Mom Jailed Because Son Weighs Too Much

A mother was sent to jail and charged with neglect because her son is obese.  Jerri Gray says that her son Alexander Draper ballooned to a whopping 555 pounds because she was away at work trying to provide for her family.

 “This is not a case of a mother force-feeding a child,” said Gray’s lawyer, Grant Varner. “If she had been holding him down and force-feeding him, sure, I can understand. But she doesn’t have the means to do it. She doesn’t have the money to buy the food to do it.”

Police are saying that the child’s mother should have intervened when she saw that his weight was getting out of control.  She was released this week on $50,000 bond.  The boy is in custody of the Department of Social Services, who argues that “health care professionals believe a child is at risk of harm.”

On The Early Show, Gray and her attorney explained the situation. 

 “Well, a lot of times it had to do with lifestyle. A lot of times I had to work full-time second shift, or full-time, third shift — and I wasn’t home a lot,” she said.

Gray said that she tried to watch what her son was eating, but that it was difficult to keep up because she worked so much.

 “When I had a second shift job, I would’ve rather been home, so that I could’ve spent more time focusing on preparing more low-fat type meals.”

Gray says that whatever program the state has for her son should include the both of them.  Gray’s attorney believes that charging his client could open the door for other parents of obese children to be charged.  Whether the state has a case or not is unclear, but what is clear is that someone needs to help this family.