children's diet and the obesity crisis

totem12

I grew up in a household where sweets and crisps were banned. My mother was on a lifelong diet and anything she couldn't eat, we couldn't have. She controlled everything we ate (I had never used an oven until I was 18). You ate what you were given or you didn't eat. You ate everything on your plate regardless of whether you despised it. I don't like eating breakfast, but I would get porridge made and left out to be microwaved, and then the bin would be inspected to check I had eaten it all because 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day'.

As an adult, not only do my cooking skills leave a lot to be desired, but I have some serious food issues. Even the smell of porridge makes me want to throw up. I still despise 90% of those foods that made me wretch as a child. All those years of 'healthy eating' and left to my own devices I'd gladly eat pizza and McDonalds for every meal.

I'm not sure what my exact point is, but my god I wish I'd been allowed some crap as a kid. I wish I'd had more flexibility to choose what I wanted, even if sometimes it wasn't super amazingly nutritious. Having other kids over to my house was embarrassing when they got served up lentils and no dessert.

WOE IS ME!!

healthygreek

Solution to OPs problem:

Find self sufficient farm without a single neighbor anywhere within 20 miles. Grow/raise all your own food and never interact with anyone who dares to eat anything outside of your very narrow definition of what constitutes food.

In this solution, we all win.

solution to brower47:

Get a grip.

Lyerin

I admit to laughing when the OP talked about her easy child who is well-behaved and seemingly linked it to her perfect diet. LMAO Sure, that could be a factor. Or you could just have an easy kid. LOL

My kids eat a varied diet, and it certainly isn't perfect by any stretch. I don't worry to much about the occasional treat because I think making junk seem too special can make that food seem all the more appealing in the future. They eat fruits and veggies and lean meats all the time. My DD (age 9) is an athlete and is extremely fit. My DS (age 4) is only in the 15th percentile for his weight, compared to his peers. He is healthy even though he's tiny.

FWIW, both of mine are easy to bring out in public (most of the time).

Lyerin

And stop hating on pizza!! We eat homemade pizza once a week or so. All good stuff, tons of vegetables, homemade crust and sauce. Delicious and not a "bad" food.

And to whomever said something about their kid not wanting onions on a salad, I don't want them either. I believe in making kids try new foods, but I would not force my kids to eat anything so horrid as raw onions. Yuck!

magerum

Meh. I teach my kids that junk food isn't everyday food and that too much makes you fat and sick. We even point out the examples of that in our friends and family. They feel bad for the people who don't have good food to eat or don't know any better and that's exactly the way I want it.

I'm sure that you didn't mean for this to come off as arrogant and judgemental as it did, and have taught your kids to have respect, love, and compassion for your friends and family rather than pity, which is a far more important lesson than eating habits.

No, I meant pity. I happen to think being fat and sick is a terrible way to live and with junk food normalized and available constantly it's my job to teach them how to eat responsibly.

Definition of PITY
1
a : sympathetic sorrow for one suffering, distressed, or unhappy
b : capacity to feel pity
2
: something to be regretted

I pity your children then.

Why is that? Because the parents care about their kids health and development?

That forum amuses me. So many people here trying to lose 100-200 pounds because they gained weight due to unhealthy habits developed from the childhood. Yet they judge parents for teaching kids to be healthy and smart about food choices.

Unfortunately in America parents have the obligation to teach their kids about food choices because it seems like most of the society can give a crap about this.

And it's not just about calories, it's about kids growing healthy! They can't be healthy if they eat pizza and donuts!

I pity them because they're being raised to be judgmental & self-righteous. Proper nutrition can be taught without the shame of others or judgment. Especially if they're supposedly loved ones and friends. If they're that judgmental and self-righteous to people they know and supposedly care for, imagine how the real world will accept them. It's going to go horribly wrong for them unless they stick to a small circle of similar close minded, self-righteous people.

magerum

Solution to OPs problem:

Find self sufficient farm without a single neighbor anywhere within 20 miles. Grow/raise all your own food and never interact with anyone who dares to eat anything outside of your very narrow definition of what constitutes food.

In this solution, we all win.

solution to brower47:

Get a grip.

Her grip seems quite firm, it's your that seems tenious. You can't see that because you're obviously comfortable with sef righteous indignation. Good luck with that.

ArroganceInStep

Solution to OPs problem:

Find self sufficient farm without a single neighbor anywhere within 20 miles. Grow/raise all your own food and never interact with anyone who dares to eat anything outside of your very narrow definition of what constitutes food.

