More Food Issues

Twice in the last two days people have told me some dietary experts are now recommending reducing the amount of milk we give kids. Apparently, milk is taking part of the blame in the growing problem of childhood obesity. From what I have read, if your child drinks more than 24 ounces (in some cases 16 ounces) of milk a day, it can be a meal replacement, denying your child of valuable nutrients such as iron. It is recommended that if your child needs additional calcuim you should serve broccoli or kale which are also high in calcium.

Near as I can tell, we shouldn't let our children drink anything. Actually, I can give my child 2 cups of milk a day, but nothing else. Here is why: You see, soda is obviously bad. Juice has sugar, which is considered bad. Bottled water lacks flouride, any dentist will tell you this is bad, and everyone knows tap water is potentially contaminated. Now, with these recommendations, what is a parent to do? Stop the consumption of all fluid, until someone creates the ultimate organic, sugar-free, calcuim-fortified, flourinated and non-contaminated beverage? Doesn't that sound yummy?

I find all this advice ludicrous. While common sense says too much of anything is bad, the perscriptive approach being taken by the medical community is over the top. In this day and age of trying to raise kids with a good self image so they are safe from eating disorders, all these recommendations send parents a mixed message. It seems like the experts of this world want us to control every morsel that goes into our children's bodies. Won't controlling too tightly will drive the opposite behavior or create kids obsessed with their weight? Doesn't obsessing about your child's diet just show your child that food should be an obsession? Aren't we supposed to be working against obsessive/compulsive behaviors? Is there a study that says obsession is good these days? I might have missed that.

Personally, my kids can drink juice for breakfast and at a special event or at the park sometimes. And I am not going water it down. Why kid myself that more juice is ok as long as it isn't straight juice? If I am going to give my kids juice, then I am going to give my kids juice and limit juice to one meal and an occasional snack. My kids can also have the occasional cookie and candy..not everyday, but as a treat, why not? If I say no all the time, won't that make sweets more attractive? And pizza is fine for dinner too, once in a while, as long as it is good pizza. And if there are a few days when all my kid wants to drink is milk, then their bodies must need it, so they can have it.

If doctors and dieticians want me to listen to their advice, then they need to get their story straight. Because common sense goes a lot further to raising healthy kids than trying to keep up with all the latest advice.