THE JUDGEMENT JUNK-O-METER
It never surprises me how quick we are to judge parents who we think are doing the wrong thing with their kids.
This week radio host Chrissie Swan had her parenting skills called into question as the anti-fat ninjas launched into action to express their disgust with the weight of Chrissie’s gorgeous three-year-old and nine-month-old boys.
Apparently you can’t just look at a beautiful picture of a mum and her kids these days, without going into some kind of moral tailspin if you think that family is overweight.
Once again, we learned that EVERYONE is an expert on obesity.
Comments following Chrissie and her children’s appearance in The Australian Women’s Weekly have ranged from those who accuse her of ensuring that her children develop diabetes by the time they are teenagers, to those who say the message Chrissie is sending will impact on the health of all Australians. Could Chrissie be any more unpatriotic by giving a message about body positivity that disagreed with government anti-obesity campaigns?
Some took it a step further, arguing that Chrissie should serve as a cautionary tale about the perils of feeding your children the wrong foods.
Neighbours actress Ashleigh Brewer got in on the act by tweeting that she was “furious” with Chrissie’s parenting.
Bizarrely, even those blogs that came out in support of Chrissie did so by claiming ‘no parent is perfect’.
But on my reading, Chrissie was doing everything right! Her kids were eating healthy foods and getting lots of activity. They were just bigger than average.
I will say it again. SHE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG!
Instead of judging people for the choices they make, how about we focus on the much more pressing influences on the health and wellbeing of our children.
One of the areas that I am particularly interested in is the impact of marketing on the health of our kids.
There is overwhelming evidence that most food and beverage marketing directed towards children is for unhealthy foods – especially those with high sugar, high salt, and high fat content – and this marketing has far more influence over our children than parents assume that they have.
With more than a $400 million spend on food marketing in Australia in 2010, the reality is that today, kids – fat or thin – receive a huge number of messages about the positive benefits of consuming unhealthy food.
And evidence suggests that no matter how hard we try as parents, those seductive messages strongly influence kids’ attitudes towards, and consumption of, these products.
This is not just about childhood obesity. This is about the overall wellbeing of our children.
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74 Responses to this article
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the*sparrow June 5, 2012
I love that photo of Chrissie and her 2 boys – they all look beautiful and so happy!
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Susie June 5, 2012
I’m sorry but I’m going to have to disagree with your assessment of Chrissy. Her older child is clearly seriously over weight and this is a concern. I know it is difficult for ppl with a weight problem to accurately assess what is a good diet for their kids. This is probably what is going on with Chrissy. Possibly she was also overfed as a child. Portion size is a big factor. You can eat healthy food but if you eat too much of anything it will make you fat. Even too much fruit will pack on the kilos. And actually you don’t actually know that her kids are eating healthy food only what she is reporting. I”m not saying she’s a bad parent but don’t excuse the fact that her child is overweight by saying it’s mean to pick on her.
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Horse June 5, 2012
Susie,
genetics plays a role. My wife is a ‘solid’ build, and so has my duaghter been, until puberty – a bit of a buddha. Now my daughter is active, lean, and ‘solid’-
Horse June 5, 2012
My daughter has been off the scale for height and weight all thru childhood. But has stopped growing before average, and become lean.
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Cate June 5, 2012
Oh Susie, you still don’t get it, do you? You say we only have her word for it that her kids are eating healthily so we can’t say for sure what they are fed, but then you make assumptions of poor judgement, large food portions and being overfed.
My son was in the 97 percentile height/weight range when he was little. He was a short, gorgeous roly-poly fed on breastmilk and baby food. Even at 2, going on 3, he was very short, still had a very round face and sturdy legs. He is now 19 and is so tall and skinny you can see his ribs. He has not ended up like this through dieting, his body shape just is what it is. He grew, he changed shape, his metabolism kicked in. As we all do.
Do not make ‘overweight’ judgements on a toddler. -
Charlie August 27, 2012
He looks like a normal chubby kid to me. It’s called puppy fat because you have it when you’re a puppy. Sounds like you’ve bought the diet industry hype. My BMI is 20, the highest it’s ever been, in case you feel like dismissing my opinion on the basis that I’m f-a-t.
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Robyne Young June 5, 2012
Insightful post Dr Sam.
The whole issue of the relationship between fast food companies and suport of sport is of concern, but regarding the comments about Chrissie and her sons, I don’t know what her husband’s build is, but my guess would be that if he is of a larger than average build, the boys may be as well. The constant barrage of ‘slim is the only version of healthy’ we should strive for is reaching ridiculous proportions.
