DISCRIMINATION

OBESE, IL SE VOIT REFUSER LE DROIT D'ADOPTER

Un couple britannique a révélé lundi qu'il s'est vu refuser le droit d'adopter en raison des risques que fait peser l'obésité du mari, dont le poids avoisine les 150 kilos, sur sa propre vie
Les autorités municipales de Leeds, dans le nord de l'Angleterre, refusent d'accorder à Damien et Charlotte Hall, respectivement 37 et 31 ans, le droit d'adopter tant que le mari ne perd pas du poids. Le couple ne peut pas avoir d'enfants biologiques.M. Hall pèse dans les 150 kilos et a un indice de masse corporel (IMC) supérieur à 42. Selon l'Organisation mondiale de la santé, un IMC qui dépasse 40 est considéré comme une "obésité morbide", accroissant les risques de mortalité.La ville de Leeds explique dans sa lettre de refus que l'IMC de M. Hall doit repasser sous cette barre avant de pouvoir adopter. "Le comité d'adoption n'est pas susceptible d'accepter les demandes (d'adoption) avec un IMC supérieur à 40 en raison des risques à long terme pour la santé", écrivent les autorités municipales dans leur lettre de refus, enjoignant à M. Hall de subir un nouvel examen médical dans six mois."C'est difficile de perdre du poids sous la pression", a déclaré M. Hall sur la BBC Radio 5. "J'ai simplement l'impression qu'on n'a pris en compte que mon poids et pas du tout, les autres bonnes choses qui nous concernent. Nous ne buvons pas, nous ne fumons pas et nous pourrions offrir à un enfant un foyer heureux et sûr", a-t-il ajouté.
Source : AFP - Yahoo.fr http://fr.news.yahoo.com/2/20090112/tod-obese-il-se-voit-refuser-le-droit-d-7f81b96.html



In English:

LONDON (AFP) - A man has been told he and his wife cannot adopt children because he is so fat that the authorities fear he will die, he said Monday.
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Damien Hall, who stands six feet, one inch tall, weighs 24 and a half stone. He therefore has a body mass index (BMI) of more than 42 and is thus considered morbidly obese.
The call centre worker, 37, and his nanny wife Charlotte, 31, cannot have children of their own and approached Leeds City Council, about adopting.
But their local authority told them that Damien must get his BMI down below 40 before they can be considered as potential parents due to concerns over his weight.
"The bottom line is I'm too fat," he told BBC radio. "It's hard to lose weight under pressure. 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 happy and safe home."
The letter the couple received from Leeds City Council said they were unable to process their adoption application "due to the concerns that the medical advisers have expressed regarding Mr Hall's weight.
"The Adoption Panel are unlikely to approve applicants with a BMI over 40 because of the long term health risks.
"It would therefore be to your advantage to begin the assessment with an up to date medical where your BMI is clearly recorded as being under 40 and to demonstrate that you are able to maintain this weight loss over the period of the assessment."
Charlotte Hall said the letter was "gutting" and "to be turned down flatly just on that, it's just harsh.
"We're here ready to take a child on.
"They seem to be saying it's better for them to be in care and being shoved from pillar to post just in case Damien dies."
In a statement, Leeds City Council explained: "The council's adoption service has a legal responsibility to ensure that children are placed with adopters who are able to provide the best possible lifelong care.
"Part of this responsibility is advice for applicants on a range of suitability criteria, including any health and lifestyle issues which may impact on an applicant's long term ability to adopt."

Source: "http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090112/world/britain_adoption_health_1