WELL LOVED CHILDREN DON'T TRY TO FILL THE VOID WITH FOOD
By Claire Marketos
Children become susceptible to obesity when they feel unloved and have low self esteem. As Muzi Kuzwayo stated in the article "Buck stops with parents, not advertisers" (Sunday Times, August 26), it is the "insatiable emptiness", and loneliness that some children feel, even within a family that makes them turn to food to fill this void.
While lonely children can be more vulnerable to advertising, it is ultimately the parents who control what their children eat. If a parent is lazy the child can quickly slip into bad eating habits. Parents are responsible for purchasing food and for taking children to "junk food" outlets. The parents are the ones who buy the T.V. that gives children access to advertising. While many parents work long hours and constantly feel guilty for not having enough time for their children, they should not give into their children's demands because of feelings of guilt.
Here are some guidelines for healthy eating, that don't require much effort on the part of the parent:
Take ten minutes to make your children feel loved, and they won't need food to make them feel better;
Talk to your children about good eating habits, and how advertising can affect them, so they won't be easily influenced by advertisements and friends;
Ensure that you don't perpetuate the cycle of bad eating habits that you may have inherited, by choosing to buy healthy foods, when you are shopping for your children;
Embrace healthy living by involving your children in the preparation of meals, and exercise, rather than doing a drive-through; and be firm and say no when they beg for "junk food". They will thank you when they are older and healthy.
While advertisers have an ethical responsibility not to brainwash or mislead our children, it is parents who are responsible for giving children what they need to be happy and successful. (Sunday Times, September 2, 2007)