Food Myths, the Media & Lawyers (Oh My)

christine24t

It may sound insensitive but... these companies have a huge base of uneducated parents subsidized by the government. If all of a sudden the government teat was taken away and FS money could only be spent on food that meets certain nutritional standards, the food companies would follow.

Some programs already are - like the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program. You even sometimes get vouchers for farmer's markets.The majority of the items are actually pretty healthy!

WIC is an amazing program! They actually try to educate.

Yes they do! And the pamphlets and classes are actually really easy to understand. I did part of a practicum with the WIC program and it was great.

BondBomb

These conversations, or at least the tone of them, really annoys me.
Something that we all need to try and remember. Not everyone has the benefit of education or even intelligence. There is no iq requirement to purchase food. Some very intelligent people fall for scams. Why is it so surprising that someone with lower intelligence may fall for this type of advertising.

Think about the average person. 50% of people aren't as smart as they are.

bm99

What gets me is when baby formula companies try to make out like it's just as good as mom's milk. EVERYONE knows it's not (and if you read the fine print, even formula ads have to state this...by law), but since the average northamerican mom doesn't want to nurse past a few weeks (or is forced back to work with REALLY short or non existant maternity leave), there is a willful ignorance around this subject. There is even a backlash! Formula feeding mom's, afraid of being labelled, and feeling guilty about giving formula...DEFEND the formula, and get ANGRY at health professionals who even suggest that they should try to nurse their offspring.

Advertising...play into people's fear and you've got em.

It's true, formula is poison. My poor little boys wander around in circles, bumping into walls... staring vacantly at nothing with their little dead eyes... woefully underweight, undernourished and under loved... WHY OH WHY didn't I breastfeed???

Oh wait... they're actually happy, robust little fellows, right on track with their development and lively as can be. And... even though I opted not to breastfeed... they are loved. Put them in a group of kids and you wouldn't be able to tell which was formula fed and which was breastfed.

Breastfeeding is best when mom is eating a well balanced nutritious diet, does not smoke or drink and isn't on any medication. Oh, and also when mom wants to breastfeed. Many women don't meet those standards.

I don't feel guilty at all that my boys got formula.

ETA: Did I mention they never get sick and heal quickly when they get bumps and scrapes?

sawebber

You know what infuriates me more than Bad business practices? When people stop thinking for themselves and start looking every other place to put the blame.

Really? You really thought that a food packet that had over 9000 chemicals was bad for you? Really?
Really? You didn't knew that eating 6000 calories from McD's drive through would make you fat? Really?
Really? You wanna suit tobacco companies even though on the 5 packs that you smoke daily it clearly tells you of health complications? Really?

I agree with you, but it's hard to sort through the mountains of crap information to find the truth about what we should be eating. There are billions being spent to misinform and mislead us.

Schools don't teach nutrition education, parents don't teach it (how many generations has HFCS been around? Aspertame? They don't know about that crap), the government seems to change their mind depending on who's paying the bills and you certainly can't trust the food companies to tell the truth. You can find a Google article that will tell you anything you want to know, and another to refute that with a couple clicks.

It's not all willful ignorance, some people don't have access to the information or simply don't know where to begin to find anything useful.

I can happily tell you that my university requires all students to take a mandatory "Fitness For Living" course. It lasts one semester and is required for graduation. I received an hour of lecturing twice a week It goes over healthy eating, exercising, the dangers of smoking, drinking etc. etc. It actually motivated me to start exercising. In high school we had a mandatory one semester nutrition course and we had to earn 1 1/2 school yrs worth of P.E credit. A lot of people have not realized or noticed that measures are being taken.

sawebber

Playing Devil's advocate for a moment...

cocoa krispies has fewer g of sugars per serving than 6 oz. of yogurt or 5.3 oz of Greek yogurt...

That being said, I'm of the mindset that just about anything can be PART of a healthy, balanced diet. All things in moderation...

ps. I don't think that this has anything to do with food stamps. I also don't think that just because someone has food stamps, they're automatically "uneducated." That's a little harsh (and a gross generalization), IMO.

Thank you. For the year that we were on food stamps it wasn't because we are stupid. (Actually I'm 15 credits shy of a physics degree) It was because my hubby went from making almost $3000 per month to 1500/mon (if we were lucky that mon) because his company made him "on call" instead of giving him regular hrs. It saved our butts immensely, I don't know what we would have done in that time without the little bit of help we got. Eventually we moved 2500 miles away from family and the place we grew up for him to work full time with a transfer. Even then we couldn't afford to move out here right away so we were paying rent and buying groceries in 2 places while trying to save up money to move across the country for 9 months.

