Policing the Food Your Children Eat

Have you ever really watched some of the food commercials that air on television. Images of happy adults, grandparents, children eating approved food

whether it’s organic or natural? You think, what a great concept! Look at all those healthy individuals.

Yes, please take a good look because what you see doesn’t always follow what these individuals really do eat when the camera isn’t on them. Back in the

70’s, my son was diagnosed with hyperactivity disorder. Plainly it meant that my son couldn’t sit still if he was glued to the chair. How did I handle it?

First thing to go was all the food that made him jittery and in full action mode until I dumped him into the bathtub for three hours’ worth of water time to

calm him down. It worked too. Or I would take him to the park and let him run around for hours using up hopefully all of that excess energy he seemed

to have available to him.

I told people not to give him cola because I would have to scrap him from the ceiling. No candy. The sugar would overwhelm his system. No hype from me.

I made sure he stuck to the diet that a doctor prescribed keeping him from running 24/7.

As he grew older, it was difficult to keep him on this diet the doctor prescribed. Around high school, the students would leave campus and bike or hitch

a ride to a fast food place. They would gorge on the food that my son wasn’t allow to eat–to have. Much good it did me to keep him on a diet that

he only ate at home where I could supervise what would go into his mouth.

At school or away from home, he would indulge with the rest of his peer group at the fast-food restaurants and eat whatever he could afford to eat.

I don’t have to tell you that french fries, greasy hamburgers with the works, and a chocolate malted was the preferred menu of most teenagers, except girls.

They seem to understand that all those carbs, grease=fat, and other unattractive food can make them blimp up or worse.

Boys don’t seem to have a similar warning system. They plunge forward and satisfy their instant gratifications whenever they felt the need to fuel up.

The next time you see those commercials sprouting children who lick the spoon saying how wonderful their life is–how complete it is with this

type of food, don’t kid yourselves, parents and grandparents.

These kids are putting on a show–for you!

Until next time… .