Yesterday afternoon I caught up on emails from readers, which included some disturbing news articles -– like this one, about a boy being taken from his mother and put in foster care because he’s too fat:
An 8-year-old Cleveland boy has just become the poster-child for a sad new nadir in the childhood obesity epidemic. The third grader, who weighs more than 200 pounds, was removed from his mother’s custody because of what officials have deemed medical neglect.
The County said that the child’s weight gain was caused by his environment and that the mother wasn’t following doctor’s orders — which she disputes.
“This child’s problem was so severe that we had to take custody,” Mary Louise Madigan, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Family Services said. The agency worked with the mother for more than a year before asking Juvenile Court for custody of the child, she said.
Lawyers for the mother, a substitute elementary school teacher who is also taking vocational school classes, think the county has overreached in this case by arguing that medical conditions the boy is at risk for — but doesn’t yet have — pose an imminent danger to his health.”
So the state is taking the kid away for the sake of his health. I wonder how separating him from his mother and forcing him to live with strangers will affect his mental health? And if he’s still fat after spending a year or so with a foster family, will the state officials return him to his mother — and then resign?
Speaking of taking kids away, I also read this article:
Finnish officials have told a family of low-carbohydrate enthusiasts that their children would be taken into care if they failed to heed nutrition advice, provincial paper Iisalmen Sanomat reported Sunday.
Ursula Schwab, a clinical nutrition specialist at the University of East Finland, said at least one family had received such an ultimatum after parents ignored healthcare staff’s warnings about the dangers of an imbalanced diet for children.
Schwab added that she knew of parents who had put toddlers on so-called low-carb diets. “A strict low-carb diet is very fatty, and it suppresses hunger. If you down eggs and bacon for breakfast it will take hours before you can even imagine eating again.”
Well, for Pete’s sake, we can’t have kids downing bacon and eggs for breakfast and then not being hungry again for several hours! How are they supposed to become obese enough to be taken away from their parents for their own good?!
Finally, I read a New York Times puff piece praising the accomplishments of George McGovern -– including, of course, his inspiring leadership while establishing the Dietary Goals for Americans.
Head. Bang. On. Desk.
With those cheery bits of news in mind, I went to bed and had the strangest dream. It began with an aging politician snoring in his bed on Christmas Eve …
ZZZZZZ. ZZZZZZZZ.
“Woooooooh! Woooooooooh! ”
ZZZZZ – !!
“What? What’s that noise? Is somebody there?”
“Yes, Senator McGovern, somebody is there. And I’ve come for you. Woooooooh!”
“Hey! Enough with the Wooooooh stuff, okay? I was a bomber pilot in the war. I’m not afraid of ghosts.”
“You will be. Woooooooh!”
“Oh yeah? Well, if you’re a ghost, whose ghost are you?”
“Richard Milhous Nix—“
“AAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHH!!!!”
“Geez, calm down, George. I’m not here to hurt you.“
“Well then, what the heck do you want?”
“To deliver a message. Let me make this perfectly clear: Three more ghosts will enter your room tonight.”
“Ahh, your White House plumbers are back in action again, huh?”
“Not spooks, George. Ghosts. And you’d better pay attention to what they show you.”
“Fine, I’ll pay attention. Now go away. I have nightmares about you as it is. Didn’t even win my own state, for the love of–”
“Okay, I’m going. You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore. Woooooooh!”
“Three more ghosts … bah, humbug! Just a bad dream, that’s all it was.”
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
“Geooooooorge! Geoooooorge!”
ZZZZZ—
“Now what? Who is that?”
“It’s me, George. Teddy Kennedy.”
“Teddy! Great to see you! What are you doing here?”
“I’m the Ghost of Government Past.”
“A ghost? But you’re all wet.”
“I drove here.”
“I see.”
“Come with me, George. We need to visit your past. There, look down. See?”
“Hey! That’s me, conducting my hearings on the Dietary Goals For America! Aw, boy, Teddy, weren’t we a bunch of optimists back then? So sure of ourselves, telling everyone else how to live right.”
“Indeed, Senator. You really put the ‘govern’ in McGovern, George.”
“Yup. We were so full of promise, always trying to do some good.”
“Yes, George, your intentions were good. No matter what else you see tonight, remember that: your intentions were good.”
“Yeah, yeah, of course. Huh … ”
“Something wrong, George?”
“I kind of forgot about this part. ‘A senator, unlike a research scientist, doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for every last shred of evidence to come in.’ Did I really say that?”
“Yes, George. But like I said, your intentions were good.”
“Of course.”
