Starving Children In The Name Of Slimness

That Nice Boy I Married recently found this deeply disturbing article. For those of you who lack the time to read the whole thing, it's about obesity-conscious parents who are putting infants on diets, because they don't want fat kids. Some are going so far as to dilute formula, or give their kids water instead of breast milk in their bottles. Frightening.

It makes me think about the degree to which this country (and, for all I know, other countries) associates sugary junk with childhood happiness. Parents who "deny" their children junk are seen as mean spirited, controlling, even anti-child. People feel sorry for the child whose mother or father won't let them have the lollipop at the dry cleaners, or won't buy them the Cap'n Crunch at the grocery store. Heaven forbid you should be the parent trying to do away with cake at school celebrations, or cookies and juice at scout meetings, or the annual soccer team bake sale.

No, insisting your children should eat their fill, but only of nourishing, healthful, real food, that's crazy. That violates the sacred dictum "All things in moderation" -- including, apparently, breast milk. You're too rigid! Your kids won't have any fun, because we all know that fun that doesn't involve sugar isn't really fun. They'll grow up warped! Grow up hating you! They'll wind up eating nothing but Screaming Yellow Zonkers and Pez, because you didn't allow them a healthy dose of "fun food."

Better we should limit children's portions, feed them fat free milk, give them 2% cheese, watch their calories. We wouldn't want them to get fat, after all!

But don't even consider feeding them their fill of real, traditional, unprocessed food, while allowing no junk in the house. That would be abusive.