"Superkid," 3, Moves Furniture, Weights

(CBS)  A three-year-old Michigan boy is super-strong.

He can move furniture, hold five-pound weights, and do sit-ups with ease.

But Liam Hoekstra, of Roosevelt Park, appears to have a rare genetic condition -- one that presents special challenges to him and his parents, Early Show Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said Thursday.

Ironically, learning more about it could lead to treatments for other muscle afflictions, researchers say.

Liam likely has a condition called myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, which means his body has very little fat and enlarged muscle fibers that make him really strong, Ashton says.

The first human case was documented in 2000 in a German boy.

As a toddler, Liam had very defined muscles, but now he doesn't look much different from any other normal child his age. He's actually a bit smaller, but much stronger, Ashton points out.

It was first believed that since the heart is a muscle, it could be affected by this condition. But we know now that's not the case, she says.

Because of his fast metabolism, Liam needs to eats constantly, as many as six meals a day to avoid a caloric deficit.

And, Ashton has been told, because he's so strong -- he falls, for instance, without getting hurt -- Liam's not learning the appropriate fear judgment of a child testing his or her limits.

But scientists actually hope to figure out how to mimic his condition, she adds, to help treat people suffering from muscle-wasting diseases such as cancer, heart failure and HIV:

To see the The Early Show segment on Liam,

click here

To learn much more about him, see many photos, and watch video of him, click here.

[Twiggymarie]

Hi, I am new here, I have to say that, that child looks so healthy! and he does look strong to be a three year old! yet if it's not broken, don't fix it!!!! I am glad to be here to comment on this, Thanks!

[lenmichaels]

The only comment I have to make is..I'm still having trouble trying to view the video's where the audio keeps breaking up. Is the trouble at my end OR yours. I had trouble understanding what the doctor said about the kids condition because of the audio breakup.
lenmichaels

[LOL_AT_CBS]

i agree with steve-in-kc- though i got around the "signing up" with cbs stage- thank you "bugmenot"

[aka_KJB]

This just in: parents changed name from "Kent"..... rocketship discovered in root cellar.... Luthor family demands inquiry.......

[steve-in-kc]

Let me translate this for you. "So far there have been only 100 cases." (translation: Hopefully tomorrow there will be 100,000 and we can get some government money).

How many kids have to go around being strong, before somebody does something?!! Won't you help?

[steve-in-kc]

Yes, the only thing unusual about this story is that it spent more time on the host/guest than on the child. Actually, I take that back...not unusual at all.

[steve-in-kc]

I can't believe I actually created a CBS account for this, but this is the dumbest story I have ever seen. I kept waiting for him to pick up a pool table, by the way he was described. What exactly was it the child was doing, besides standing on something, doing some sit-ups, sleeping in a toybox, standing outside on the deck in some snow for a picture? Gosh...that's incredible. Just another example of how liberals think and how there is yet one more affliction "Little Johnny" can have, so the whole world has to stop and do something for him. Newsflash! Your kids aren't as special as you think.

[Yougottabekiddingme]

If evolution is a glacially slow process that periodically exhibits quick steps via mutations, how are we to know that unusual alleles such the phenotype present in the case of this child are not, in fact, forward movements in the evolution of the species?
Can we presume that we know, from our own present state, what **** sapiens of the 41st century will be like?
Think about it.

[hazmatbernie]

BAM! BAM! BAM-BAM-BAM!

[rob-grant]

I use to be the same way at 3 years old. I later developed heart problems because the heart muscle developed faster than the rest of my body. All of the heavy activity cause my heart to enlarge at an early age, and now it continues to do so on its own without exercise.