“I have to go now. Some of us are getting a game of touch football going. Have you ever tried that with ghosts you can’t actually touch? It’s weird. Goodbye, George.”
“Ted? Ted? Ahhh, I knew it. Back in bed. Just another weird dream. I really should get some sleep…”
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.
“Hiya, George!”
“WHAT THE—Jerry? Jerry Ford?”
“The Ghost of Government Present, at your service!”
“Jerry, why are you here?”
“Well, the previous Ghost of Government Present had to resign, so—”
“No, no. Why are you here, in my bedroom?”
“Oh, right. I need to show you something. Come on, follow me. Down there. Take a look. ”
“Who are these people, Jerry? Why are you showing them to me?”
“That’s the Cratchit family, George. They’re having dinner.”
“Yes, I can see that. But why is the mother crying?”
“Because some government officials are threatening to take away Tiny Tim and send him to a foster home.”
“Which one is Tiny Tim?”
“That one.”
“Wow. Look, Jerry, I feel sorry for parents and all, but maybe they shouldn’t have nicknamed that kid ‘Tiny.’ He’s a blimp.”
“That’s why the government is threatening to take him away, George.”
“They’re taking him away for being fat? What is this, the old Soviet Union?”
“There’s no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never be will be under a Ford Administration!”
“Uh, Jerry–”
“Sorry. But I still don’t see why that line got everyone so upset.”
“Jerry, why don’t the parents just encourage Tiny Tim to lose some weight?”
“They’ve tried, George. They’ve tried over and over. As soon as they realized he had a weight problem, they put him on a strict low-fat diet with plenty of grains. Cereals with skim milk. Sandwiches with lean meats. Pasta, potatoes, rice. Crackers and fruit juice for snacks. No eggs, no cream, no butter. Just like you recommended, remember?”
“Well, if that didn’t work, they should have tried just feeding him less. I mean, come on, Jerry—”
“They tried that too, George. They’ve gone from doctor to doctor, and they always get the same advice: put him on a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet. Poor Tiny Tim has spent half his life feeling hungry, but getting fatter anyway.”
“Bah, humbug. If they were truly following my advice—”
“They did follow your advice, George. But since Tiny Tim is still fat, the government health experts assume the parents are lying. That’s why they want to take Tiny Tim away.”
“But this can’t be! My intentions were good! Please, Jerry, tell me there’s still some way we can … Jerry? Jerry, where did you go?!”
“I’ve got to go, George. The previous Ghost of Government Present called and told me he needs a big favor of some kind.”
“Jerry, wait, I can’t see the family anymore! What happened to Tiny Tim? Jerry, come back! I promise I’ll do better if you just give me another chance!”
“There you go again.”
“Wha … Ronald Reagan?”
“Yes. Although I’m currently starring as the Ghost of Government Yet To Come.”
“This is a complete nightmare!”
“Well, now, that’s what they said about Bedtime for Bonzo, but I think over the years the critics have come to appreciate—“
“Ronnie, please, I need to know what happened to Tiny Tim. Take me back to the family.”
“Too late, George. You’re in the future now.”
“Then take me to the family now … I mean, here in the future.”
“You sure you want to see that, George?”
“Yes, Ronnie. I must.”
“Okay, come along with me. See? There’s the family, sitting down for dinner.”
“But Tiny Tim’s chair is empty! Did he … did he …”
“Die? No, George. He lost weight, his blood pressure went down, his glucose stabilized, his kidney function returned to normal, and he started concentrating better in school.”
“Then where is he?”
“The government took him away, George.”
“But why?”
“Well, take a good look at the family dinner table, George.”
“Steak, broccoli, butter, some kind of cream-based dessert … wait, where’s the bread, Ronnie? The pasta? The potatoes? They’re eating way too much fat.”
“That’s why the government took Tiny Tim away, George. The Cratchits stopped following your advice and Tiny Tim got better. But the government doesn’t like it when people stop following your advice, so they took Tiny Tim away.”
“But I never wanted any of this to happen, Ronnie! My intentions were—“
“—were good. Yes, I know, George. There you go again, assuming good intentions mean good results. Like I always said, sometimes government is the problem.”
“I refuse to believe this is my fault, Ronnie. It can’t be.”
“Then you need to ask yourself a question: People have been following your advice for 40 years. Are they happier now than they were 40 years ago? Are they leaner than they were 40 years ago? Are they healthier than they were 40 years ago? Are kids concentrating better than they were 40 years ago?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then George, maybe it’s time you just admit your advice was wrong. I’ve got to go now. I’m expecting Nancy to join me any minute.”
