Food and Freedom

This thought-provoking article which expresses the view that obsession with "healthy eating" is no different than anorexia was posted recently in the "O diet" forum of which I am a member.

I responded with the comments below:

I am a parent and this article is very relevant to me. I have seen the effect of being restrictive with my [type O] 7yo son, who is what some would call strong willed. He will now go to a salad bar and eat everything -- and only that -- which is not on the O diet.

I believe the issue is not really health food vs. junk food, but the issue is respecting the individual freedoms of our children. We can advise, we can lead by example, we can not bring certain foods home, but lecturing about how some things are awful are better left to be learned by experience. So much better if kids learn to think for themselves about what their bodies thrive on and what makes them feel yucky.

My husband just will not stop bringing home gross candy & chemical-laden sweets that I would never buy. It is an issue. But I will admit it helped me lay off being the (pardon the expression) food Nazi in our house, a role I undertook because I lacked this ability to be gentle with and respectful of my own freedom when starting the O diet.