It’s also very easy for people to hide behind their computers and send off comments.It would be interesting to look into their fridges and pantries! How wonderful that they live in a perfect world where there parenting skills are unquestioned.
It may be an old fashioned notion, but care and courtesy serve us so much better than the vitriol and diatribe that spews like lava from Vesuvius, and especially it seems about parenting and in particular mothering.
Let’s put the energy into what’s important – including taking a close look at the influence of the fast food companies. -
Erica June 5, 2012
Even Chrissie agrees her child is overweight. She wrote a whole article about it in one of last Sunday’s newspaper magazines and detailed what action she has taken to address his eating.
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Samantha June 5, 2012
Susie: “And actually you don’t actually know that her kids are eating healthy food only what she is reporting”
And you don’t actually know anything about her health and the health of her kids, but you still seem to be quite comfortable with commenting on that. Not quite sure what you think that achieves?
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VRog June 5, 2012
@Susie: making a statement like “it is difficult for ppl with a weight problem to accurately assess what is a good diet for their kids” is patronising and ill-conceived. You have no idea what Chrissie Swan’s diet is like, nor what she feeds her kids. And frankly, it is none of our business. Your argument is reductive and simplistic.
Just because a person is fat does not mean they don’t know about good nutrition. Health is about so much more than a number on a scale.
IMHO, her kids look healthy and happy. She is obviously doing something right. More power to her!
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Sharon June 5, 2012
I am always uncomfortable with any argument that dismisses personal responsibility. Yet I feel very sad that Chrissie has put a beautiful picture of herself and children into the public domain and people see fit to attack her. Given her personal battle with weight I am sure she is acutely aware of diet and the importance of being mindful of this with her own children. I can’t imagine how awful it must be to have the general public (and imbecile actresses) criticise your mothering skills.
Power to you and your family Chrissie. -
Zoe June 5, 2012
I love the way fatshamers so commonly start their comments with the passive aggressive “I’m sorry but …”
It’s a surprise they don’t feel the need to conclude with ” … and some of my best friends are fat people.”
If there is any “concern” to be had about the size of a three year old, the right place for it is emphatically _no_t residing in a self appointed expert whose knowledge of the child comes from the internet. Sorry about that.
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Liza June 5, 2012
I have 3 boys…during their younger years,all were big, and by big i mean tall and probably what some would identify as overweight. One in particular was definately on the larger size. They are now 16/14/12 and the 14yo who was the largest is now the tallest as 6″3′ and within his ‘ideal’ weight (whatever that is) range. All my children eat well and are extremely active with sport.
Chrissie I feel for you, I had many people advise me on what we should be doing to ‘fix’ our sons weight problem but thankfully I stuck with my gut feeling and we didn’t make a big thing of it….as I said we eat healthy foods and exercize is a huge part of our lives. Go with your gut feeling Chrissie…only you and your partner know what your children need. Your son looks ever so happy and to me, that is far more important at his age. -
Wendy Harmer June 5, 2012
My daughter is one who has absorbed the “sugar gives you energy” message. Mixing up her 2nd sugary chocolate milk drink for the day I questioned her and she said : “But Mum, I need this drink to give me energy!”
And, BTW, she was a chunky monkey as a little one and now has grown up and slimmed down. Takes after her father genetically. By contrast, my side of the family are all a very solid build.-
Sooty June 5, 2012
I just want to mention that I usually post as Susie (Schulz). The Susie who has commented above is not me…
Henceforth I shall be Sooty, to save confusion. -
Samantha June 5, 2012
@Wendy Also amazing how much peer pressure works when it comes to food. 7yo constantly nags me for LCM or Nutrigrain bars or Up and Go for his lunchbox because his mates have them.
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Lyndal June 5, 2012
Hi Dr. Samantha and others,
Great article, and thanks for promoting our Junk-o-meter! Our research for Fat Free TV found that the shows that are really popular with kids, like televised sport and reality TV are the worst in terms of junk food ads. Then there are the billboards, radio ads, websites and social media ads… The list just goes on!Parents have a role to play in encouraging their children to eat healthily but they have a tough job battling the multi-million dollar food and advertising industries. If parents want to let the TV networks know they want less junk ads on TV, they can do so here http://www.fatfreetv.com.au/add-your-voice
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vic@mummyateme June 5, 2012
Junk food is everywhere – it is cheaper, more accessible and comes in kid friendly packaging. I had no idea how clever the marketing was until I had kids and the arguments at the supermarket started.
Childhood obesity is a worrying issue and parents need to be consicious of it. As a highly intelligent woman, I’m sure Chrissie is. But some kids are bigger than others and sometimes that has little to do with food or exercise – same as for adults.