“Ronnie, wait! Don’t go! Ronnie, please, I want to go back! I want to go back!”
BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ-BUZZ!!
“Wha? My own bed … 7:00 a.m. alarm … so it was all just a dream! There’s still time.“
CREEAAAAK.
“Excuse me, young man! Up here!”
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you know a family with a boy named Tiny Tim?”
“Yes, sir. They live just down the road.”
“Here, I’m tossing you down a hundred-dollar bill. I want you to go out and buy the biggest, fattest turkey you can find and take it to Tiny Tim’s house.”
“Will do, sir.”
“And some ham. And some bacon. And some eggs and butter. And a nice selection of green vegetables. Can you do that?”
“Of course, sir. Right away, sir. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas to you, young man. And may God bless us, every one!”
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My 7 year old daughter had her first lesson at school on the food pyramid this week (it must have been an old boook because it wasn’t the food plate version). She tried telling the teacher that wheat was not healthy and that the meats should be at the bottom of the pyramid where it shows to eat the most. The teacher told my daughter that she was wrong and that wheat was healthy, in which my daughter pushed the issue a little more in which the teacher pushed back. I am glad my daughter talked with me about it because I had the chance to reemphasize our food choices and back them up with some age appropriate facts and why we know it to be true and why others just don’t know it YET.
I was very upset when hearing of the conversation and the opinion expressed by the teacher insisting her version was correct and thought I might try talking with the teacher about our food views. At the very least, to opt out of food nutrition from the government. But after reading this, it might be better to just stay silent and not have witness to our high-fat (brain and hormone building), low-carb (weight-stabilizing) lifestyle at home. My daughter is this teacher’s “top student, excelling in all subjects and has to find things for her to do to keep her busy” (the teacher’s words) and she is very fit and lean with tons of energy and focus. Hmm, must be doing something right.
At the very least, I don’t believe they (anyone other than me) should be teaching anything about food choices to my child, without my permission and a signed consent. This is my job (not the school, untrained doctor in nutrition, or the government) in which they are confusing my child and usurping my parental authority. I would like to opt out of nutrition at school all together, but is it too risky?
I want schools to go back to teaching academic subjects. They’re not qualified to be diet centers, and we certainly don’t need to have them serving as P.R. agencies for the USDA.
Another commenter quoted a NYT story:
“Dr. Birch and Dr. Ian M. Paul, a professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine, are testing a multipronged intervention aimed at helping parents learn healthier feeding habits. This includes strategies for helping babies sleep longer — in part by responding to night waking with something other than food…”
You do that with an infant and you will HURT them. Especially if you are breastfeeding them. They’re SUPPOSED to wake at night and eat.
But it’s not great for adults either. Lierre Keith talks about the post-Soviet period in Cuba in which Cubans were undergoing the very lifestyle the health goo-roos are calling for here in the States: eating less and exercising more, and eating a plant-based diet with very little meat. Guess how many of them are now suffering from nerve damage due to a lack of B vitamins.
We’re only getting away with it now, some of us, because we can take a multivitamin and make up the difference. Cuba doesn’t have that luxury. But if your diet would *hurt* you without the multivitamin, it’s time to change it.
As for that poor little boy in Cleveland? I live here in Ohio. Taking a child from his home for being too fat in Ohio would be like removing an Irish kid from *his* home in Ireland because the parents drink Guinness. I hate to say it, and I’m not hatin’ on fat people, it’s just the reality here. If any kids die in Cleveland from abuse or neglect over the next year or so, I hope that boy’s mom sues Job and Family Services.
I hope the boy isn’t abused but the mom sues and wins anyway.
Vicki, that mirrors what happened to my 18 year old daughter this week in school. The teacher showed some vegan animal processing propaganda video (girl next to my daughter said “that does it. I’m becoming a vegetarian). His argument was that you should not eat meat because of how the animals are treated. Daughter informed him that we eat beef etc from a local farm from cows raised on grass. Teacher retorted that “It costs to much”. Daughter then informed teacher that the money spent on good food now is money that will not be spent on doctors bills later.
I taught her well!
Tom, I’m a little concerned. Seems like whenever I’m in a restaurant these days, towards the end of my meal someone invariably will approach and ask “are you Finnish”? I’m hoping there isn’t something more sinister going on here!
LOL. Tell them you’re Danish.
“It’s me, George. Teddy Kennedy.”
“Teddy! Great to see you! What are you doing here?”
“I’m the Ghost of Government Past.”
“A ghost? But you’re all wet.”
“I drove here.”
“I see.”
