Being Too Restrictive With Kids' Diets Could Backfire
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I've written many blogs where I talk about trying to provide my kids with a diet that is as healthy as possible. Sometimes I get strange looks from family and friends when they see what my almost-3-year-old eats for lunch. I think my choices have made veggies and other healthy foods a normal part of her day. She doesn't question why she's having broccoli with her sandwich because she likes it. But I will be honest, for a while after I stopped nursing and she started eating like a "real" person, I got VERY stressed out about her diet. I never wanted her to have anything that was too high in salt, too high in sugar, too processed, etc. I felt like she could never eat what everyone else was having. She didn't notice when she was younger, but as she got a little older and all of the other kids were having juice and chips, she didn't understand why she wasn't having some too. That's when I decided that unless I wanted to alienate her and give her a complex about food, I needed to relax a little.Don't get me wrong- I'm still pretty strict about what she eats at home or what we'll order off of the kids menu at a restaurant. But new research from the Center for Childhood Obesity Research at Pennsylvania State University shows that being too restrictive about the foods children eat can actually cause more weight gain. The highest weight gain was among girls who considered their parents most restrictive about eating certain foods. The study followed 200 girls from age 5 through age 15. Although it's easy to control things when they are younger, eventually your kids start going to play dates, school and other places where you're not around to monitor every bite they take. And kids who have very restrictive diets at home are more likely to go crazy with junk food when mom's not looking. So I've loosened up a little, and decided to teach my kids the importance of healthy foods, both by what I serve them and what I eat myself. But I also want them to understand that treats are okay now and then, and if your friend is having some M&M's and you'd like to enjoy them with her, it's not the end of the world. What do you think? ![]() You will earn 3 SparkPoints
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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)
TBIAM2000
2/2/2010
12:06:21 PM
NETTIE-DELGADO
1/5/2010
2:40:39 AM
ALLE88
12/13/2009
2:03:50 PM
Teaching our children by our own examples is most important, by #1 including lots of veggies and fruits and avoiding processed foods and #2 also by teaching them about eating in moderation. Two lessons that will take them a long way in living a healthy lifestyle in the future.
ALWAYSCHANGING
11/14/2009
7:57:38 AM
MROGERS0325
11/12/2009
6:47:42 AM
FIREBALL_V
11/8/2009
11:48:46 PM
DANAGALUTEN
10/26/2009
2:28:33 PM
LSHAPPELL
10/24/2009
10:07:54 AM
MAEBEAR26
10/23/2009
6:17:47 PM
PUMPKINPHD
9/24/2009
4:53:24 AM
RAVENFAIR
9/21/2009
12:00:12 PM
HOPE2BE
9/21/2009
6:33:56 AM
DKIRKLIN
9/20/2009
5:56:41 PM
ARTROX
9/20/2009
12:11:31 PM
At times, I see my oldest sister doing the same thing with her youngest daughter, but she is also encouraging her to participate in sports, dance, anything to get her moving, as well as encouraging her to make healthier choices. Hopefully, she (my niece) won't be in the same predicament I'm in now. :)
MAKINACHANGE4ME
9/19/2009
9:03:41 PM
KWRIGHT26
9/19/2009
4:37:42 PM
FABBECKY
9/19/2009
12:08:49 PM
SASANDRA
9/19/2009
1:07:26 AM
ANGIERUNNER
9/18/2009
4:36:14 PM
SANDALEIN
9/18/2009
4:30:59 AM
53MARCELLE
9/18/2009
4:16:00 AM
i was quite careful when they were small
sweets were a treat after good food
GRACEISENUF7
9/17/2009
6:06:42 PM
SPARKLINGVIOLET
9/17/2009
4:01:57 PM
MSALWILLIAMS
9/17/2009
8:33:18 AM
TADDINGTON
9/16/2009
11:57:59 PM
RHINODOG
9/16/2009
10:58:37 PM
SEAQUILTER
9/16/2009
10:35:02 PM
MEREDITHNZ
9/16/2009
9:49:46 PM
as the others have said: moderation is key!
ANGELJEWEL
9/16/2009
9:38:11 PM
ROYALETBONE
9/16/2009
9:34:17 PM
My kids are 27 & 32, and doing fine weight wise. We ate healthy 95% of the time, but went sugar crazy on drives... and somehow, it all has balanced out for them. Yeah! They could buy Captain Crunch or other total absolute garbage... but were served that stuff as desert, not breakfast. Seems like the right place for the ultra sugar foods.
Good luck on raising your kids.. it's such a balancing act.
Having tasty, healthy food, home cooked, fresh--- and then occasionally eating the trash at fast food places worked for my kids.
SALTYCHOCOLATE
9/16/2009
6:09:26 PM
CANCUNENSE
9/16/2009
4:02:30 PM
SCRIBE4CHRIST
9/16/2009
3:34:07 PM
are hereditary in our family and it is crucial for them to control their weight. The answer I got was "Mom, for all our school years, you packed us things like chicken and home made soup with juices from our own trees. We couldn't wait to taste what junk food was like and found that we LOVE it. So
just back off." They are now both well over 300 pounds and beginning with those health problems I
warned about. NOW they call me for healthy recipes and to help them with their health issues. It is never to late to change, but don't be surprised if your kids balk at healthy eating.
Erin
AMYRICKER
9/16/2009
3:31:01 PM
GOSPELCLOWN
9/16/2009
1:37:17 PM
By the time she was in high school and college, she gorged on family sized candy bags and told me she was a vegetarian. (Not even close!)
Her alcohol consumption was a backlash to my strict choices and lifestyle too, but as she approaches her 30's, she is here on Spark People and learning all about nutrition, exercise and balance.
Thanks for the blog!
Karen in BC
WENDYRS
9/16/2009
12:36:12 PM
When I got into my 20s and had my daughter, it was all about eating what I wanted. I would feed her the healthy stuff, but eat the bad stuff myself. After divorcing my daughter's father, and doing yo-yo dieting for 10-15 years, I was at 400 pounds and eating constantly. My second husband and I met at a time when we were both at Weight Watchers. We were eating buddies from the start. We were trying to help his three kids eat healthier, as well as my daughter, but at night we were bingeing on junk food. Now that we're 2 years post-op gastric bypass, our food choices are MUCH better. We still like to eat out, but we don't order dessert. We talk about calories, portion control, and keep healthy food options in the fridge, but we also have chips, pretzels, and sometimes ice cream at home. We're trying to accept that we can't control what the kids eat outside the house, and we're talking to them about making good choices on a daily basis. It's a real struggle, but we're hoping that we haven't caused any untoward damage to our kids' eating habits.
A4MYANGELS
9/16/2009
11:40:30 AM
MJS505
9/16/2009
11:27:51 AM
SKYMOM101
9/16/2009
10:47:09 AM
CBRENNAN2
9/16/2009
10:28:38 AM
CINCYDORA
9/16/2009
10:25:03 AM
LIZABAKER
9/16/2009
9:47:51 AM
HENRYNOLAN
9/16/2009
9:44:18 AM
GMAN1952
9/16/2009
9:39:22 AM
ROGERSMYCAT
9/16/2009
9:23:08 AM
JANNALEE1
9/16/2009
9:08:58 AM
MDTWEETY
9/16/2009
9:08:16 AM
JLRIV781
9/16/2009
9:07:12 AM
4MY_HEALTH
9/16/2009
8:57:16 AM
ENJOYINGLIFE1
9/16/2009
8:40:43 AM
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