The thing that stuns me the most about this story is how judgemental parents are to other parents. We don’t have to agree on everything but can’t we at least admire other mothers for their committment to doing what they consider best for their children?
http://mummyateme.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/motherhood-it-doesnt-have-to-be.html
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Kristalee June 5, 2012
I was hoping you would weigh in on this issue Dr Sam!
Chrissie’s babies look just the way babi’s should look – happy and loved. Chrissie looks just the way a mum should look – deliriously happy and loving.
I was shocked when I saw people having a go at her – and like Chrissie – would never have expected a backlash like this!
Anyway –
The whole marketing junk at kids is driving me nuts, particularly at the moment. My son is so unhealthy as a result. He is extremely skinny and his growth has slowed, he’s dropped 40% on the charts. Reason – because he wont eat anything but the junk food and I wont give it to him. He will tell me he is hungry – I will give him the options of food but all he wants is lollies or take away. Instead of then opting for one of the options offered he will go without.Also, I don’t see that Chrissie is doing anything wrong. Portioning out the healthy food doesn’t seem right for a child. If they are hungry – feed them. That is the message I have been given many times from health proffessionals. I am making an assumption here but I am sure Chrissie is not force feeding her child! He must be asking for food because he is hungry. Parenting is such a minefield!
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Jo-Living Savvy June 5, 2012
Bit late in reading this…I am stunned that people would not keep their nasty and mean thoughts to themselves. What ever happened to the rule that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Feeling very precious at the moment. Hopefully Chrissie has a mantra that works for me in protecting me from the opinions of others …..if they don’t matter to you, then their opinions do not count! Before I sign off, my son who is 6 about to turn 7 wears sign 10 clothes he is a head taller then most in his class, he can consume a couple of eggs with fried rice and a bowl of cereal for brekky. He is tall, strong and in robust good health. I am 6ft tall, there is a reason that my children stand tall. Many years ago when my daughter (miss 8) who is also tall with gorgeous long limbs was around 2 and we were at one of those dance & singing mornings that you drag your toddlers along to. A woman looked at my daughter and turned to me and said “she is big isn’t she” ..it took all my self control not to turn to her and her children and respnd with “your’s are sickly looking aren’t they!” Still makes my blood boil, silly woman.
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Wendy June 5, 2012
I did not see or read Chrissie articles etc,watched the CA re her and her family. Chrissie don’t listen to the faceless armchair critic, which brings me to comment on the ramifications of public social pages. The abuse , the criticism that is rampant on social pages, “It is not having an opinion “,it is BULLYING.This soul destroying trend is horrendous and is destroying families and lives.The idea is great to be able to interact with friends and family, but the need for someone to attack if they disagree with something is a disgrace. For families or perfect strangers to publicaly abuse is pathetic and gutless. Do you really think that Chrissie’s life with her children is your business, ?? MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS’
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ai June 5, 2012
It seems that bullying people for their weight is now a national sport. It needs to stop.
Teaching your kids to be healthy, happy and strong is the best that you can do.
Luckily my kids dodged my genetics and take after their father when it comes to weight. I have struggled all my life to hit the ‘normal range’. I cook from scratch and we eat a healthy diet and I am still technically overweight – though at 175cm I wear a size 12 – which does not seem to me to be oompah loompah territory. Though according to some magazines 12 = plus size.
Why is society so obsessed with making everyone a cookie cutter of each other. The more I educate myself on health the more things don’t make sense.
Example, how is it that every woman should have a waist under 80cm – to be healthy? It you are 150 cm surely 80cm is very different than if you are 175 or 185 and then there is your build. My sister has these delicate little wrists and mine although bony are huge. My shoulders are goodly twice as wide as hers and yet we are the same height.
These quick calculations are meant to be general guidelines, but in the end the are just lazy medicine and as far as I can tell – make some people give up and others obsess to the detriment of their health.
I look at all these beautiful women at the gym and I see a huge variation in body type and size – yet they are strong and certainly look healthy.
I for one am sick and tired of being told that my body which has served me well – is NOT good enough just because of a number on the scale and in the end I certainly hope that I am judged by the life I lead rather than the size pants I am wearing.
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Angie June 5, 2012
I work for the Parents’ Jury and we’re always hearing from parents who are frustrated that their children are constantly targeted by unhealthy food marketing at local sporting clubs, schools, through social media and on TV. It’s why we exist – to offer tips and be their voice! On a personal note, as a parent, my particular bugbear is healthy fundraising, so I’m trying to work with my local school to implement a healthy fundraising policy. They’re receptive, but it’s still a tough change. Finally, well done Chrissie for seeking out health professionals who can give the right advice. Parents, even well informed parents, need help. It’s the parents who aren’t well-informed and don’t know how to ask for help that we should all be concerned about.