Yes, it's a good thing she stuck up for poor people against... oh wait, nothing, because NO ONE SAID THAT POOR PEOPLE ARE STUPID.

This is true, bm99 never said poor people were stupid or shouldn't receive help or stamps. She was just pointing out that efforts need to be made to help educate lower income families on the value of nutrition. This is because statistics have shown that lower income families have higher rates of obesity.

sawebber

What gets me is when baby formula companies try to make out like it's just as good as mom's milk. EVERYONE knows it's not (and if you read the fine print, even formula ads have to state this...by law), but since the average northamerican mom doesn't want to nurse past a few weeks (or is forced back to work with REALLY short or non existant maternity leave), there is a willful ignorance around this subject. There is even a backlash! Formula feeding mom's, afraid of being labelled, and feeling guilty about giving formula...DEFEND the formula, and get ANGRY at health professionals who even suggest that they should try to nurse their offspring.

Advertising...play into people's fear and you've got em.

Agreed! My poor sister can't produce milk so for her twins and her third child she had no choice but to buy formula. It broke her heart, but what can you do? They are full of so much JUNK. Just nasty junk!

taunto

What gets me is when baby formula companies try to make out like it's just as good as mom's milk. EVERYONE knows it's not (and if you read the fine print, even formula ads have to state this...by law), but since the average northamerican mom doesn't want to nurse past a few weeks (or is forced back to work with REALLY short or non existant maternity leave), there is a willful ignorance around this subject. There is even a backlash! Formula feeding mom's, afraid of being labelled, and feeling guilty about giving formula...DEFEND the formula, and get ANGRY at health professionals who even suggest that they should try to nurse their offspring.

Advertising...play into people's fear and you've got em.

It's true, formula is poison. My poor little boys wander around in circles, bumping into walls... staring vacantly at nothing with their little dead eyes... woefully underweight, undernourished and under loved... WHY OH WHY didn't I breastfeed???

Oh wait... they're actually happy, robust little fellows, right on track with their development and lively as can be. And... even though I opted not to breastfeed... they are loved. Put them in a group of kids and you wouldn't be able to tell which was formula fed and which was breastfed.

Breastfeeding is best when mom is eating a well balanced nutritious diet, does not smoke or drink and isn't on any medication. Oh, and also when mom wants to breastfeed. Many women don't meet those standards.

I don't feel guilty at all that my boys got formula.

ETA: Did I mention they never get sick and heal quickly when they get bumps and scrapes?

You realize you basically just proved her point.

I don't think she was saying formula is poison. She was stating the fact that every medical professional have repeatedly said. Mothers Breast milk is better than formula

bm99

Playing Devil's advocate for a moment...

cocoa krispies has fewer g of sugars per serving than 6 oz. of yogurt or 5.3 oz of Greek yogurt...

That being said, I'm of the mindset that just about anything can be PART of a healthy, balanced diet. All things in moderation...

ps. I don't think that this has anything to do with food stamps. I also don't think that just because someone has food stamps, they're automatically "uneducated." That's a little harsh (and a gross generalization), IMO.

Thank you. For the year that we were on food stamps it wasn't because we are stupid. (Actually I'm 15 credits shy of a physics degree) It was because my hubby went from making almost $3000 per month to 1500/mon (if we were lucky that mon) because his company made him "on call" instead of giving him regular hrs. It saved our butts immensely, I don't know what we would have done in that time without the little bit of help we got. Eventually we moved 2500 miles away from family and the place we grew up for him to work full time with a transfer. Even then we couldn't afford to move out here right away so we were paying rent and buying groceries in 2 places while trying to save up money to move across the country for 9 months.

Yes, it's a good thing she stuck up for poor people against... oh wait, nothing, because NO ONE SAID THAT POOR PEOPLE ARE STUPID.

This is true, she never said poor people were stupid or shouldn't receive help or stamps. She was just pointing out that efforts need to be made to help educate lower income families on the value of nutrition. This is because statistics have shown that lower income families have higher rates of obesity.

Thank you!

And I'm sorry for your sister. It must be hard to want that kind of mommy experience and not be able to do it.

sawebber

Playing Devil's advocate for a moment...

cocoa krispies has fewer g of sugars per serving than 6 oz. of yogurt or 5.3 oz of Greek yogurt...

