I don’t sit eating takeaways every night. I just feel as though we were only judged on my weight and not all the other good things about us. We don’t drink or smoke and we could give a child a safe and happy home. I’m 24.5 stone, that’s what it eventually comes down to. Everything stops because of one element.

“We don’t know whether there would be any other blocking factors or any other considerations to be made. It is difficult to put into words the emotional desire to have kids, especially when you are not allowed because of your weight.” Being given advice to eat more healthily was “kind of insulting”.

To Fat to Adopt?