The upcoming Public Affairs Discussion Group will focus on child obesity, in a discussion called “Is Childhood Obesity a New Form of Child Abuse?” David Crampton, associate professor in the Mandel School of Applied Sciences, will lead the group’s session, held Feb. 17 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Kelvin Smith Library’s Dampeer Room.
In October, an 8-year-old boy weighing 200 pounds in Cuyahoga County was taken from his mother and placed in foster care after county case workers concluded his mother wasn’t doing enough to control his weight.
Crampton recently served on a committee that reconsidered Cuyahoga County’s policies about when social workers should remove children from their homes for their own well-being. His work focuses on policies to protect vulnerable children, and especially the complementary roles of families, communities, and social service providers.