That being said, I'm of the mindset that just about anything can be PART of a healthy, balanced diet. All things in moderation...

ps. I don't think that this has anything to do with food stamps. I also don't think that just because someone has food stamps, they're automatically "uneducated." That's a little harsh (and a gross generalization), IMO.

Thank you. For the year that we were on food stamps it wasn't because we are stupid. (Actually I'm 15 credits shy of a physics degree) It was because my hubby went from making almost $3000 per month to 1500/mon (if we were lucky that mon) because his company made him "on call" instead of giving him regular hrs. It saved our butts immensely, I don't know what we would have done in that time without the little bit of help we got. Eventually we moved 2500 miles away from family and the place we grew up for him to work full time with a transfer. Even then we couldn't afford to move out here right away so we were paying rent and buying groceries in 2 places while trying to save up money to move across the country for 9 months.

Yes, it's a good thing she stuck up for poor people against... oh wait, nothing, because NO ONE SAID THAT POOR PEOPLE ARE STUPID.

This is true, she never said poor people were stupid or shouldn't receive help or stamps. She was just pointing out that efforts need to be made to help educate lower income families on the value of nutrition. This is because statistics have shown that lower income families have higher rates of obesity.

Thank you!

And I'm sorry for your sister. It must be hard to want that kind of mommy experience and not be able to do it.

You're welcome! They were quick to attack! I gathered my facts from a college course not random Google searches, LOL.

bm99

What gets me is when baby formula companies try to make out like it's just as good as mom's milk. EVERYONE knows it's not (and if you read the fine print, even formula ads have to state this...by law), but since the average northamerican mom doesn't want to nurse past a few weeks (or is forced back to work with REALLY short or non existant maternity leave), there is a willful ignorance around this subject. There is even a backlash! Formula feeding mom's, afraid of being labelled, and feeling guilty about giving formula...DEFEND the formula, and get ANGRY at health professionals who even suggest that they should try to nurse their offspring.

Advertising...play into people's fear and you've got em.

It's true, formula is poison. My poor little boys wander around in circles, bumping into walls... staring vacantly at nothing with their little dead eyes... woefully underweight, undernourished and under loved... WHY OH WHY didn't I breastfeed???

Oh wait... they're actually happy, robust little fellows, right on track with their development and lively as can be. And... even though I opted not to breastfeed... they are loved. Put them in a group of kids and you wouldn't be able to tell which was formula fed and which was breastfed.

Breastfeeding is best when mom is eating a well balanced nutritious diet, does not smoke or drink and isn't on any medication. Oh, and also when mom wants to breastfeed. Many women don't meet those standards.

I don't feel guilty at all that my boys got formula.

ETA: Did I mention they never get sick and heal quickly when they get bumps and scrapes?

You realize you basically just proved her point.

I don't think she was saying formula is poison. She was stating the fact that every medical professional have repeatedly said. Mothers Breast milk is better than formula

No she didn't say its poison, I did.

Breastmilk is only better when mom is perfectly healthy. So many chemicals and meds can go through breastmilk.

TadaGanIarracht

I think Mark Haub, I believe was his name, has taught me that portion control is everything.

I'm not a rabbit, so I'm not going to eat like one all of the time. I will enjoy my meat, my pastas, my breads, and if I'm feeling dangerous, my sweets but I try not to go overboard (i am not accountable for what enters my stomach during TOM).


It's also fine to let parents give their kids "junk" but as a rare treat, not a "oh, you were good today here is a chocolate bar the size of your head" everyday kind of thing.

Portion control, something the USA lacks.

Aviendha_RJ

Wow. That's a lot of debate started by one box of Lawsuit-Starting "I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Cereal".

MESSAGE FROM CANADA:
We don't have Food Stamps. I actually never heard of Food Stamps before I got on this site. I believe in Food Stamps. As a Banker, I see tons of transaction histories on accounts right after social assistance payments go through at the end of the month: "Beer Store", "Liquor Store", "McDonald's", "Burger King", "Dairy Queen", "Baskin Robbins" .... And then a week after the support cheque? They're in line at the local food bank.

I think the biggest problem in BOTH Canada & the USA is that there is no "Food and Nutrition Management" Class in Elementary Schools.

But then again, In Canada we put pictures of diseased lungs & rotten teeth on cigarette packages. Smokers KNOW that's what it will likely do to them, but it doesn't stop them smoking. I don't know... Maybe we should just remove all the warning labels & let Darwinism take over.... Survival of the Fittest, Baby!