I really did laugh out loud.
I feel kind of silly – but this made me cry.
Tom: I’d be interested in your comments on the NPR broadcast tonight in their series on Obesity in America that featured a boarding school (price tag $62,000/year) for obese teenagers where the kids are put in very low-fat diets. I was listening on my evening commute and I cringed all the way home. I’m sure you could listen to the series on their website.
I’ll try to find it.
This is disgusting. I hope the mom sues, I hope she wins, and I really, really hope that that people rebel (peacefully) against these systems and demand they be corrected. There is no excuse for taking a child away from his parents without real, clear evidence of abuse. And every resource wasted pursuing malarky like this is a resource NOT spent helping children who are actually being abused.
Well said.
Glad it didn’t end with him going to Whole Paycheck to find the leanest tofurkey.
“She tried telling the teacher that wheat was not healthy and that the meats should be at the bottom of the pyramid where it shows to eat the most. ”
We deal with this almost every year in school with our now fifth grader. What we tell her is that teachers teach the USDA version of “healthy eating” (either the pyramid or the plate), but we don’t personally believe that grains and other starches are really healthy in the recommended quantities (my husband doesn’t believe in “eliminating an entire food group”). However, we warn her that the teacher may not agree, and that she should not argue with the teacher and she should answer “the teacher’s way” on tests so that her grade is not affected.
We’re Jewish, and it reminds me a lot of how we deal with that in the secular world. We explain to our kids that we have different religious beliefs than most of their friends and acquaintances, but we try to respect others’ beliefs and not get into arguments about what or who’s right and wrong.
Diet is very much like religion in that respect. It shouldn’t be, but it is.
Regarding that poor kid who was taken away, I think the key is in this statement: “the mother wasn’t following doctor’s orders — which she disputes.” People hold so strongly to the belief that a low calorie, low fat diet will work that they refuse to see that it doesn’t and they IGNORE reality by saying the patient (in this case the mom) is not being compliant. This mom (and her kid) were doomed because IF they followed the recommendations, the poor kid probably felt like he was starving and did anything he could to find and shove food in his face.
I was watching Forks Over Knives today because someone told me that I should consider other facts. At the end, the documentarian went over his blood results with the doctor. The doctor was patting him on the back for having lowered his (total) cholesterol dramatically, and his triglycerides were down some too. BUT, what they failed to notice was that his HDL was still low (40) and his HDL/LDL ratio was too high (3). Triglycerides were still elevated somewhat. HELLO–still a problem here. But they totally ignored that–looking only at total cholesterol as a marker of health.
Forks Over Knives wasn’t meant to be any kind of objective look at diet and health.
Right now teachers are nor allowed to discuss religion and politics with children, I wish diet will join the for forbidden list, it is a family matter. Unfortunately it wouldn’t happen without couple of lawsuits.
On another hand, I don’t think it is so important to keep strictly “paleo” approach outside your house for your child if your child is generally healthy. It is easy to create situation “them” versus “us”, which is unhealthy for different reasons. It is not necessary to wave your flag into other people faces. You can do it, but it may be too much for your little guy or girl. It is also better not to create the “forbidden food” status for some junk. I wonder, how did officials found out that some family gives their children “only”eggs and bacon for their breakfast? I hope the officials would be brought to court, I just wouldn’t want my child to be in the middle of it.
I agree, diet shouldn’t be a topic for schools. No way will public schools ever be allowed to preach anything but the USDA guidelines.
“No way will public schools ever be allowed to preach anything but the USDA guidelines.” Sad, but true. I tried and got “fired” (from my position as health teacher) for it. I “wasn’t qualified” to teach health. I wasn’t certified (to teach health, though I was certified in science) true, but there were other teachers teaching subjects in which they weren’t certified. I even made sure I provided lots of references and sent all my materials home, encouraging the students and their parents to check into it–because I knew I was going against “conventional wisdom.” To no avail.
While I wouldn’t advise any student to get into a confrontation with a teacher, I would also not advise the student–or the parents–to sit by and let the teacher teach the USDA BS unchallenged, either. Provide resources (“Fat Head?”?) for the teacher and (kindly, diplomatically) suggest that they check them out. We’ll never get anywhere if each generation is taught the same garbage without anyone at least trying to whittle away at the edges. I have a science background. If my kids came home and told me their science teacher told them something they and I knew was wrong, I provided them with resources to share with the teacher without hurting the teacher’s pride or antagonizing them. Likewise, as a science teacher, if a student came to me with valid evidence supporting his/her assertion different than what I told them, I made sure I made the appropriate corrections. Not all teachers are afraid to admit when they’re wrong pr averse to learning new things.
