"Child Abuse for the Rest of Us"
because it shows how parental neglect in molding a child's food
preferences can set her up for future obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
"My favorite foods are:
Pepperoni pizza, ice cream, apples, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal frosted cookies, oranges, noodles with butter, spaghetti with butter and sause, cup cakes, cakes, chocolate muffins, bagels and cinnamon bread. One more thing, cheese sticks.
L****'s Favorite foods are:
Pepperoni pizza, ardachoachs, ice cream, cupcakes, cakes, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal frosted cookies, steak, fish sticks, noodles with butter, spaghetti with butter or sause or tamatoe sause or mazarella cheese. (But not a lot.) Muffins, chocolate muffins, and cinnamon bread. One more thing, cheese sticks.
My favorite drinks are:
Sprite, cherry mountain dew, regular mountain dew, root beer, pepsi. chocolate milk, regular milk and I don't know what it's called!
L****'s favorite drinks are:
Sprite, cherry mountain dew, regular mountain dew, root beer, pepsi. chocolate milk, regular milk and I don't know what it's called."
My Breakdown of these Lists:
Of the 15 foods listed as the 10-year-old's favorite foods, 11 are high in fat.
Eight of these foods are empty-calorie/low nutrition. One food listed is a fat-free carbohydrate (bagel.) Two of the high-fat foods are nutritious (pizza & cheese sticks) and the only vegetable represented here is the tomato "sause" on the spaghetti & the pizza. The only meat on this list is the pepperoni on the pizza. Two fruits are included: the low-nutrition apple & the high-nutrition orange.
Of the seven identifiable favorite drinks listed, the first 5 are regular soft drinks, and the latter two are full-fat milk products.
The eight-year-old shares many food preferences with her older sister: 9 of the empty-calorie foods, and the pepperoni pizza & cheese sticks. She mentions two protein sources--steak and fish sticks (processed fried fish)--and one vegetable, "ardachoachs" (sic) which are generally dipped in mayonnaise or melted butter.
Her list of preferred drinks is identical to her sister's.
These children of Silicon Valley professionals live half-time with Mom & half-time with Dad. Who has been responsible for developing the food preferences of these children? Advertising, peers, or the parents' own use of convenience foods? However, something can be done.
There are other fruits besides apples & oranges: watermelon, red raspberries, nectarines, strawberries, which are far lower in sugar & higher in taste satisfaction. These children should be weaned off regular soft drinks & full-fat milk and given iced tea or diet soft drinks, and skimmed milk products. They should be getting fresh vegetables and a salad with every meal, and high-satisfaction items such as chicken or beef tostadas or fajitas. They should be given extra tomato sauce rather than butter on noodles & pasta. Witholding high-sugar drinks will stimulate their appetites for better foods, and make those foods more appealing.