Aviendha_RJ

It's true, formula is poison. My poor little boys wander around in circles, bumping into walls... staring vacantly at nothing with their little dead eyes... woefully underweight, undernourished and under loved... WHY OH WHY didn't I breastfeed???

Oh wait... they're actually happy, robust little fellows, right on track with their development and lively as can be. And... even though I opted not to breastfeed... they are loved. Put them in a group of kids and you wouldn't be able to tell which was formula fed and which was breastfed.

Breastfeeding is best when mom is eating a well balanced nutritious diet, does not smoke or drink and isn't on any medication. Oh, and also when mom wants to breastfeed. Many women don't meet those standards.

I don't feel guilty at all that my boys got formula.

ETA: Did I mention they never get sick and heal quickly when they get bumps and scrapes?

My mother taught in the public school system for 25 years. She could ALWAYS tell which kids were breastfed from their grades, attention spans, & number of sick days. She made a point of asking mothers with very intelligent children... & mothers whose kids had behavioural problems like ADD, ADHD, & those with a lot of time off sick.

Guess what? The smarter, healthier, more focused kids? They got breast milk... even for just a few weeks. Kids who were on formula from day one? They were the behaviour-problem kids with runny noses. She even wrote a paper on it that got published in an Educational journal up here in Canada.

While I know that not EVERY mother can breastfeed... I know for some Moms it's just not in the cards... they try, their production is low, their child won't latch properly... there are other issues. But it's my FIRM opinion that EVERY Mom should try to breast feed if they can because it really DOES give kids an amazing start to life. It helps immune system function, increases the mental focus of the child & can really help. I don't have kids, but I do have nephews, & my sister had to pump three times a day, every day, for three weeks before her milk came in properly with her first child that he could nurse straight from the breast. It was painful for her, it was uncomfortable for her, & it caused a lot of chaffing. But she STILL says she wouldn't have done it any other way.

And for Moms that are advocates of Formula? If you want to drink, smoke, do drugs, eat sushi, spicy foods, & generally go back to your life the way it was before you got pregnant? GO FOR IT. If that's what you choose to do, I hope like hell you DO use formula, because nicotene & alcohol will do FAR worse for your child than a carefully concocted formula full of enriched vitamins & minerals ever could.

Flafster

It always astounds me that powdered baby milk can be marketed as immune boosting.

It's not (just) the average content of breast milk that makes it immune boosting. it's the mother, and the baby dyad.

A baby coming down with a bug cuddles close to the mother, and feeds frequently. The bug is passed to the mother whose body produces the antibodies to fight this new bug. The new antibodies are passed into the breastmilk and the baby receives them. And all within about 12 hours. THAT'S how breastfeeding protects babies. A food manufacturer will never be able to come close.

Yes some artificial baby milk is "closer to breastmilk", closer than a cabbage or a pork chop is certainly, and it kills far fewer babies than it used to. (Feed your baby condensed milk anyone? The science certainly sounds convincing http://www.amazon.com/Borden-Eagle-Condensed-Formula-Product/dp/B005OU2D7E ) Fortunately things are a little better now but not as marvellous as the salesmen want you to believe

Oh and re toxic load - can you buy fully organic artificial baby milk, where the cattle haven't been exposed to pesticides in their diet?

chevy88grl

It doesn't matter if Disney stops advertising. Kids see that crap in the store and beg mommy to buy it or mommy sees the bright colors and health claims and thinks its kid food.

The only, ONLY thing that will ever help is for parents to educate themselves on what their kids should be eating.

On second thought, I bet if you couldn't buy that crap with food stamps sales would plummet.

Please. Do not assume that the only people who buy "junk" are people on food stamps. Food stamps are not just given to uneducated people. They are also given to people who are simply struggling - and I don't know about you, but I've seen a lot of college educated people who are struggling in this day and age. The comment about food stamps so really judgmental.

chevy88grl

It's true, formula is poison. My poor little boys wander around in circles, bumping into walls... staring vacantly at nothing with their little dead eyes... woefully underweight, undernourished and under loved... WHY OH WHY didn't I breastfeed???

Oh wait... they're actually happy, robust little fellows, right on track with their development and lively as can be. And... even though I opted not to breastfeed... they are loved. Put them in a group of kids and you wouldn't be able to tell which was formula fed and which was breastfed.

Breastfeeding is best when mom is eating a well balanced nutritious diet, does not smoke or drink and isn't on any medication. Oh, and also when mom wants to breastfeed. Many women don't meet those standards.

I don't feel guilty at all that my boys got formula.