Loved your post, Tom. both funny and very sad.
Tom: I’d be interested in your comments on the NPR broadcast tonight in their series on Obesity in America that featured a boarding school (price tag $62,000/year) for obese teenagers where the kids are put in very low-fat diets. I was listening on my evening commute and I cringed all the way home. I’m sure you could listen to the series on their website.
I’ll try to find it.
@Dave, RN,
That’s hilarious! What class was this in and why was a vegan propaganda flick being shown in it? You should demand to have a showing of Fat Head to balance out their propaganda. 😉
This is disgusting. I hope the mom sues, I hope she wins, and I really, really hope that that people rebel (peacefully) against these systems and demand they be corrected. There is no excuse for taking a child away from his parents without real, clear evidence of abuse. And every resource wasted pursuing malarky like this is a resource NOT spent helping children who are actually being abused.
Well said.
“No way will public schools ever be allowed to preach anything but the USDA guidelines.” Sad, but true. I tried and got “fired” (from my position as health teacher) for it. I “wasn’t qualified” to teach health. I wasn’t certified (to teach health, though I was certified in science) true, but there were other teachers teaching subjects in which they weren’t certified. I even made sure I provided lots of references and sent all my materials home, encouraging the students and their parents to check into it–because I knew I was going against “conventional wisdom.” To no avail.
While I wouldn’t advise any student to get into a confrontation with a teacher, I would also not advise the student–or the parents–to sit by and let the teacher teach the USDA BS unchallenged, either. Provide resources (“Fat Head?”?) for the teacher and (kindly, diplomatically) suggest that they check them out. We’ll never get anywhere if each generation is taught the same garbage without anyone at least trying to whittle away at the edges. I have a science background. If my kids came home and told me their science teacher told them something they and I knew was wrong, I provided them with resources to share with the teacher without hurting the teacher’s pride or antagonizing them. Likewise, as a science teacher, if a student came to me with valid evidence supporting his/her assertion different than what I told them, I made sure I made the appropriate corrections. Not all teachers are afraid to admit when they’re wrong pr averse to learning new things.
Loved your post, Tom. both funny and very sad.
On the Forks over Knives comment, I did find it interesting that they eliminated processed foods. That seems to be a common theme in diets shown to have health benefits. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is another example of someone who eliminated processed foods and and saw a health benefit (yes, juicing is processed, but not to the extent that white flour or sugar is). As I recall, both limited wheat products as well. Between eliminating processed foods and wheat, I’m starting to believe that after that the optimal combination depends on the individual.
They didn’t specifically say it (or I missed it), but I think it was a very low fat approach. I don’t see how you wouldn’t be hungry all the time, because they were basically just eating fruits and vegetables. Fat is important for mental and physical satiety.
I don’t necessarily believe that low carbohydrate diets are necessary for people with a normal insulin response, but low glycemic index diets are important for everyone. You really don’t get into high glycemic index foods until you’ve started removing things (with some exceptions).
Denise Minger made that exact point in her speech at the Ancestral Health Symposium. When you examine the protocols that vegetarian advocates such as Ornish and McDougal promote for improving health, you find that they eliminate sugar, white flour, processed vegetable oils, processed foods, etc. In other words, they’re a lot like paleo diets without the meat.
But I never wanted any of this to happen, Ronnie! My intentions were—“
“—were good. Yes, I know, George. There you go again, assuming good intentions mean good results. Like I always said, sometimes government is the problem.”
Indeed, Tom. How many roads have been paved to Hell since the beginning of civilization by such dangerous zealousness? And that gets to another important thing; as much as we like you and respect what you are doing, it is OUR responsibility in turn to make sure that we don’t get caught up following Yet Another Superstar/Guru, and we, your readers, need to speak up loud and clear and question you wherever we can, if we think something is amiss.
For this to work, we need to keep each other honest and our critical thinking skills sharpened, or we may unleash another dietary catastrophe on the world as McGovern has.
Absolutely. I’ve noticed my readers don’t hesitate to point out when I’ve missed something, and I appreciate that. We want to keep the Wisdom of Crowds effect going here.
@Dave, RN,
That’s hilarious! What class was this in and why was a vegan propaganda flick being shown in it? You should demand to have a showing of Fat Head to balance out their propaganda. 😉
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/142661672/school-transforms-teens-lives-one-pound-at-a-time#commentBlock
This is the link to the NPR story. Prepare padding on desk for major head-banging. I especially recommend lots of padding if you go to the link to the video about “healthy snacks.”
