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By now, we should all know the scary facts about childhood obesity, the rate of which is steadily climbing across all age groups in the United States. Obesity in children can lead to cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and dangerous breathing problems like sleep apnea and asthma, as well as self-esteem issues.


And then there's the unpronounceable chemicals in seemingly innocent confections like Twinkies (so sweet, so fattening).  Not to mention pesticides, e. coli, additives, allergies... aah!  What's a mom to do?  Grow all her own food?  Become a "food Nazi mom?"


After all, you've probably met at least one mom who's a food fascist.  Laura Bennett, contributor to the Daily Beast (and contestant on Project Runway), sure has.  And she's declared war.  At a recent parent-teacher meeting, a mom was discussing how she wanted her ex-husband's custody rights revoked.  The reason?


He had packed a non-organic lunch for her sons. Seriously. She went on to describe the brown bags loaded with Cheetos, Go-gurt, and a sandwich that was made with white bread.

Now, healthy eating habits are healthy eating habits, but Go-gurt isn't exactly akin to child abuse.  And certainly, tempting treats loaded with sugar, fat, and preservatives lurk in cupboards across America.  How can children resist the forbidden Cheeto when over friends' houses?  Answer?  They don't.


I just want to let the food Nazi moms in on what happens when your kids come to a house where junk food inhabits the pantry. They have no decision-making skills or sense of moderation when faced with the forbidden fruit roll-up. Like deprived animals, they are determined to consume the lifetime allotment of sugar they have been denied; all before pickup.

And that's the crux of the situation.  Parents are there to teach children decision-making skills, not dictate food "morality."  Sure, we all have to say no to ice cream for breakfast, but do we really need to force-feed children wheat germ while outright denying kids any treats?  Does that work, or does that just create disordered eating and junk food desire? 


So, do you agree with Laura that the food Nazi moms have to go? Or do you think she's got it all wrong? 




Showing the Latest of 6 Comments

drheather
3 yearss ago
my husband used to take the girls to macdonalds. i explained to them why it was not a good food choice and why - nothing disturbing - I was just trying to inform them. Now they never go to macdonalds and ask their dad to take them somewhere healthier. i think kids like the facts and knowledge. last fall my daughter pearl was begging for lunchables but then I came across an article about lunchables and how unhealthy it is. i showed it to pearl and well she got it and has never asked me again!
 
momdunwentcrazy
3 yearss ago
I have so many comments on this it's crazy. Ok, first of all I think if you deprive your kid of a certain food, then they associate that with being "bad" food=bad which in my opinion is just going to lead to weight issues, either gaining it or always trying to lose it. I have a friend that doesnt let her kid have candy, sweets, EVER have any sort of soda, the list goes on and on.. well, when he is at our house, of course he has these things, in moderation, but he has them. Her whole excuse is that it makes kids hyper..um no it doesnt. he is fine, completely calm. my kids know they cant drink coke every day, but if we happen to go out to dinner, a soft drink is a treat to them, they even choose sweet tea sometimes which is probably a lot less worse than coke.. my kids also know they can only have one "snack" a day, meaning chips, or pop corn, a small snack cake of some sort.. other snacks include things like apples, fruit, cheese, pickles etc. and they are fine with that. the same friend at birthday parties, never fixes anything like tea, or soft drinks, not even kool-aid, but its always lemonaid.. its a childs birthday party for goodness sake! IMO all things are ok with moderation. I think as long as its balanced, its ok, because if you keep these things away from children, it makes them want it that much more, so when they do eventually get it, they are going to go hog wild! also, as long as you keep your children active, they are burning those lil pieces of sugery goodness off! Im not saying that just because they are active its ok, cause I know there are many reasons to not eat these things, but I think the key is balance!
 
White Hot Magik
3 yearss ago
As someone overweight who obviously hasn't always made the best food choices over the course of my life. I am simply trying to correct that and teach my children about healthy eating. I don't have as much sugary and processed foods in our house as some of our counterparts, nor am I the eat clean queen either. I know some moms who have a fit over what someone else is eating and usually it just makes them look like a crazed loon and everyone else crave whatever they were raving about. Lead by example and lighten up!
 
Tiasavingcents
3 yearss ago
Awesome article and another AMEN from me. It is our job to teach...not just forbid!
 
Momversation
3 yearss ago
Thanks for your insights!  It's always great to hear how moms across the Web are dealing with the issues that *all* moms face.
 
LetterEleven
3 yearss ago
When it comes to taking the morality out of food, I say "Amen" to that. The description above is EXACTLY what treat-deprived kids do at friends' houses... I've witnessed it myself many times. As someone who made a commitment to get healthy (and yes, THINNER, I'll admit it) more than two years ago, I realized that I would be more consistent (and, in turn, successful) if I took the morality out of food: "I can't have a Twinkie, that's BAD." Sure, I think Twinkies are a stretch when it comes to qualifying as actual food, and downing an ENTIRE BOX of Twinkies isn't the best choice... but having one every now and then isn't going to kill anyone. We have lots of fruits and veggies and unprocessed food at our house, but we have "fun" food as well -- we always have, because I'm all about balance. My 12-year-old has grown accustomed to eating his fair share of both, and he's slender and healthy and appears to be just fine, thank you very much. As a kid, I was deprived of sugary cereals -- Cheerios was about as crazy as it got at my house -- so, of course, it stands to reason that as a grown-up I buy Lucky Charms... AND Cheerios! But it never ceases to amaze me that almost every morning, my son reaches for the Cheerios... and the only one dipping into the Lucky Charms is me. Go figure. When it comes to food, I think the best thing we can do for our kids is to snuff out our tyrannical tendencies and instead give them a wide, BALANCED variety of foods to choose from. And, of course, as parents, it never hurts to set a good example by practicing balanced, healthy eating habits ourselves. I love this site, and I look forward to many more excellent MOMVERSATIONS!