Too Fat To Adopt
Due to the large number of foreign individuals wanting to adopt babies from China, the Chinese government is tightening the adoption rules.
"Those who qualify under the new rules are parents aged between 30 and 50 years, who are married and have had no more than two divorces between them, US adoption agencies said. Gay couples, people taking medication for anxiety and depression, and those with a body mass index (BMI)... of more than 40 will be excluded."
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm sure this criteria will exclude a lot of people who would make great parents--whether it be a single parent, a couple who has had bad luck with divorces, a person on Prozac, or what have you. Still, as for the weight thing, a BMI of 40 is not super low. It makes sense that they will want the people who are reasonably young ("under 50" is not exactly unreasonable) and healthy, all other things being equal. So... I don't know. What do you think?
"Those who qualify under the new rules are parents aged between 30 and 50 years, who are married and have had no more than two divorces between them, US adoption agencies said. Gay couples, people taking medication for anxiety and depression, and those with a body mass index (BMI)... of more than 40 will be excluded."
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm sure this criteria will exclude a lot of people who would make great parents--whether it be a single parent, a couple who has had bad luck with divorces, a person on Prozac, or what have you. Still, as for the weight thing, a BMI of 40 is not super low. It makes sense that they will want the people who are reasonably young ("under 50" is not exactly unreasonable) and healthy, all other things being equal. So... I don't know. What do you think?
posted by mo pie at 10:09 AM
16 Comments:
I can understand why it's a concern, since it's in the the best interests of the child to have healthy parents. A BMI of 40 seems like a reasonable point at which to draw a line. I think China also screens for other health conditions, like history of cancer, heart disease, etc. That would indicate that health is the real reason for the restriction and that it's not pretextual.
For many domestic adoptions the birth mother considers photos when selecting adoptive parents. So, weight is always an issue, whether it's explicit or not.
I saw this on CNN earlier and it really, really ticked me off. One other criteria that was in the article but not mentioned here was disqualifying based on "facial deformities". My heart breaks for the children (mostly girls) who will lose out on the possibility of having a family due to this new policy.
Is the demand for Chinese children really so extreme that they have to narrow down potential parents even more? Are they the new "Tickle-Me Elmo"? These are children! I think they should be happy that there are safe parents willing to adopt at all.
By those qualifications, I am also ineligible to adopt a child. If I am willing to open my home but denied by my size...there is something really wrong with that.
Granted I'm young, in my 20's, but as someone planning adopting when I'm older, this kind of disturbs me. I'm sure those who feel 40 is a fine cut off are under a 40 BMI. I'm just over the cut off and am sort of concerned that I wouldn't be able to adopt from China. I'm a fairly active woman who takes hour and a half walks nearly every day. I would have no trouble caring for kids. I also never understood why single parenthood is so taboo. It's harder, true, but prevents so many wonderful parents from adopting.
Unless there is a reason to believe parents will not be able to see their child until at least 18, and keep them happy and healthy, I see no reason why they shouldn't be parents. Is it really that much better for children to bounce from foster home to foster home or stay in an orphanage then for them to have a parent who is anxious (though demonstrates that it will not effect the child/is under control) or is fat but active?
Plenty of people can have babies and make horrible parents, why should things like these be such an issue?
Medically speaking, a BMI of 40 or above is classified as "morbidly obese". Since research indicates that environment contributes as much, if not more so, to obesity than do genes, it makes sense to restrict adoption to parents who are more likely to bring up their adopted child to be a healthy weight.
Well all I can say is that I doubt kids I would adopt would be large unless genetically pre-disposed to it. I have a lot of thin friends with larger parents.
I agree with Jen that the "no anxiety and depression" thing is likely to exclude more people.
One in ten of the general population is estimated to suffer from depression at some time during life. That's a lot of people.
Since there is a genetic component to at least some depression, adopting might be seen as a fairly responsible choice. Not every depressed person is suicidal, or even hard to be around. I speak from experience.