The good thing is that the comment section is dominated by comments recommending putting these kids on low-carb, not low-fat diets. Our blogosphere needs to go there and get really busy.
What you observed in the comments section is the reason I believe we’re going to turn this around.
Previous post had the wrong link; this is the link to the NPR story
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/142661672/school-transforms-teens-lives-one-pound-at-a-time
@Galina
I don’t have kids, and I’m not claiming that I know how hard it is to raise them on a diet that is the exact opposite of what everyone else tells them. I’m sure its more difficult than I could imagine. I do, however, have a personal experience that may lend insight into the situation that you are referring to. My family wasn’t paleo or low carb, but it was close enough (unbreaded meat and potatoes or veggies most of the time, accompanied by diet soda or whole milk) that it kept me fairly thin and healthy looking for most of my childhood. The instant I got my driver’s license, and was able to bypass my mom’s cooking for fast food and slurpees, I started doing it all the time. This was the moment I exploded, and started on the path to obesity. Luckily for me, it only lasted 3 years. What I’m saying is that even if they’re generally healthy now, eating horribly when out of the house could be a disaster.
I’m with Vicki, If my Doctor is not qualified to give me proper nutrition advice (I did ask my Dr. when I was in about two months ago how much nutrition training she received in med school and the answer was none) then what would make some teacher at school qualified?
On the Forks over Knives comment, I did find it interesting that they eliminated processed foods. That seems to be a common theme in diets shown to have health benefits. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead is another example of someone who eliminated processed foods and and saw a health benefit (yes, juicing is processed, but not to the extent that white flour or sugar is). As I recall, both limited wheat products as well. Between eliminating processed foods and wheat, I’m starting to believe that after that the optimal combination depends on the individual.
They didn’t specifically say it (or I missed it), but I think it was a very low fat approach. I don’t see how you wouldn’t be hungry all the time, because they were basically just eating fruits and vegetables. Fat is important for mental and physical satiety.
I don’t necessarily believe that low carbohydrate diets are necessary for people with a normal insulin response, but low glycemic index diets are important for everyone. You really don’t get into high glycemic index foods until you’ve started removing things (with some exceptions).
Denise Minger made that exact point in her speech at the Ancestral Health Symposium. When you examine the protocols that vegetarian advocates such as Ornish and McDougal promote for improving health, you find that they eliminate sugar, white flour, processed vegetable oils, processed foods, etc. In other words, they’re a lot like paleo diets without the meat.
I sent the article on the 8 year old boy to m sister who is a nurse. She told me how she once tended a little five year old girl who was in foster care. The little girl was obese and someone (no one could figure out who did it) had told her that if she lost weight, she could go home to her parents. The little girl, being totally reasonable (no sarcasm) became anorexic. My sister has done everything from home healthcare to being a cancer nurse so I dont know where she encountered the little girl she told me about. By the way, children in foster care are 5 times more likely to die of abuse in foster care than in the general population and 17 times more likely to be physically and sexually abused. State foster systems receive a federal stipend for every child they take into custody and a bonus from the fed. gov. for terminating parental rights and adopting out children. These funds are just another example of the evil that poorly thought out good intentions can spawn. State foster systems have a clear financial interest in not giving the parents the benefit of the doubt.
That poor girl. Now that’s abuse.
@Nowhereman says:
I don’t recall the class, but the teacher showing the video was a substitute. There one day, gone the next. Probably never to return.
Drive-by veganism.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/142661672/school-transforms-teens-lives-one-pound-at-a-time#commentBlock
This is the link to the NPR story. Prepare padding on desk for major head-banging. I especially recommend lots of padding if you go to the link to the video about “healthy snacks.”
The good thing is that the comment section is dominated by comments recommending putting these kids on low-carb, not low-fat diets. Our blogosphere needs to go there and get really busy.
What you observed in the comments section is the reason I believe we’re going to turn this around.
Previous post had the wrong link; this is the link to the NPR story
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/142661672/school-transforms-teens-lives-one-pound-at-a-time
Justin,
I raised a son, who is healthy thin 19 y.o. now. Because I didn’t push too much healthy eating on him, just set an example, he now thinks it was a privilege to eat normal home-cooked meals during his childhood. After eating cafeteria-style food for his first year in college, he decided to cook his meals himself. During his childhood, too many families with nice children would be pushed away because of their different food preferences. Too much strictness may produce resentment and cause social complications. Prepared food is not a poison, just an inferior food, and choosing food should not be like practicing a religion.