In this solution, we all win.

solution to brower47:

Get a grip.

You know what's really frigg'n awesome?

Food.

You know what's really frigg'n not awesome?

Pretentiousness.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

And stop hating on pizza!! We eat homemade pizza once a week or so. All good stuff, tons of vegetables, homemade crust and sauce. Delicious and not a "bad" food.

And to whomever said something about their kid not wanting onions on a salad, I don't want them either. I believe in making kids try new foods, but I would not force my kids to eat anything so horrid as raw onions. Yuck!

I love raw onions on salad but I'm with you on the pizza thing.

I make my own pizza once per week with fresh veggies and homemade crust. It's delicious AND healthy as part of an overall balanced and nutrient dense diet.

drozowski

I haven't been using MFP much lately because we have been traveling and I logged in for some inspiration. Boy, what a slap in the face. I am shocked at how ugly a lot of the responders were to OP. Talk about not judging lest you be judged. Hold up a mirror folks. You are all judging OP like crazy.

First of all - we all make choices for our families. I was raised by "health nuts" who didn't allow sodas, junk food of any kind and exercised. They are healthy old folks now and I have just a few pounds to lose to stay in a healthy range. My darling hubby was raised with food out of box or can and his parents are riddled with heath problems including diabetes and high blood pressure. He is 40 lbs overweight. To me this seems pretty clear - and when I am out and see overweight kids usually the parents are overweight. There seems to be a correlation.

Food is fuel. Give kids good fuel and not crap so they have healthy bodies. I agree 100% with OP on the epidemic with kids and junk food. I also had lollies being brought into my home and/or given to my kids. I became crazy mom just last week when my 5, 6 and 8 yr olds were given soda at a science camp as a treat. They performed an experiment with the soda, then were offered it to drink. I do not ever see a reason for a child to have soda - pure chemicals and sugar and very addictive for kids. Blech. Instead of giving a kid a candy read them a book for a treat. Or take them for a walk. Play a game. Food is not love.

I also agree too much sugar and not enough sleep makes for really crabby kids. Don't get me started on the late bedtimes for all these children whose parents just think they don't need much sleep. Most kids need 12 hours each night.

So I just want to tell you OP that you are not alone. My kids know they are not going to have treats after every meal and they have to eat fruits and vegetables. We are also surrounded by people that are stuffing their kids with sugar and processed junk and looking at us like we are crazy. I do normally just limit playdates and parties and when we are there they can make their own choices so we don't end up in a fight about it. For example, my 8 yr old loves to tell me how much he loves his burgers so I make him a lean one and serve it with a big side of broccoli - we are both happy.

jofjltncb6

I'll admit, my kids eat a generally crappy diet...

...but they're very active and their weight, BF%, all of their blood health markers, etc. are all excellent, so...

...someone remind me what is most important here? Is it the illusion that only an ideal diet will lead to optimal health? Or is it slightly more complicated/nuanced than that? Is it that quality of diet is only one small piece of the big-picture puzzle? And is it the diet or a child's well-being and overall world-view that is more important?

CoderGal

Solution to OPs problem:

Find self sufficient farm without a single neighbor anywhere within 20 miles. Grow/raise all your own food and never interact with anyone who dares to eat anything outside of your very narrow definition of what constitutes food.

In this solution, we all win.

solution to brower47:

Get a grip.

You know what's really frigg'n awesome?

Food.

You know what's really frigg'n not awesome?

Pretentiousness.

this

abbylg1983

I haven't been using MFP much lately because we have been traveling and I logged in for some inspiration. Boy, what a slap in the face. I am shocked at how ugly a lot of the responders were to OP. Talk about not judging lest you be judged. Hold up a mirror folks. You are all judging OP like crazy.

First of all - we all make choices for our families. I was raised by "health nuts" who didn't allow sodas, junk food of any kind and exercised. They are healthy old folks now and I have just a few pounds to lose to stay in a healthy range. My darling hubby was raised with food out of box or can and his parents are riddled with heath problems including diabetes and high blood pressure. He is 40 lbs overweight. To me this seems pretty clear - and when I am out and see overweight kids usually the parents are overweight. There seems to be a correlation.

Food is fuel. Give kids good fuel and not crap so they have healthy bodies. I agree 100% with OP on the epidemic with kids and junk food. I also had lollies being brought into my home and/or given to my kids. I became crazy mom just last week when my 5, 6 and 8 yr olds were given soda at a science camp as a treat. They performed an experiment with the soda, then were offered it to drink. I do not ever see a reason for a child to have soda - pure chemicals and sugar and very addictive for kids. Blech. Instead of giving a kid a candy read them a book for a treat. Or take them for a walk. Play a game. Food is not love.

