Living with an unhealthy eater

I am shocked at how many people are having visceral reactions to my desire to eliminate junk foods from my home. This speaks to the disordered way we deal with health and food in our society.

My husband is fully on board with clean eating. We occasionally indulge in sweets out of the house. Hell there are 4 (yes FOUR!) fast food places across the street from our apartments. There are dozens more within a 2 mile radius as we live in a dense urban area. Getting some sugary treats is not complicated or difficult or inconvenient. Burgerville isn't going to cut me off if I should want to spend my money there (or dairy queen or Baskin Robbins or Starbucks or Shair's Pies or...well you get the idea).

I choose to make my home a sanctuary of health. Here I can relax and enjoy the plethora of foods that won't kill me. It is not necessary for me to load up on chemical, gmo, HFCS, transfat laden foods in my own home.

I also don't let people use illicit drugs in my home (family included) or smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products. I also don't permit racial slurs be used within our walls.

I say each to their own, but as someone who doesn't buy into the concept of clean eating (it's not for me, I'd prefer to be balanced between whats good for me, whats handy and what I like but as I say each to their own and I do see the appeal)

I *am* a little offended that you liken that to drug use, smoking and racism. It's absolutely not the same. Not at all.I think that view is far too black and white, and there is a lot of grey here for most of us. I'm grey here - i'm not a druggie or a racist or a smoker, but I like the odd 'dirty' food.

I don't think the categorisation helps your case - and it's one of the reason 'clean' eaters do get attacked on here - that superiority.

I wonder where you come down on the whole "food addict" thing.

Were you here when there were many individuals that stated that being "addicted" to food is the same thing as narcotics? (yes, absolutely!)

food addiction and clean eating vs 'dirty' (hate that term, I'd prefer to call it 'normal' but it's not normal for everyone) are NOT the same argument and it's ridiculous to claim that they are.

If food "addiction" is possible (hence my previous comment), someone throwing away a cake due to their addiction is not a "clean" vs. "dirty" eating scenario (regardless of whether that's how you try to spin it).

Note: This is not to imply that is what the poster is claiming occurred in this instance.

The posters claims about 'I choose to make my home a sanctuary of health' etc and citation that her hubby supports clean eating, then goes on to slate everyone who isn't clean eating as being likened to drug users and racists is what i'm reacting to.

Food addiction doesn't enter into it there.

Food addiction I've seen people have and that's different. But still, throwing away someone elses portion of your 'poison' isn't really what I'd call reasonable behaviour.

Good job with the images, they seriously hurt my feelings and ruined my day :laugh:

For real, the majority of you are really taking your own take on what she said and assuming her tone...which is typically hard to do on a computer screen or cell phone screen. Her husband is being healthy and is happy with the arrangement, so then who freaking cares? If it's what works for their family, that's all that matters. If your significant other wanted to rid the house of junk food you'd be pissed -- so it wouldn't work for you. But with them it WORKS. They are healthier and making progress, so who are you to judge?

I would not call refusing to throw the cake away being happy with the arrangement.

Wow....so much crazy in this thread! I don't understand how people stay married while trying to run a dictatorship. I guess some men are into that kind of thing? My boyfriend eats what he wants, and I eat what I want. Our house has food in it that he likes, and food that I like. Why is this so difficult?

I have seen this topic posted dozens of times, and honestly the best advice I've seen is

1. Do NOT expect your partner to change their habits just because you're changing yours. Sure it is possible. But it is not likely to work unless it is their idea and they really want to change, too.

2. Get used to the idea of buying and eating separate foods much of the time.

You will probably get a lot of responses saying "It's up to YOU to resist the junk!" That's true. But I think it can get much easier when you get away from the thinking that your partner is somehow sabotaging you or that it's not FAIR for them to eat junk while you "have to" eat healthy. Look at it as your nutritional habits differing from theirs.

Also, you can still enjoy the occasional treat or even fast food together. Just change the way you view it and the way you behave. You're in control of you, and your partner is in control of himself. The two do not have to be connected.