Question for the Finnish commentors (and anyone else if they happen to know): how is the government identifying low-carbers and therefore able to threaten them? This seems creepy big brother to me! In the first case, teachers/social workers/whomever was able to spot a potential problem (I’m not judging as I have no idea what happens in other people’s houses) by the boy’s appearance.
Whether local officials had the right to step in or not aside, I think we can all agree that an 8-year old should not be 200lbs and that this is a very visible problem. But hey you crazy, svelt Nordic, low-carbers, how dare you flaunt your health in front of the rest of us! I mean seriously, were they singled out for being in reasonably good shape and health?
I suspect that an 8-year-old boy who weighs 200 pounds has hormonal imbalances that the goofs in the state agency couldn’t begin to understand.
@Galina
I don’t have kids, and I’m not claiming that I know how hard it is to raise them on a diet that is the exact opposite of what everyone else tells them. I’m sure its more difficult than I could imagine. I do, however, have a personal experience that may lend insight into the situation that you are referring to. My family wasn’t paleo or low carb, but it was close enough (unbreaded meat and potatoes or veggies most of the time, accompanied by diet soda or whole milk) that it kept me fairly thin and healthy looking for most of my childhood. The instant I got my driver’s license, and was able to bypass my mom’s cooking for fast food and slurpees, I started doing it all the time. This was the moment I exploded, and started on the path to obesity. Luckily for me, it only lasted 3 years. What I’m saying is that even if they’re generally healthy now, eating horribly when out of the house could be a disaster.
I’m with Vicki, If my Doctor is not qualified to give me proper nutrition advice (I did ask my Dr. when I was in about two months ago how much nutrition training she received in med school and the answer was none) then what would make some teacher at school qualified?
I sent the article on the 8 year old boy to m sister who is a nurse. She told me how she once tended a little five year old girl who was in foster care. The little girl was obese and someone (no one could figure out who did it) had told her that if she lost weight, she could go home to her parents. The little girl, being totally reasonable (no sarcasm) became anorexic. My sister has done everything from home healthcare to being a cancer nurse so I dont know where she encountered the little girl she told me about. By the way, children in foster care are 5 times more likely to die of abuse in foster care than in the general population and 17 times more likely to be physically and sexually abused. State foster systems receive a federal stipend for every child they take into custody and a bonus from the fed. gov. for terminating parental rights and adopting out children. These funds are just another example of the evil that poorly thought out good intentions can spawn. State foster systems have a clear financial interest in not giving the parents the benefit of the doubt.
That poor girl. Now that’s abuse.
I wonder if contesting the USDA’s food recommendations makes one subject to imprisonment without due process under the NDAA currently under debate?
Prison? What kind of fascist country do you think this is? They’d just fine you. Then if you didn’t pay the fine, you’d go to prison.
Tom,
What is the story with the subscription feature? I used to be able to click a button and a feed would be easily added to the feeds tab in IE. I clicked your button and something called AddToAny came up with at least a BILLION (I couldn’t count them all) options. Help! It also said something about it was adding Thanksgiving. I celebrated Tg last month. How do I add the feed? I love your blog and would like to be notified when there are updates.
I have no idea. I added a subscription feature via a WordPress plug-in many moons ago and have no idea how it works. I love blogging but hate working inside the WordPress interface to add features, so I deal with them as little as possible.
@Nowhereman says:
I don’t recall the class, but the teacher showing the video was a substitute. There one day, gone the next. Probably never to return.
Drive-by veganism.
Justin,
I raised a son, who is healthy thin 19 y.o. now. Because I didn’t push too much healthy eating on him, just set an example, he now thinks it was a privilege to eat normal home-cooked meals during his childhood. After eating cafeteria-style food for his first year in college, he decided to cook his meals himself. During his childhood, too many families with nice children would be pushed away because of their different food preferences. Too much strictness may produce resentment and cause social complications. Prepared food is not a poison, just an inferior food, and choosing food should not be like practicing a religion.
Question for the Finnish commentors (and anyone else if they happen to know): how is the government identifying low-carbers and therefore able to threaten them? This seems creepy big brother to me! In the first case, teachers/social workers/whomever was able to spot a potential problem (I’m not judging as I have no idea what happens in other people’s houses) by the boy’s appearance.
Whether local officials had the right to step in or not aside, I think we can all agree that an 8-year old should not be 200lbs and that this is a very visible problem. But hey you crazy, svelt Nordic, low-carbers, how dare you flaunt your health in front of the rest of us! I mean seriously, were they singled out for being in reasonably good shape and health?