I also agree too much sugar and not enough sleep makes for really crabby kids. Don't get me started on the late bedtimes for all these children whose parents just think they don't need much sleep. Most kids need 12 hours each night.

So I just want to tell you OP that you are not alone. My kids know they are not going to have treats after every meal and they have to eat fruits and vegetables. We are also surrounded by people that are stuffing their kids with sugar and processed junk and looking at us like we are crazy. I do normally just limit playdates and parties and when we are there they can make their own choices so we don't end up in a fight about it. For example, my 8 yr old loves to tell me how much he loves his burgers so I make him a lean one and serve it with a big side of broccoli - we are both happy.

In general, I agree that it is the parents' responsibility to ensure the health of their children, and that involves monitoring what they eat and insisting on overall healthy diet. And how strict you need to be and what you need to limit is up to the individual parent to decide. I might feel sorry for a kid who is never allowed any treats, for example, but it's not really my business, and the kid isn't going to die from not getting a candy bar.

This particular post rubbed a lot of people the wrong way because the OP is making a lot of assumptions. One, how the kids eat during sleepovers is not necessarily indicative of how they eat any other time. Two, happy well adjusted kids are great- but you just can't attribute one factor to that. There are like, an infinite number of variables affecting the temperament of a child, and to say, my kid is great because of my super awesome parenting, your kid is a nightmare because you must be a crappy parent is going to piss off a lot of people. I realize she didn't exactly say that, but pretty close.

Also, I find the part about how the OP's daughter gets one treat a week and she has to pretty much run laps around the playground to "earn" it a bit troubling. I do think there is the potential here for some pretty serious food issues down the road.

MzManiak

My daughter is calm and cheerful always,

Really? She's never tired or grumpy or cranky? Ever? I think you're disillusioned...

My kids get treats and McDonalds now and then and they are not expected to eat everything on their plates or everything that I do. If they don't like something, they don't have to eat it just because I do. :huh: But they are very active, eat well, and are no where near overweight.

You have no right to judge other people's kids. Or their eating habits. And just so you know.... people who grow up with super strict parents as a child who aren't allowed to eat lollies and such often rebel when they're older and indulge too often in the take aways and junk... because they are finally able to eat what THEY want and they haven't been taught how to eat it in MODERATION. So, whatevs. You do what you feel is best for yours... I'll do what I feel is best for mine... mkay?

10BlueDoves

I have two children. Both raised the same way, breastfed exclusively for 6 months then only homemade baby foods, no sugary foods or juice until at least 18 months then just on occasion, most meals home cooked. Yet their diets couldn't be more different. One loves grilled chicken (wont even eat nuggets), broccoli, green beans, etc... The other wouldn't eat meats and veggies even if there was no other food anywhere, I know I have nearly starved him when he was younger and his behavior went from bad to horrible and completely unmanageable (he has autism). If I only had my one child who is a good eater and is well behaved, I might think I was mightier than **** and supermom too. OK, no I probably wouldn't but the OP certainly does.

I do agree a bit that the sweets and junk do flow a little too freely some times at places, I have asked school to cut back on the amount of goldfish they give my son for snack and that they do not give him sugar based drinks other than real juice.

I did get a bit of a laugh at the ice cream just 5 minutes after lunch... it is called dessert and I do believe dessert was invented sometime before this century and certainly around when we were kids.

brower47

Solution to OPs problem:

Find self sufficient farm without a single neighbor anywhere within 20 miles. Grow/raise all your own food and never interact with anyone who dares to eat anything outside of your very narrow definition of what constitutes food.

In this solution, we all win.

solution to brower47:

Get a grip.

This is only a solution for me when it is concerning my steering wheel, my power tools, my weights and my husband.

abbylg1983

Solution to OPs problem:

Find self sufficient farm without a single neighbor anywhere within 20 miles. Grow/raise all your own food and never interact with anyone who dares to eat anything outside of your very narrow definition of what constitutes food.

In this solution, we all win.

solution to brower47:

Get a grip.

This is only a solution for me when it is concerning my steering wheel, my power tools, my weights and my husband.

Well I'm sure husband is happy to oblige

AlabasterVerve

I can't change who my family is (and wouldn't even if I could) but I refuse to let my kids grow up around morbidly obese people and their food habits without making sure they know exactly why it's not okay to eat that way.

I don't blame you, Stacy, I'd do the same thing.