to want to kidnap my 2 year old nephew and feed him biscuits?

[dilemma456]

My nephew (nearly 3) is a vegeterian - my SIL's choice and not one that my brother supports though he tolerates it.

He is also denied anything but organic vegetables, nuts or dairy products and only brown bread and not allowed cake, biscuits or anything processed. He is even stopped from eating anything but the food his mum brings him at birthday parties. Even when he goes to visit family she sends a packed meal or there is a list we can choose from

There are no health problems and my SIL is lovely apart from this obsessive behaviour over food.

AIBU to want to spirit him away to a table covered in crisps, chocolates and biscuits? I don't mind the vegeterian side of things but the rest is wearing.

I remember the days, ten or so years ago, when parents were as worried as you like about inciting anorexia in their children. Don't mention weight around your teenage daughters (in particular, although anorexia wasn't exclusive to girls), don't worry too much about calorie intake, because the risk is that children may acquire an unhealthy attitude to food and anorexia has serious and immediate health risks. Don't project your opinions on calorie intakes, fat levels and so on because children need fat (back then parents were giving toddlers skim milk and were ending up malnourished on raw calorie intake), and groups of teenagers (in particular) might take control in ways you don't like.

Phew! Good thing anorexia's not a problem any more, now it's OK for schools to write letters home telling people to lose weight.

Interesting and timely article in today's Telegraph HERE about the New Food Taboos.

There is so much anxiety around what we feed our kids nowadays, and it's hard to see where it's come from. DS is only 14, but I don't recall anyone (even the strictest veggies) ever sending their own food parcels to children's parties - that would have been considered utterly barking and extremely rude, unlesss the child suffered from a food allergy. Who on earth forbids their kids from eating a slice of home-made birthday cake?

Food has replaced sex as the new parenting taboo. Some parents are as obssessed with preventing their children from eating "bad foods" as our Victorian forebears were about preventing their children from wanking.

And of course, by a handy co-incidence "good" good either requires more money, more time, more skill or sometimes all three. Therefore parents who are obsessing about it (really, it's a wonder anyone born thirty years ago survived childhood) is able to demonstrate their commitment to their children and (by implications) others' lack of care and commitment. That Telegraph article is, as you say, timely.

Rocklover you gave described the way I feed my DD's too. And everyone else I know is the same. And none of our children are overweight.