Mousy fathers lead to mousy sons.

This is one of the downfalls of American society...the lack of leadership by the father in the family. Many, many families suffer because the dad doesn't do what a dad should do, the son gets lazy and fat, introverted, doesn't have a sense of swagger about him. I'm not talking about being a jerkoff, I'm talking about confidence. Your boy is out of his league...thanks to dad. He has no business getting into a fight. He'll be destroyed. You can't stand by and let that happen. Do whatever you have to do to stop this trainwreck because, obviously, your husband can't. Go straight to his parents, whoever, and end this thing. Let your boy be embarassed...so what! He's gonna lose some teeth, break an arm, things happen in a street fight that can be permanent. And for what? An overweight kid who doesn't have a street-smart dad teaching him the ropes is destined for failure in this very real arena. You have to be the "father" in this situation. Having your kid beaten isn't going to teach him anything, he'll regress into a shell after licking his wounds, and you might be in for some financial hurt to boot. That's a lose/lose situation as I see it. I'm the opposite of your husband. I'm a big, tall, extrovert kind of guy who's never been in a fight ever. There's a reason. Your enemies can sense if you're weak. An adversary has to size you up, decide if it's worth it, and make a decision. When someone wants to take on the Mtnnn Mannn...it's just not worth it. I'm formidable. The odds are 50/50 at best. Best case scenario is that both of us are going to feel pain. It doesn't hurt that I'm physically fit, 6'3", and have a PhD in street saavy. Same goes for my boy. He's in shape, he's got the same swagger, he doesn't get into fights for the same reason. Foes don't like the odds. It is really that simple, Molly. Maybe from this day on you and the husband need to focus more on what's going to prepare Johnny for the future and live to "fight" another day. Get the kid on a weight program. Monitor the meals. Encourage physical activity. You'll be amazed at what an impressive physical presence and some confidence can do to stand down the world's badasses...sometimes, without even saying a word...