My husband has fairly serious depression, but he has good days, he goes to work, and we are still intending to have a family.
As for the weight thing... I can see that they might want prospective parents to undergo a medical, but blanket rules like that seem silly. I suspect they're cheaper to administer, though.
You know what? Bump it.
Elizabeth Taylor and Pam Anderson couldn't have any either, because they've had too many divorces.
Let's all get Brazilian and Icelandic babies instead.
Happy Holidays, everybody!
On one hand, I understand the concern of Chinese authorities for the children and their well being, but on the other this just does not seem right.
The BMI does not determine how much love and care a person can give to a child.
It's too simplistic and wrong. That's what I think.
I'm not at all interested in adopting, but for some reason, this gave me pause. At my current weight, I am just over a 40 BMI - I have no trouble shopping at regular department stores, or fitting into a bus seat or a restaurant booth. I get around better than many of my thin friends, exercise rigorously on a daily basis and can sprint a half a mile (in heels, no less) if I am late for a meeting. All my grandparents/great aunts, etc. lived into their 100s, and none of them were slim.
I'm not saying I'm better than people who are larger than me, or that THEY should be paying the fat penalty, not me...just that it seems odd to me, as a person who did once weigh over 300 pounds, that someone the size I am now would rate as morbidly obese.
I don't know...lately the thin makeover of the world's children has been kind of depressing me. I don't think it's good to feed kids mac and cheese or McDonald's for every meal and let them sit around all day in front of the teevee either, but I don't like this weird, fear-saturated body management thing. I think it must be harder now to be the fat kid than ever before, and frankly, it was bad enough.
Sorry for getting off topic! This is an interesting thread.
Mary, would you come train me, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?
I used to do Tae Bo and Bryan Kest's yoga on the regular (if only for the motivating thrill of someday meeting Billy and Bryan :D) but I ripped my right meniscus and now I am a wimp.
Back on topic, I still think the person that wants to be a parent should go to the country that understands that person can be a good parent. There are plenty of children that need parenting in countries other than China.
Once again, another group of people buy into the *myth* that body size determines health. I know it's a hard one to let go of, but it's the truth. Body size can be a factor of lifestyle, but isn't necessarily. There are skinny people who are horrib le to their bodies and fat people who live a healthy life. The irony is that if someone who has a BMI of >40 goes on a crash diet and loses all the weight, she would be less healthy than if she stayed the weight she was.
If health was a major concern, then proof of a physical with cholesterol and blood pressure results would make more sense.
I represent children who are in the dependency system in California(they've been taken from their parents for neglect/abuse) and many of them end up being adopted. The criteria I've seen includes a concern about the prospective adoptive parents' health and any medical problems, but I've never seen obesity listed as a concern.
Finally.
I cannot believe they are starting to discriminate against heavy people adopting. Yes, it's China but watch out as there could be more down the road. It's ridiculous - it would be like saying to a pregnant mom oh you're overweight you cannot have your child so we are taking him/her away from you. Stupid!
I'm not looking to adopt from any country, but...
Sure, the parents health is in the best interest of the child but why is a BMI 40 or greater considered a health problem by itself? I have a BMI of 42, no other health problems (not even cholesterol!) exercise moderately every day... I have health inusrance which I must pay a lot more to have, though, even though I haven't had a sick day in many years (I'm 31 and haven't even had a cold in over 15 years!)But I'm unhealthy? How so?
I propose that anyone of "healthy weight" have a scan done for possible risk factors, genetics and whatnot, that might some day kill them... And deny them too the ability to adopt! In fact, maybe all of humanity should be denied on the basis that we all age and die some day! Afterall, aren't the parents STILL a part of their childs life when they have grand-kids? Wouldn't want the grand-kids to realize that (gasp!) thin people die to. God forbid, no, because skinny people are too perfect for that!
Well, I can die much earlier knowing that I was one of the smarter humans to grace this earth anyway lol...
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