Obese Father Threatens Hunger Strike After Losing Custody Of Sons

A Canadian father-of-two, who lost custody of his two young sons due to his weight, is now planning to appeal the case and start a hunger strike today.

According to CTV Ottawa, the man (who cannot be named for legal reasons) plans to start his hunger strike at Parliament Hill.

During a TV interview he said: "I'm a passionate man, I love my kids, just want a single chance to be a father, that's it,"

According to the Ottawa Citizen, the obese 38-year-old has struggled with obesity for years.

In a court-ordered assessment, a doctor underlined that the father's weight negatively affected his ability to parent his sons.

"It impacts significantly on most aspects of his life including (his) functioning as a parent. He was short of breath or winded in simply walking short distances about the clinic and he lacks both the mobility and stamina required to keep up with young and active children."

Despite losing 340 pounds, the man still weighs 27 stone - and has refused weight-loss surgery.

The father has also refused the help of health professionals and struggles with a cannabis addiction, according to the report.

"(The father) needs to address his own medical and psychological affairs. These would include his cannabis addiction and his level of physical fitness," stated the doctor, according to the Ottawa Citizen

Despite the judge's description of the father as a "loving" and "intelligent" father, it was noted that he resented interference and had "angry outbursts" at visitors from the Children's Aid Society of Ottawa.

He also threatened to go on a hunger strike if he lost custody of his four and six-year-old sons.

• Body Exchange: Exclusive Plus-Sized Gym That Bans Skinny People
• GPs 'Ticking Boxes' On Obesity
• Obesity: Why Young Girls Are Getting Fatter

The doctor said the father's anti-authoritarian traits and refusal to follow recommended treatments raised questions to his ability to make proper decisions in regards to his sons' medical, educational or psychological needs.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, Superior Court Justice M. James said in his ruling:

"(The father) also has achieved stability in his personal life. He has lost a substantial amount of weight through daily intensive exercise and dieting. (The father's) weight loss regime is itself a full-time job. So is parenting two high-needs children. One will inevitably have to give ground to the other.

The judge noted child-welfare workers' concerns, saying, "His weight loss depends on an intensive daily exercise program. Parenting responsibilities will likely make it much more difficult for him to maintain his exercise schedule. He would be a single parent to two high-needs children in circumstances where a skilled, two-parent family would be challenged to cope."

The two sons will now be put up for adoption.