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Royce June 5, 2012
Public figures who put themselves in the public domain should expect comments…. nothing is sacred.
They make a lovely picture. Chubby, but lovely.
I was a little fatty bumba when I was a kid. Ate bread and dripping, white bread with hundreds and thousands, ‘pobs’ which is bread milk and lots of sugar. That’s how my mum fed me…. lots of fat and starch in our diet. Junk food is not new. I’m talking about the 1950s.
I grew up to be lean and sporting. My brother is grossly overweight.
This is a VERY important issue. My experience of 40 years primary teaching is that some parents don’t control the food intake of their kids. They buy lots of inappropriate food which is available at request. This is a serious problem as kids learn to like the dodgy foods.
We must discuss this…. and Chrissy certainly presented a good starting point with her presentation of her family.
Still…. a lovely picture.
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The Huntress June 5, 2012
An excellent article. How dare anyone critisise anothers parenting, when I confidently could say, that majority of parents are doing the best they can for their kids. I see photos of a happy, loving family. I am also a Reistered Nurse and I don’t have a heart attack looking at these photos thinking “OMG those kids are going to die before 40 obese and lonely!”. There is so much going on in a kids life and if they’re being fed nutritiously, active for more hours of the day than watching TV and well loved, I would hazard a guess that they will find a natural, healthy weight that is right for them.
My little boy went through something similar himself. He was such a fat, roly-poly baby (a friend of mine called him “Pudding”) who was endlessly hungry. I started getting the “your child is rather heavy, isn’ he?” comments. As he got older he started growing into himself – he had always been a big lad (tall and chunky) and now at 7 years of age he is as tall as an average 9-10 year old, broad across the shoulders and lean like you wouldn’t believe (his BMI is 17 at the moment). He eats very well, is very active, but just a few years ago he was still, ahem, rather cuddly. Now he has just been offered a modelling contract. All children are different and develop differently and I have no doubts the kiddies in the photos above will do the same. Everyone just needs to back off and let the family live.
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Kaz June 5, 2012
I think individuals need to take personal responsibility, but I also agree junk food is shoved in kids faces far too much. At the weekend I was at my child’s gymnastic competition. What food did they have on offer? Every kind of sugary, colours/additives/flavouring type sweet you could imagine, chips and a sausage sizzle – cheap greasy sausages on white bread with a dollop of sugary tomato sauce. Not a bit of nutrition or “real” food in sight. What a mixed message for a sports comp!
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Benison O'Reilly June 5, 2012
Ooh, I want to slap that smug mum who tweeted back to you. Her kids aren’t teenagers yet, so peer pressure hasn’t properly kicked in. My wicked side hopes they rebel!
My youngest, who’s on the autism spectrum, is going through a chubby stage at the moment & I’m concerned about judgemental people questioning my parenting . My other sons went through the same phase too, before they shot up in height, so I’m not too worried about it, but I have reduced his access to junk food. He loves the Golden Arches unfortunately and they are everywhere.
Finally, I think Chrissie’s boys look delectable.
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Nikki @ Styling You June 5, 2012
I have three children – two teenagers and a 7-year-old – we all it a similar super healthy diet at home and junk food and takeaway food is an exception, not the rule. Yet each has completely different body shapes – and I can directly link that pack to which part of the gene pool they lucked into.
There should be no judgement. Full stop. As a fashion blogger, who’s not a size 8 model-look-alike – I put myself out “there” every week showing how garments look on a size 14. Just yesterday, I got told I looked huge by a commenter. I thanked them and said I hoped that they now felt better about themselves. Sadly, they probably did.
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Lynne June 5, 2012
Junk Food Advertising normalises these foods. If we are able to put a stop to this then everyone will benefit (even those poor unfortunate children who don’t have such “wonderful” parents as some claim to be!)
Note that my tongue is firmly in my cheek with reference to the wonderful parents – these so-called parents would be better placed becoming involved in the many movements against Junk Food advertising, or doing something else proactive to help the community in this area so that all children can benefit not just their own.
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Lynne June 5, 2012
I meant to add that they could do this instead of expending so much energy on judging others and telling us how great a job they are doing like the smug tweeter above.
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blue June 5, 2012
Someone really wise, (sorry, I never can remember the owners’ of quotes), once said that when we judge someone we are not saying anything about them, but rather we are defining ourselves.
If someone attacks Chrissie for her parenting they aren’t saying one thing about her but they are saying a lot about themselves — their beliefs and they type of people they are.
