Child custody issues can arise for a variety of reasons, but it is rare that children are removed from their home because of weight-related issues.

Recently, an 8-year-old boy was removed from his home and placed into foster care after county officials said his mother failed to do enough to get the boy's weight down. Now, she is fighting to gain back child custody of her son.

The third grader currently weighs 200 pounds. Someone his age should weigh around 60 pounds.

Obesity is a nationwide problem, but is particularly concerning for young children because it puts them at risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. About two million children in the United States are considered obese.

This case has raised a lot of questions concerning child custody and whether or not it was fair for the county to remove the young boy from his home. One doctor said it is hard to place blame on any one person since there is currently an obesity epidemic in the U.S. Another physician says putting obese children in foster care allows them to get the care that they need.

Cuyahoga County officials in Ohio say they have worked with the family for almost two years. They consider the mother's inability to help her son lose weight a form of medical neglect.

Officials were first alerted to the boy's weight problem when his mother brought him to the hospital for breathing problems. It was discovered then that the boy suffers from sleep apnea, which can be weight-related.

The boy's mother is working with a public defender who says the boy was not in imminent danger, and therefore, removing him from the home was unnecessary.

Source: KGO-TV, "Ohio puts 200-pound third-grader in foster care," Nov. 28, 2011