ETA: Did I mention they never get sick and heal quickly when they get bumps and scrapes?

My mother taught in the public school system for 25 years. She could ALWAYS tell which kids were breastfed from their grades, attention spans, & number of sick days. She made a point of asking mothers with very intelligent children... & mothers whose kids had behavioural problems like ADD, ADHD, & those with a lot of time off sick.

Guess what? The smarter, healthier, more focused kids? They got breast milk... even for just a few weeks. Kids who were on formula from day one? They were the behaviour-problem kids with runny noses. She even wrote a paper on it that got published in an Educational journal up here in Canada.

While I know that not EVERY mother can breastfeed... I know for some Moms it's just not in the cards... they try, their production is low, their child won't latch properly... there are other issues. But it's my FIRM opinion that EVERY Mom should try to breast feed if they can because it really DOES give kids an amazing start to life. It helps immune system function, increases the mental focus of the child & can really help. I don't have kids, but I do have nephews, & my sister had to pump three times a day, every day, for three weeks before her milk came in properly with her first child that he could nurse straight from the breast. It was painful for her, it was uncomfortable for her, & it caused a lot of chaffing. But she STILL says she wouldn't have done it any other way.

And for Moms that are advocates of Formula? If you want to drink, smoke, do drugs, eat sushi, spicy foods, & generally go back to your life the way it was before you got pregnant? GO FOR IT. If that's what you choose to do, I hope like hell you DO use formula, because nicotene & alcohol will do FAR worse for your child than a carefully concocted formula full of enriched vitamins & minerals ever could.

My kids only missed a handful of days of school this year. They are both on the honor roll and have been their entire school careers. They don't have ADD, ADHD, etc. They never had ear infections, runny noses, etc.


THEY WERE BOTH FORMULA FED. (Oh and I would like to mention that WHY I didn't breastfeed had nothing to do with wanting to smoke (I don't), drink (I don't) or do drugs (never have), so stop assuming that because I used formula I'm a smoker, drinker, drug addict or whatever.


I, on other hand, have a ton of allergies, chronic ear infections and struggled in school.


I WAS BREASTFED.


It isn't just about how you were fed as an infant. There are so many other factors. My point is... don't think you can judge a child simply based on things like grades or allergies or whatever. And honestly? Why does what an infant ate from birth to age 1 matter? It doesn't. And breastfeeding doesn't guarantee anything.

delonda1

It doesn't matter if Disney stops advertising. Kids see that crap in the store and beg mommy to buy it or mommy sees the bright colors and health claims and thinks its kid food.

The only, ONLY thing that will ever help is for parents to educate themselves on what their kids should be eating.

On second thought, I bet if you couldn't buy that crap with food stamps sales would plummet.

this is one of the most ignorant (as in uneducated) things ive read. i know plenty of people with money and NOT on food stamps who are uneducated about health and balanced diet for children and when they grocery shop let the children pick foods out instead of taking control because they are "picky eaters". so please don't make it a financial thing because it's not

taunto

My kids only missed a handful of days of school this year. They are both on the honor roll and have been their entire school careers. They don't have ADD, ADHD, etc. They never had ear infections, runny noses, etc.


THEY WERE BOTH FORMULA FED. (Oh and I would like to mention that WHY I didn't breastfeed had nothing to do with wanting to smoke (I don't), drink (I don't) or do drugs (never have), so stop assuming that because I used formula I'm a smoker, drinker, drug addict or whatever.


I, on other hand, have a ton of allergies, chronic ear infections and struggled in school.


I WAS BREASTFED.


It isn't just about how you were fed as an infant. There are so many other factors. My point is... don't think you can judge a child simply based on things like grades or allergies or whatever. And honestly? Why does what an infant ate from birth to age 1 matter? It doesn't. And breastfeeding doesn't guarantee anything.

So I'm confused. Are you debating that breast feeding is NOT better than formula? Because if that is the case then you should immediately tell every doctor on the planet that since its obvious you trying to defensive about feeding your kid formula is all that is needed to prove.

When you're done trying to be defensive, read the posts again. Nobody is bashing on the ladies who're using formula out of need or even want. However suggesting, against doctors and health departments advice, that formula is just as good or even better than breastfeeding kinda contrary to the facts. And you saying that breastfeeding is only safe when the mother is healthy is very vague statement. What constitutes healthy? You make it sound like 99% of the women are unhealthy enough to make breastfeeding a dangerous adventure when infact only maybe 1% of them women are unhealthy enough where foruma would be a better choice