I've been reading a lot lately about childhood obesity and I recently heard about a network for local parents who are concerned about the food quality in Fairfield County schools. Check out the organization at www.FairFoodFairfield.ning.com.
It seems like a really sane bunch of moms.
Alternately, there's Meme Roth. I first read about Ms. Roth in the New York Times a few days ago. She's a Manhattan mom of two and founder of the National Action Against Obesity (NAAO) and she's on a mission to eradicate junk food from schools, community centers or anywhere else kids gather. She's pushing for schools to use permission slips before serving birthday cupcakes. She called Santa "fat". She makes her kids deposit all suspicious foods they might get at school in a tupperware container to be examined at home before eating (imagine, her poor daughter tried to stuff a frozen juice pop in there on a recent hot day!).
Anyway, when I read about her I thought she sounded a little extreme, but this morning I caught her on Good Morning America and that sealed the deal for me. She's crossed the line. You can watch the video here. I just don't like her condescending tone toward parents who actually let their kids enjoy Girl Scout Cookies and other treats. I don't like her assumption that an ounce of sugar leads to obesity. Has she never heard of "moderation"? Oh wait, yes she has and she thinks Americans are incapable of it. Okaaaay.
What do you think of Ms. Roth? Do you run a sugarfree household? Do you allow sweets in moderation. Geez, I thought I was sort of a health nut but she's making me out to be Paula Deen. Would love to hear what you think!
you can purchase the NAOO magnet above at www.cafepress.com/naao.119686330#
6 comments:
Meg, I agree with you 100%! Her method sounds like a recipe (pun intended) for unhealthy, even obsessive, relationships with food. Kids learn how to eat well by enjoying food, not worrying about it.
She's crazy. If you deny children things like cookies, etc, they will just horde them later and as Cara said, have v. unhealthy relationships with food. My friends brew up on hummus and blueberries and used to come to my house and scarf ho ho's by the handfuls because she wasn't allowed it at home! Teaching moderation is easy if you start when kids are young.
I don't agree with her methods but she is not crazy. I'm the Mother of a 4yo and and an 18 mo and worry everyday about the things I put in their mouths! While I buy organic when possible and avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors like the plague, I also let my children enjoy a variety of foods and sweets on special occasions but sometimes I feel like one of the only mothers that does that. The food that available and advertised to our children is GARBAGE and we should be doing something about it.
I know what you mean about the food targeted at kids being garbage, but I find that most mothers with half a brain don't serve that stuff to their kids. I swear, I have never seen a Lunchable or a Twinkie pass the lips of a kid in my circle. I'd love to see Meme Roth and Mireille Guiliano (author of French Women Don't Get Fat, a book I love and TRY to follow) go head-to-head on the moderation topic.
This reminds me of the oh-so-sheltered catholic schoolgirls I went to college with who (once they were out from under their parents' thumbs) went (ahem) crazy with the boys. You can't deprive your kids of everything - it just makes it that much more tempting.
Sometimes I think that people who take extreme stands actually end up making more modest improvements for the whole. Have you heard of Alice Waters of Chez Panisse? She makes an extreme (but different) approach for organic cooking and farmers markets and comes across more like a flower child. I hope Ms. Roth ends up doing some good.
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