Fed Up with Food Fear-Mongering

VBnotbitter

^^^^ I hear you, but I also disagree. My kid knows there are 43 grams of sugar in a can of pop because he gleefully reads it to me when he gets one. While it doesn't stop him from drinking it, or me from allowing him to have it occasionally, I am glad he is aware of what that means (and he knows what a gram is etc). I am hoping it will serve him later in life and he will make better choices than I did.
Also it gives you an opportunity to educate your son about nutrition. With Halloween right around the corner, we will have ample opportunity! (before anyone goes off - not that candy is bad, but how we eat it in moderation IF we eat other nutritious food).

I agree; I see nothing wrong with the fact that kids are becoming more educated about nutrition at a young age instead of waiting until they're older and have already developed some potentially unhealthy lifestyle habits. Why take him learning about veganism as a bad thing instead of as an opportunity to discuss nutrition and the wide ranging views on health?

Who says I didn't? We actually do discuss the science of nutrition (along with quantum physics, evolution and the politics of economics, he's a bright kid).

My concern, in line with the OP, is that food fear mongering is starting young. Fine for a 9 year old to ask about the nutritional make up of his dinner but not to be afraid that its unhealthy or "bad". I'm far more worried that it would result in a potentially unhealthy lifestyle habit of an eating disorder

grandpoobah12

seriously, I was hung up for 3 years on here. I fell for every fad. I never lost weight! Now I finally am. How am I doing it? By creating a caloric deficit. IF only I had never looked at the forums. If only I wasn`t so naive! If only I hadn`t researced weight loss looking for the easy way out.

You mean I can do any exercise, not just heavy lifting and it will be good for me?

All I need to do is eat less than I burn, and I lose weight.

Too bad I was so simple that it took me so long to see the simple truth.

perfect_storm

This was a fantastic post and a great read...but...will someone explain the cauliflower thing to me?

darkangel45422

^^^^ I hear you, but I also disagree. My kid knows there are 43 grams of sugar in a can of pop because he gleefully reads it to me when he gets one. While it doesn't stop him from drinking it, or me from allowing him to have it occasionally, I am glad he is aware of what that means (and he knows what a gram is etc). I am hoping it will serve him later in life and he will make better choices than I did.
Also it gives you an opportunity to educate your son about nutrition. With Halloween right around the corner, we will have ample opportunity! (before anyone goes off - not that candy is bad, but how we eat it in moderation IF we eat other nutritious food).

I agree; I see nothing wrong with the fact that kids are becoming more educated about nutrition at a young age instead of waiting until they're older and have already developed some potentially unhealthy lifestyle habits. Why take him learning about veganism as a bad thing instead of as an opportunity to discuss nutrition and the wide ranging views on health?

Who says I didn't? We actually do discuss the science of nutrition (along with quantum physics, evolution and the politics of economics, he's a bright kid).

My concern, in line with the OP, is that food fear mongering is starting young. Fine for a 9 year old to ask about the nutritional make up of his dinner but not to be afraid that its unhealthy or "bad". I'm far more worried that it would result in a potentially unhealthy lifestyle habit of an eating disorder

Oh I didn't mean you didn't, just that it sounded as if you thought it was a bad thing that his conversation lead him to question the healthiness of his dinner. I agree there's a difference between knowing something is unhealthy or bad for you and being afraid of it because of those facts, but I guess your son's fear didn't come across so much as just a child questioning its healthiness.

I guess I just see a difference between being afraid of food and understanding it's relative healthiness and thus the place is can play in your diet. Just as the above poster says, it's not about somehow giving kids the message that bad or unhealthy foods should be avoided like the plague, but teaching them that these foods shouldn't occupy the same place in their diets as more healthful fare.

Sarauk2sf

werd!

EHisCDN

I think this is all about the journey. It's easy to initially be caught off guard about how many calories are in things and avoid them by the plague. But hopefully overtime things begin to even out as you realize that there are no innately good or bad foods.
Truth be told though, I'll probably have to go through my friends list and get rid of some people who keep touting the keto diet or shakeology or have a fear of carbs. Carbs aren't the enemy people! Neither is fat! (Sometimes fat makes up almost half of my daily calories and yet I still lose weight).

quiltlovinlisa

This was a fantastic post and a great read...but...will someone explain the cauliflower thing to me?

You must have missed the cauliflower pizza crust, or mashed cauliflower dessert, like it's some magical holy grail of food.

RllyGudTweetr

In.

Also, since folks asked for it, I present: The Dangers of Cauliflower -

http://www.livestrong.com/article/423748-side-effects-of-cauliflower/

kkerri

I have fallen prey to this - which is why I spent years on a vegan diet (well, that and animal cruelty). But, I did fear those foods. And, I feared fat. And, then I ended up eating things that were healthy, but should not make up the bulk of a diet.

I am trying to get back to a balanced diet (albeit trying to avoid gluten for a legitimate, diagnosed disorder).

;-)

VBnotbitter

^^^^ I hear you, but I also disagree. My kid knows there are 43 grams of sugar in a can of pop because he gleefully reads it to me when he gets one. While it doesn't stop him from drinking it, or me from allowing him to have it occasionally, I am glad he is aware of what that means (and he knows what a gram is etc). I am hoping it will serve him later in life and he will make better choices than I did.
Also it gives you an opportunity to educate your son about nutrition. With Halloween right around the corner, we will have ample opportunity! (before anyone goes off - not that candy is bad, but how we eat it in moderation IF we eat other nutritious food).

I agree; I see nothing wrong with the fact that kids are becoming more educated about nutrition at a young age instead of waiting until they're older and have already developed some potentially unhealthy lifestyle habits. Why take him learning about veganism as a bad thing instead of as an opportunity to discuss nutrition and the wide ranging views on health?

Who says I didn't? We actually do discuss the science of nutrition (along with quantum physics, evolution and the politics of economics, he's a bright kid).

My concern, in line with the OP, is that food fear mongering is starting young. Fine for a 9 year old to ask about the nutritional make up of his dinner but not to be afraid that its unhealthy or "bad". I'm far more worried that it would result in a potentially unhealthy lifestyle habit of an eating disorder

Oh I didn't mean you didn't, just that it sounded as if you thought it was a bad thing that his conversation lead him to question the healthiness of his dinner. I agree there's a difference between knowing something is unhealthy or bad for you and being afraid of it because of those facts, but I guess your son's fear didn't come across so much as just a child questioning its healthiness.

I guess I just see a difference between being afraid of food and understanding it's relative healthiness and thus the place is can play in your diet. Just as the above poster says, it's not about somehow giving kids the message that bad or unhealthy foods should be avoided like the plague, but teaching them that these foods shouldn't occupy the same place in their diets as more healthful fare.

Completely agree, I guess it's one of those misinterpretation over the Internet problems