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NY Mom Goes to War Against School Junk Food
Filed under: In The News
Will banning foods keep kids healthy? Image: Daino_16/sxc.hu
Her web site urges supporters to "recognize obesity as abuse-abuse of our children, abuse of ourselves-and together take action." But in much the same way that PETA alienates the very people it is trying to reach with aggressive and often hostile tactics, Roth has managed to anger those she claims to be trying to save from the misery of being fat.
Case in point: Last year the 40-year-old was jailed after protesting the free ice cream sundaes at a YMCA event by tossing out the toppings.
Today, she is taking aim at the public school in New York where her two children are in the second and fourth grades. While she is generally okay with the lunch menu at P.S. 9 in Manhattan, she is vehemently opposed to the junk food served on special occasions. In the past, she has lobbied for permission slips for foods not on the official menu and has consistently made a fuss about the unhealthy snack foods she claims are offered to her children on a regular basis.
"I thought I was sending my kid to P.S. 9, not Chuck E. Cheese," she says. "Is there or is there not an obesity and diabetes epidemic in this country?"
To protect her children from the cookies and chips, she sends them to school with a Tupperware "junk food collector" in which they are instructed to deposit any and all unhealthy snacks given to them while in class. But when her daughter was given a frozen juice pop as a classroom treat recently, her teacher refused to let her put it in the plastic container. Obviously, frozen things don't keep well outside of the freezer, but it also sounds like the teacher may have been feeling some frustration about Roth's nitpicking ways. After confiscating the ice pop, she accused Roth's daughter of having eaten chips in the past and wondered whether that was not considered junk food as well.
The teacher probably should have kept her comments to herself -- the child clearly has enough to deal with without the teacher piling on. But when word of the incident got back to Roth, she responded with what many say is typical for her: Irate hostility. She fired off an angry email to the school which resulted in further embarrassment for her daughter when she was pulled from class to discuss the juice pop incident.
A meeting was called and according to principal Diane Brady, Roth "was hostile" and "threw candy onto the table and cursed." When school safety official Helene Moffatt suggested that perhaps a health and safety transfer to another school would be a good idea, Mrs. Roth and her husband Ben balked. While they do feel their kids are being put at risk by the presence of junk food, they are hesitant to file the police complaint necessary for such a transfer.
"What would that conversation even sound like?" asks Mr. Roth. 'We know you guys are dealing with stabbings and shootings, but stop everything: We have a cupcake situation' ?"
I think Mr. Roth hits the nail on the head with that statement. Not only do the police have better things to do than get involved in what kids are eating at school, the school has better things to do than worry about the Roth children being exposed to forbidden snacks.
Yes, there is an obesity epidemic in our country and yes, we owe it to our children to teach them healthy eating habits. But is banning junk food entirely really the way to go about teaching them to make healthy choices? I am of the "everything in moderation" school of thought and believe that forbidding certain foods makes them even more appealing than they otherwise would be.
What about you? Do you allow your children the occasional junk food treat or is that completely off the menu?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
6-23-2009 @ 6:06PM
MarMarOhio said...I've heard that when you forbid certain types of food to a child - past allergies and religious reasons - it only becomes more appealing to them, and they end up having a love/hate relationship with food. I fear her kids are going to have eating disorders someday - can't you see that daughter someday finally caving into a juice pop and then taking a five-mile run to "get rid of it"? Or having a cupcake celebrating a classmate's birthday and then excusing herself to the restroom to throw it back up? I understand healthy eating, and I know this woman just wants what's best for her children. And I'm sure that the meals her children eat at home are great. But special occasions are just that - special. And I fear that she's ultimately doing more harm than good.
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6-23-2009 @ 12:26PM
Diane said...As someone who has struggled with my weight all my life, I can understand where this mom is coming from. However, I do think she's going a little overboard. By banning any type of "junk" food from her children's diets, there's a good chance it will just make them want it more. As an overweight child, who's mother tried to restrict what I ate, this happened to me.
As long of parents provide healthy foods, model healthy behaviors and talk to their children about nutrition/fitness, I really don't think it matters what kind of "temptations" they face when they are not with you. Isn't teaching our children how to make good choices when we're not there the ultimate goal of parenting?
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6-23-2009 @ 1:36PM
Maureen said...I agree that schools seem to offer "special" treats to children much too often these days. But I'm not sure what to do about it... I'm not one who likes the idea of banning things and there are bigger things that need to be dealt with in our education system.
But seriously, it seemed like almost every other day there was some reason to have a treat at my child's school. I don't mind giving them that stuff at home occasionally because I then know what they are eating. But when it's being offered at school, half the time I don't even hear about it until after I've given my child a popsicle for dessert not knowing he already had a cupcake at school.
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6-24-2009 @ 10:05AM
Joanna Dolgoff MD said...As a pediatrician and child weight loss specialist, I am very conflicted about this article. She may not use the best tactics, but Ms. Roth's point is right! We are in the midst of a child obesity epidemic. One out of every three children in our country is either overweight or obese. According to the CDC, our children will be the first generation to die younger than its parents due to obesity-related diseases. We need to make some major societal changes to stop this epidemic from worsening. Our schools should be a safe haven for our children. I have overweight children crying in my office on a daily basis because they are trying to eat well but are confronted with temptations at school. As adults, we know how difficult it is to resist a cupcake that is put in front of us. It is only harder for our children. There is no reason for schools to put kids in this situation. I do believe in all foods in moderation. But our children have plenty of exposure to unhealthy foods outside of school. They don't need to have them in school. The average classroom has 26 students; that means there are 26 birthday cupcakes to contend with. Then you add in celebrations for Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc. Many classes have a party every week! I have put together a list of healthy birthday celebration options to distribute to schools. Feel free to contact me for more information at info@drweigh.com. We can celebrate our children's birthdays without sacrificing their health!
Joanna Dolgoff, M.D.
http://www.DrWeigh.com
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6-25-2009 @ 2:23PM
florence said...I was born & grew up in West Africa, i then moved to England as a teen. I never had a weight problem till i move to the U.S as a young woman. I gained 32lbs in a blink of an eye. There were many contributing factors: The main one being the high visibility and easy access to unhealthy foods. Most Americans are not aware of how pervasive food is in this culture. If one wasn't already addicted the way of life here makes one so. Billboards, T.V, print media, masses of food retailers, even gas stations have fast food outlets. If one is able to keep it out of the public school system it is well worth it. Out of sight is out of mind. Once kids develop a taste for tasty, healthy foods, you just cant go back. Testament is my 11yr old's public show of disgust when she tasted a twinkie for the 1st time in her life. It was classic:-)
Read more about my family's journey: http://recessiongardeningtips.blogspot.com/2009/05/convincing-my-farmophobes-my-epiphany.html
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