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shelley June 5, 2012
Who the hell is Ashleigh Brewer when she is at home? A Neighbors actress? WTF! Get a life, Ash. Fortunately most of these responses are from sensible, healthy-living people who have/are raising kids in a real world. As for Chrissie Swan, unless she has killed someone or the like, I’d say she is a fabbo mum who loves and is loved. xx
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Sammy June 5, 2012
I really like Chrissie Swan, she is a cool lady…but our job as parents is to protect our kids and showing their faces on the cover of a national magazine is in my eyes not a way of protecting them. The kids deserve their privacy. Chrissie is the celebrity not them…the cover of Nicole Kidman and her kids in ‘Harpers’ proves you can still be photographed as a caring and beautiful mum, without putting your babies in the spotlight.
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Joni June 5, 2012
It’s so hard trying to do the right thing by giving my children only healthy lunches and recess for school when all around them other kids are eating sugar, fat, salt and artificial colours and flavours laden garbage. Every morning I cop criticism for serving Weetbix, wholemeal bread, low fat milk and so on for breakfast. The 5 vegetable filled dinners are thankfully hungrily wolfed down.I peel them off computers to get them to exercise and come out with me.
It is much easier for many parents to just give in to the whining, pester power and pressure and just buy what the kids see advertised or what “other people’s kids eat” but the health ramifications will be nasty.
Wouldn’t it be great if all parents and food marketers worked together to promote(and I mean REALLY,SINCERELY promote)-healthy lifestyles for Australians?
I hope my kids will thank me for it later on!
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Joni June 5, 2012
PS Chrissie herself says her son is 7 kg overweight but it sounds like she is trying hard to address this
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Rosie June 5, 2012
The article is interesting in that it is showing us the power of advertising and media in our personal lives. Chrissie Swan did a brave thing, probably knowing there would be an almighty shout about herself as a mother (what about the father?) and how she parents. She is in the media after all and open to scrutiny on a much higher level than we are.
And surely we as parents have more sway over our children’s eating habits than advertising. How hard is it to say no to crappy, sweet, eye level food at the supermarket? I walk through the shops just singing ‘no’ all the time!
But what if the parents have no idea and also take their cues from advertising, rather than health professionals. The main problem is education. Not everyone knows exactly what is healthy, balanced and good for growing bodies. And portion sizes are HUGE these days. Even for kids!
You don’t often see skinny parents with fat kids. You inherit your ideas as well as genes from you parents.
Take Chrissie as an example, in the article in Sunday Life, she talks about her children eating lots of healthy food, no junk, but her son just ate too much of a good thing. She didn’t realise this but now knows and is doing the best thing for her son by changing portion size. She is a great Mum and very brave too, admitting she got it wrong. We all do!
Not necessarily in public though. Rant over!-
Lynne June 5, 2012
Saying ‘no’ to your child is not the point. It’s what is perceived as ‘normal’ culturally – just as it was acceptable to smoke 20 years ago so processed food is considered normal now – like it or not. Those of us who say no will always be the odd ones put until there is a cultural shift in attitudes.
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Rachael June 5, 2012
Great article highlighting an important issue.
Firstly, I have to say I was saddened to read Chrissie’s piece on Sunday. I am not a nutrition expert, but take a great interest in food and what I feed my family, and I don’t believe she’s getting the best advice. If her child is eating from an array of REAL foods to satisfaction, then weight should not be an issue at 3.5. Children, just like adults come in a range of shapes and sizes and may or may not be the same shape as they grow older.
I do agree that Chrissie should cut out the juice as it is as (un)beneficial as a can of soft drink unless it contains all the fibre of the fruit (such as boost juices) to accompany it. And here to my biggest gripe regarding food marketing…
We are all being sold a lie in terms of what constitutes ‘healthy’ eating. For example take cereals – well you may as well eat the cardboard box. Even weetbix is a processed food whereby the goodness is lost through the process and then iron and minerals added at the end in a form that cannot be absorbed.And yet many a person will tell you how well they eat in that they don’t eat sugary cereals.
Another example is yoghurt. There are so many low fat/no fat varieties about but what do they contain in the place of satisfying healthy fats? Sugar. Thickeners. Gelatine. All things of no nutritional value that leave a person unsatisfied and wanting to eat more, or soon again after – and yet low fat and no fat foods are sold to us as healthy choices.
Margarine is another ‘faux food’ that should be avoided at all costs – and yet, diet industry would have us believe butter is the work of the devil.
My view is that processed food, including food full of additives or hidden sugars are the real issues pertaining to health (and sometimes weight). I say ‘sometimes’ because I don’t believe thinness or fatness tells you if someone is healthy or not. If you eat a lot of processed food (even food pretending to be healthy like museli bars or low fat yoghurt) you could literally be starving for fat/protein/nutrients. This could result in being underweight, or overweight (as you try to eat more to obtain appetite satisfaction).
