After I digested my notes from the nutrition conference, I posted a quick synopsis of what I’d learned on Facebook, and a lot of my mom friends were interested in hearing more. While I so wish they could’ve been there with me to hear all of the awesomeness firsthand, I put together these notes to help shed some light on why I was so inspired to start telling my kids…”no”.
1. Our children are becoming more and more unhealthy despite growing evidence on the importance of healthy eating because of:
- Convenience – Quick processed food requires the least amount of effort.
- Cultural norms – Everyone else eats like crap, too, so it’s hard to see how bad off things really are.
- Lifestyles – We’re overscheduled and overworked, so fast-food has become as integral as the family dog.
- Family happiness – Who doesn’t like to put a smile on their child’s face? Pizza, french fries, sweet drinks, and desserts usually do the trick.
- Parenting priorities – The right schools, the right friends, the cute clothes, the polite manners…healthy food gets lost in the mix.
- Food deserts – Believe it or not, many families just don’t have consistent access to fresh, non-processed foods.
2. When parents give excuses, they say one thing but they mean another.
- “My kid is fluffy but happy” = “I don’t see a problem.”
- “I don’t have time to be healthy”= “My family’s health is not a priority for me.”
- “It costs too much to be healthy” = “I don’t know how to shop for or prepare healthy foods.”
- “We’re genetically just big-boned people” = “I don’t see the health risks associated with our eating habits.”
- “I’m just trying to make my family happy” = “I don’t really believe there are true benefits to healthy eating.”
Controversial billboard campaign from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
3. Little kids don’t have driver’s licenses, cash, credit cards, or chauffeurs.
- They can’t get crap food unless you give it to them.
- They can’t buy crap food unless you pay for it.
- They can’t roll through the crap drive-thru unless you take them.
- The more crap they see you eat, the more crap they’ll want and expect.
4. Kids follow what they see more than what they hear.
This little anecdote was shared by one of the speakers. She’s a licensed counselor specializing in childhood eating & feeding issues. One of her teenage clients who was struggling with body image, self-esteem, and disordered eating came to a counseling session with her mom.
Mom: I want you to stop doing all of this crazy stuff. Stop crash dieting and talking about your weight and body all of the time.
Daughter: Why should I? You do it.
Mom: Yeah, well do as I say, not as I do.
Daughter: Monkey see, monkey do!
And that pretty much sums it up – monkey see, monkey do. This teenager spat out those words in a fit of frustrated anger because of her mom’s hypocritical commands, but she couldn’t have spoken truer words.
