Buy Walking VideosThey Just Don’t Get It
This story is about a computer program that allows parents to set restrictions on their children’s eating at the school cafeteria:
The system is described here:
When he punches in his code for the prepaid account his parents set up, a warning sounds: “This student has a food restriction.”
Back goes the brownie as the cashier reminds him that his parents have declared all desserts off-limits.
This is NOT going to work. Children have so much freedom. They can save their allowance and eat at a convenience store on the way home. They can eat at their friend’s house after school. There is no way for a parent to categorically limit what your child eats. This very expensive system is USELESS and it will not help prevent childhood obesity. It may even cause more problems by adding shame and embarrassment to the equation.
The only way to help your children eat healthy and have an active lifestyle is to model the behavior you want to see. If you want your children to eat healthy, then you have to eat healthy ALL THE TIME. They are watching you and your actions speak far louder than any restrictions you put on them.
For more thoughts about Childhood Obesity read further:
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March 24th, 2006 at 10:17 am
Laura, you are SO RIGHT when you say that depriving or denying your child will not work. When I was a child, my Mom used to try to restrict me, even giving me half-lunches, etc. Needless to say, when I had some money of my own, or went to a friends house, I ate all those things I was denied at my own home. My mother thought she was helping to keep me from developing a weight problem, but in reality what this did was to help create one.
I really do feel that if moderation, healthy eating and teaching positive body image had been taught to me from day one, I would not have the issues that I have today at 40. I try to teach my own kids this. I don’t keep tons of junky stuff in our home, but I don’t deny them either. So far, so good.
March 25th, 2006 at 12:54 am
I see a few issues that could be set up in the child’s mind.
It seems to me that if a child learns that eating treats in public is a shameful activity (all his friends SEE that he is not allowed to put goodies on his tray — whoa! we all know how important it is to NOT be different!) then he will learn to eat these goodies in secret or during free time with his friends. One can eat only so much in a 45 minute lunch break, but one can eat a whooole bunch more in secret and in all the other time available that is NOT lunchtime.
Also, what a set-up for anti-authoritarian behavior — my mom shames me in front of my friends, so I’ll show HER just how much she can limit my eating.
Another issue is that if the parents are doing all the policing of what goes into the child’s mouth, when is the child going to learn to make (hopefully healthy and reasonable quantity) choices for himself?
–Rheanna