Eat real food. Real meat, eggs, butter, vegetables and fruit. Eat as much as you want until you are full and then stop (or don’t, it’s really your choice).
If you want a chocolate bar have one! I would rather my children have a piece of real chocolate with four ingredients, than a museli bar pretending to be healthy with 15 ingredients, only a couple of which are things I’d know where to find in nature.
Lastly don’t judge a body by it’s size. Not only is it mean, you most likely have no idea the health of that person, nor is it any of your business.
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Warwick Rendell June 5, 2012
I’ve struggled with weight issues since childhood (so around 30 years); this meant that I’ve been hyperaware of the weight of our kids, and we’ve tried to ensure they eat a balanced, well-rounded diet.
Still, as my eldest approached his teens, he started to get a little chubby. We didn’t make a big issue of it, we just tried to ensure that he spent less time in front of electronic entertainment, and more time playing outdoors.
When he hit his teens he shot up in height, while his weight remained pretty static; in other words, he’s a fit and healthy kid.
Now our second son is approaching his teens, and is carrying a little extra weight, but I’m far less concerned about it. We’re doing the same thing as before – encouraging healthy eating, and more outdoor exercise.
Yes, it’s a constant battle with the constant bombardment of fast food messages, but most things are OK in moderation.
Oh… and I’m at the healthiest weight I’ve been since I hit adulthood.
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Valerie June 5, 2012
I’ll bet the AWW is loving this hoo-haa. I can’t imagine they are surprised at the coverage this issue is receiving.
I feel for Chrissie Swan. She is lauded for her own ownership of her weight issues, and slammed for her parenting. You can’t win when you offer yourself up as media fodder, and that makes me the most sad.
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Kay June 5, 2012
As many of you have strong opinions about food & the health of children, maybe you could join the http://www.parentsjury.org.au or support http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au and my own charity http://www.childrensfoodeducation.org.au in our quest to create change. Help us educate children and young mums who are not as fortunate as Chrissie. We can only succeed with your support and willingness to get involved. We also have plans for healthy fundraising products, healthy snacks, an animated digital tv series, a social enterprise plus a whole lot more. Your contributions would be welcome
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Samantha June 5, 2012
@ Kaz
I have the same issue with the Auskick canteen. The canteen doesn’t sell one healthy option. It is those processed hotdogs, packets of lollies and cans of soft drink. It is so hard to say no when all the other kids are having that. Luckily one of my little boys had problems with the enamel forming on his teeth, so we had a convenient excuse to say no!
Instead we took cut up oranges (like we had when I was a kid). The kids thought it was fab and totally got stuck into them.
It is so hard to be ‘different’ from all the other parents though. And of course packets of sweets are much easier to sell.
I think this is why we need combined community effort. Easier to get change when we work together.
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Sophie June 5, 2012
Robyne I totally argue with your thoughts on needing to put our energy into taking a look at the influence of Fast Food Companies.
Our Children are growing up in an environment where KFC sponsor Cricket, Hungry Jacks sponsor AFL, while McDonald’s, Coke and Cadbury have extended outreach to Children through sponsoring events such as the upcoming Olympics. No wonder junk food messages are still getting through to Children.
Marketers are well aware of the power and influence that aligning themselves with sport can have by enhancing the ” nag factor” in the supermarket isles and beyond
http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2011/borzekowski_nag_factor.html
Mixed messages at sports competitions seem to be a given when we look at our Childrens surrounds. We need to look at how industry play a part in this role.
Criticizing Parents who are trying to raise children in this environment seems counter productive to the real issue.
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Samantha June 5, 2012
@ SOphie … I think you mean ‘agree’ not ‘argue’ with Robyne
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judith June 5, 2012
When my kids were in primary school, we stopped the chocolate drive and sold bulbs for the garden. The next year the chocolate drive was back because it was far less work for the fundraising parents and raised more money. The company provided the prizes, took their profit and the parents did the work- exploitation as well as promoting unhealthy food.
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Esmilu June 5, 2012
The judgement – no, BULLYING, that people heaped on Chrissie and her family is disgusting. Their weight and health is a matter for their family and doctor, not anyone else.