I suspect that an 8-year-old boy who weighs 200 pounds has hormonal imbalances that the goofs in the state agency couldn’t begin to understand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thlK8DmN1mU&feature=BFa&list=PLDA9BC0A764C915B6&lf=results_video
” and if there’s fatkins approved popcorn at the snakc bar, i’m killing weveryone” ahahaha this shit is sooo funny
I like the comments about food NOT being a religion.
I am glad to see that, so far, my experiences in the Paleo-verse have not been what I generally encounter in these situations: zealotry. From the vegetarians I used to run with to the supplement-pushers to the heirloom grains and vegetables folks, I’ve seen a LOT of over-the-top rhetoric and downright meanness. I hope we never get that way.
If I ever start trolling vegan blogs and preaching to the readers, you have my permission to track me down and beat me about the head and shoulders with a large, blunt instrument.
The show, Too Fat for 15: Fighting Back, is on tonight on the Style Network. The diet that the teenagers consume is very low fat–the fewer grams the better. And the nutrition counselor considers Snackwell fat-free cookies and fat-free pretzels to be healthful snacks. There is no consideration that fat is essential to the body’s production of hormones. It’s disturbing!
I watched one episode awhile back. I turned it off when I found myself clearing magazines off the coffee table so I could bang my head on it.
I wonder if contesting the USDA’s food recommendations makes one subject to imprisonment without due process under the NDAA currently under debate?
Prison? What kind of fascist country do you think this is? They’d just fine you. Then if you didn’t pay the fine, you’d go to prison.
Tom,
What is the story with the subscription feature? I used to be able to click a button and a feed would be easily added to the feeds tab in IE. I clicked your button and something called AddToAny came up with at least a BILLION (I couldn’t count them all) options. Help! It also said something about it was adding Thanksgiving. I celebrated Tg last month. How do I add the feed? I love your blog and would like to be notified when there are updates.
I have no idea. I added a subscription feature via a WordPress plug-in many moons ago and have no idea how it works. I love blogging but hate working inside the WordPress interface to add features, so I deal with them as little as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thlK8DmN1mU&feature=BFa&list=PLDA9BC0A764C915B6&lf=results_video
” and if there’s fatkins approved popcorn at the snakc bar, i’m killing weveryone” ahahaha this shit is sooo funny
I like the comments about food NOT being a religion.
I am glad to see that, so far, my experiences in the Paleo-verse have not been what I generally encounter in these situations: zealotry. From the vegetarians I used to run with to the supplement-pushers to the heirloom grains and vegetables folks, I’ve seen a LOT of over-the-top rhetoric and downright meanness. I hope we never get that way.
If I ever start trolling vegan blogs and preaching to the readers, you have my permission to track me down and beat me about the head and shoulders with a large, blunt instrument.
The show, Too Fat for 15: Fighting Back, is on tonight on the Style Network. The diet that the teenagers consume is very low fat–the fewer grams the better. And the nutrition counselor considers Snackwell fat-free cookies and fat-free pretzels to be healthful snacks. There is no consideration that fat is essential to the body’s production of hormones. It’s disturbing!
I watched one episode awhile back. I turned it off when I found myself clearing magazines off the coffee table so I could bang my head on it.
This article actually scared me…….I’m so thankful I don’t have kids, as if I did, it would probably be taken off me within a month of weaning….
Surprising about the Finns – normally we hold the Scandinavians up as nations of common sense (But I suppose the Danish Fat Tax put an end to that….)
I will continue feeding my daughters a (mostly) low-carb diet, and anyone who wants to take them away for their own good had better be driving a tank.
And today’s nugget of joy…..wonder which way the Food Standards Agency will go……the comments are split between pro and anti, but I really hope someone sees sense on this one and allows the vending machines (after all, they’re common in Europe, and we’re still part of the EU…..just!)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/dec/15/selfridges-raw-milk-food-hygiene-regulations
Here’s the common-sense approach (will probably won’t prevail): anyone who believes raw milk is dangerous should be free not to drink it.
If I ever start trolling vegan blogs and preaching to the readers, you have my permission to track me down and beat me about the head and shoulders with a large, blunt instrument.
I have just the instrument for it: a #9 cast iron skillet handed down from my great-grandmother. She once used it to defend herself against a home-invasion, if family legends are to be believed.
Is there any chance the home invader ended up sitting on the floor with a big lump growing out of his head and some combination of birds and stars orbiting the same head?
Did you hear that Norway is having a butter crisis! Apparently the whole country has gone low carb and as a result they’re running out of butter.
There’s a marketing opportunity out there for American butter makers.
We need a new Marshall Plan to get butter into Norway.