This is the first in a series on teenage nutrition and eating habits. How can we guide adolescents toward healthy and practical food choices? One day my teenage son was visiting my sister-in-law, who has small children. My sister-in-law offered lunch to my son. She told me later that he “inhaled” the food! Larger quantities […]
January 6, 2011
Does Banning Snacks in Schools Prevent Obesity?
In this article, pediatrician and childhood feeding expert Dr. Katja Rowell protests a decision by the St. Paul’s city schools, explaining that banning candy and high-fat foods won’t prevent obesity. She argues that labeling foods as unhealthy can backfire, leading to inappropriate dieting and eating disorders. Rowells writes: First, the banning of “treat” foods and […]
February 12, 2010
Links on Obesity, Packaging Waste and Poverty With Friday Roundup #27
I’ve collected a few food-related links to share with you.
We tend to think that since food is biodegradable, we don’t have to worry about throwing it out. At Wasted Food, Jonathan explains why food waste is worse for the environment than disposable packaging: When Packaging Helps.
At one of my favorite cooking blogs, Cheap Healthy Good, explains Why Healthy Eating Doesn’t Have to be Expensive.
Vered at Blogger for Hire gets attacked when she wonders about a fat girl in an ice cream parlor: Fat Acceptance. Check out the discussion in the comments about the reasons for obesity. To read about my mother’s methods for raising slim children, see Individual Portions or Family Style and Putting Food in Perspective. Our society puts too much emphasis on dieting and not enough on preventing obesity in the first place.
Parenting Squad writes on whether Michele Obama’s comments about her daughter’s BMI were embarrassing to her daughter.
June 29, 2009
Putting Food in Perspective: Strategies to Prevent Food Issues
Obesity is growing at epidemic rates, along with anorexia and other eating disorders. My mother used a variety of strategies that I believe helped her children develop a healthy attitude toward food. I can’t say that I have no food issues, and genetics play an important role, but I still think her approach served us well.
My mother:
- Served appropriate servings on individual plates. Click to read my analysis of the advantages of this approach.
- Served a healthy, varied, and fresh dinner for the family every day at the same time.