Also, sugar is NOT evil and devoid of nutrition. It’s a macronutrient: carbohydrate. The stuff you need to make your brain run. Sure, lots of refined sugar probably isn’t great for anyone because your diet is likely to be missing something elsewhere, but worrying too much about it just fuels the desire for it. I followed Ellyn Satter’s advice. I put dessert on the table WITH dinner. Just a normal small scoop of ice cream, or fruit, or a wholemeal mini muffin or something like that. If the kids wanted to eat it before their veges, fine. I didn’t say anything. It took a while but I held onto my patience and they are now among the few kids I know who go to birthday parties and don’t stuff their faces with lollies to the point of being ill. They eat some, know that it’s not “naughty” food, and know they’ll get some more some other time. They’re confident that they’re not “missing out” on something forbidden, even with the onslaught of advertising. It was the same with “junk” food. 90% of the time for snacks we go with fruit and veges and crackers with things like cheese or hummus dips, but sometimes, without making a big deal of it, serve some bikkies or chips. They’re healthy and happy, know how to handle sugar and “junk” food – as a smaller but normal part of a varied diet. I LOVE YOU ELLYN SATTER!
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Fiona @naturopathichealth June 5, 2012
As mum to another new bub, ran into the supermarket to grab something for master 8month as didn’t have anything in my bag! Anyways, I was shocked to find nothing appropriate in the baby isle. All the foods were filled with sugar and preservatives, including the organic, infact all of the organic had sugar or fruit to sweeten it up. The rice crackers had yoghurt on them and apple flavour! I was shocked and as a Naturopath/Nutritionist felt for all the parents out there that think they are doing the best for their littlies.
Mums do the best they can. Yes we would be shocked if we knew how much our decisions relied on marketing and what is fed to us to believe it is good/bad for us.
Obesity is a problem, unhealthy eating is a problem, lack of exercise is a problem, time management is a problem. Shame on us for pointing the finger at Chrisse and her family, she is a delight to have in our media and I am sure she is doing the best she can as we all are! -
MrsP2011 June 5, 2012
I don’t know much about Chrissie. I’ve probably watched The Circle a couple of times for a total of 10 minutes max since the show started and seen her a few other times. I haven’t read the article in the WW and I do not want to read nasty comments coming from people who should know better. What I have noticed is that Chrissie is always happy. Her smile tells the story of a person who is content and clearly has a joyous outlook on life. That is also reflected in her children. It doesn’t matter what size people are as long as they are healthy and happy. If you notice, many of the so-called “authorities” on healthy eating that we are constantly confronted by on television, are unnaturally thin. I refuse to be dictated to by those people. My Mum was a great cook. I was brought up on the idea that a balanced food intake was the pathway to good health. That meant we ate whatever was put in front of us. The only exceptions were tripe, which my Dad loved, so Mum cooked something else for us, and my sister could not eat lambs fry, so she was excused from that. Other than those things we had fresh meat, fish, chicken, vegetables most nights. However, it also included ‘some time’ treats such as Friday night fish and chips and desserts, chocolate etc. Mum’s chocolate biscuit cake, butterscotch pie and Dad’s ice cream and coconut ice, were to die for – and we haven’t. There were 4 kids and we were all different shapes, sizes and weights and well fed. I think however, Mum and Dad used to roll the eyes sometimes when my favourite uncle Bill, who was in the Army but lived with us for a while, would come home on weekends with a huge paper bag full of lollies for us – and I mean huge. As far as marketing to kids is concerned, that is not a new phenomenon. Those of us who remember the inaugural trip to the very first Coles supermarket in Australia can also recall hounding our Mums for the Mars bars and Tex bars that were at kids eye level. I was one of those kids and we didn’t get them just because we wanted them either. Junk food is here to stay. Nobody is forced to eat it. I don’t agree with the comment in this story “Instead of blaming parents, how about we blame the food industry who spend millions of dollars encouraging our kids to eat junk”. Parents have control over what their children eat and how often they give junk food to their kids and it does amount to good parenting.
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Lynne June 5, 2012
With all due respect, the level of psychological analysis that goes into marketing has increased remarkably as knowledge in that area has increased. Also, the price of junk food is much cheaper than when we were children as is the opportunity to purchase it. The insidious placement of fructose in many processed food items (even savoury foods) also poses an enormous problem. You only have to see the choice of products in a supermarket to know that most people don’t eat food made from scratch. It’s not about what we do or what people ‘should’ do – it’s about accepting the reality of what is happening right now and doing something about it to combat the problem of processed food. As a culture we are very removed from the source of our food and as a result processed food is the norm.
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Kirsten Benhiam June 5, 2012
When did we all get so judgmental? I made promises to myself that my kids were not going to watch TV all day, play with licensed toys or eat tiny teddies. I have broken all those promises but all things in moderation. I have a busy household with 4 kids under 6 and sometimes the looks I get from other people when we are sitting in a park eating chips drive me wild. They don’t see the healthy dinner with lots of veg that we eat that night. I have read all the comments and we need to start being supportive not judgmental.
