Child Obesity

Lately I've been noticing a disturbing trend. Not that the trend started recently, but I haven't paid much attention to it until now.

The trend I'm referring to is groups, watchdog or otherwise, parenting our children for us. When did it become desirable to have somebody else make decisions on how we feed our children? More scary still, when did it become "needed".

I'm talking about the happy meal toy ban I read about last month. In Santa Clara County California (where else)

The proposed ban, which may be the first of its kind in the US. The proposal states that the use of toys in happy meals could actually encourage children to put a link between high calorie foods and enjoyment. The proposal makes a strict guideline on the number of calories, the amount of fats, the amount of sodium, and the amount of sugar that can be in the foods inside of these childhood favorites that carry the toys. The measure was proposed by a county supervisor.

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager happily endorses the measure. Yeager believes that adding a toy in a happy meal that’s high in fats, sugars, and sodium is like giving a child positive reinforcement to children to do things which will affect them negatively throughout the remainder of their lives.

Wait what? I mean yeah taking your kid to McDonald's five days a week is going to lead to some really bad health problems and eating habits. But how is that McDonald's fault? What happened to parents having a little common sense? The Kiddo gets a kids meal MAYBE twice a month IF that, so what if I want to let him have a toy and eat crazy high calories and fat in a burger and fries. How sad that the government feels like it needs to restrict how that happens, how sad that they probably DO need to restrict how that happens. How many parents do you know that take their kids out for fast food more then is reasonably healthy? I know a couple. Then again, who am I to judge them on what they think is good for their kids.

I mention McDonald's specifically (even though, *shudder*, I never eat there... not since the chicken nuggets incident when I was pregnant with the Kiddo) because today I read another news story about protecting our young ones against the evil manipulations of the devil fast food corporations.
Regardless of all, it is the parents job to raise their kids. To feed them healthy food, and to teach them how to eat properly. I admit it I DO judge people on how well they raise their kids. I know some kids are better then others, easier to handle and easier to "train". But when you make the choice to have kids you make the choice to put in the work to be a good parent. That's nieve to believe that people do that (I know they don't) and so I judge. How well do you parent? How healthy and well adjusted is your kid? How well adjusted is mine? I judge myself more harshly then I'll ever judge you, but I will judge you. Hopefully that doesn't make me too bad of a person.