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Cate June 5, 2012
The criticism that Chrissie has copped shows just how out of hand obesity hysteria has become. I’m tired of it. Really REALLY tired of it. Congratulations on pointing out the evils of the food and advertising industries. I’ve said for years that advertising standards need to be heavily regulated. Advertising is so misleading like “with the goodness of milk” in a snack bar that is, essentially, candy ….and the heart foundation tick on a snack food that is listed as a fruit product, even though 75% of that fruit product is just sugar derived from fruit. The world has gone mad. How are parents supposed to make good choices for their children with this deliberate misdirection all around them? Something needs to change and it needs to change in a hurry.
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Esmilu June 5, 2012
I thought about the advertising angle some more…and realised I don’t think food advertising to children should be banned. ALL advertising to children should be banned. They just don’t have the thinking skills to understand the manipulation used in marketing. Media literacy should get a much bigger part of the school curriculum seeing as how it saturates our lives.
@Kristen, I’ve gotten those looks too when we’ve gone out for our one a fortnight takeaway, usually some fish and chips we eat by the lakeside or a pizza with a family movie when it’s cold! They don’t know that my eldest begs for pumpkin couscous and my little one gobbles up dal!!
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Charlie August 27, 2012
I absolutely agree that all advertising to children should be banned.
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Andrew June 5, 2012
It really is quite simple – bring in a fat tax that food processors and retailers pay. This money is then channeled into the health system to fund educational campaigns about lifestyle and food choices.
Until there is a societal change and we all realize that what we put into our bodies by way of food and drink, and the quality of that food and drink, societies health and the cost to society will continue to balloon.
Another alternative is to charge the food companies for the impact that their poor quality food has on the health of society.
We are what we eat. -
Pip June 5, 2012
As quoted on on Chrissie and Jane’s breakfast show this morning before you post in ANY media forum: T.H.I.N.K
T is it True, H is it Helpful, I is it Inspiring, N is it Necessary, K is it Kind. Most of what I’ve read today is all of this especially what Dr. Samantha Thomas has written in her article. The bottom line is Chrissie Swan has done nothing wrong and Chrissie and her children are loved and happy end of story. -
Samantha June 5, 2012
I heard that too Pip. Glad someone shared that.
I think is about time we stood up to online bullies too! We need to look out for each other in cyberspace and ask for help and support if we need it.
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Samantha June 5, 2012
Ps I also think websites should stand up to this too. I think the moral compass of some of these sites has been thrown out the window when it comes to letting nasty comments through so that they generate more discussion (or outrage) and more hits on the blogs.
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Susan June 5, 2012
I decided when my children were young that if anything was at eye level when we went through the checkout they could have it …….and wrote to the supermarkets and objected to their product placement. When the check out chick went to charge me for the item I refused to pay… I didn’t chose the item…you put the item in front of my child…..charge him….. because they had placed that item in front of my three year old….and naturally he took it. I was busy stacking and unstacking…. With my letters and phone calls + refusing to pay it wasn’t long for product placement to change-to eye level for adults….
Of course we could,without much effort go back to the butcher,the baker and fruiterers we all still have and not buy from the supermarkets or do the simple thing and shop the perimeters so that we by pass all the junk…Be proactive-
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Samantha June 6, 2012
Susan that is amazing!!!!! Well done!!
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keepcatebusy (Cate) June 6, 2012
Now dear twitter replier, does that mean that if my child asks for junk food that I am a bad mother, or that my children are bad?
Nothing is ever that simple.-
blue June 6, 2012
“It seems that bullying people for their weight is now a national sport.” Ai, I completely agree.
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nellae June 6, 2012
Has anyone else noticed the obsession people who market food have with the word “Fun”? Since when was it important that food was fun…surely healthy and nutritious is more important. But if you are promoting a suger loaded cereal I guess “healthy and nutritious” are out of the question so lets throw in a red herring and call it Fun!
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Glenda Mckay July 23, 2012
At 2 years old my daughter was quite chubby and I was really worried, the doctor told me that as soon as she started to grow and run around more she would lose the weight, well he was right, by 3 she had lost all her weight. I think junk food marketing is a major problem, but so is the problem of not enough time in a day for a lot of people. I found it very easy to make junk food a sometimes food just by saying no and using it what it was meant for a treat.
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Rhoda August 27, 2012
‘sigh’ Thank you Carol Jones, Ironing Diva. You said it perfectly for me.
Be great if these concerns were addressed to the right people – the food corporations and their advertisers.
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ro.watson December 28, 2012
My current thesis on the rise in obesity has to do with more pasta and less exercise.
