AIBU to think the teachers were unprofessional about my son's lunch?

[SonnyHoney]

My 16-year-old son went on a biology trip today. He's currently doing A levels. He took a portion of fried mince (seasoned) and rice that he made yesterday with him. It was a fairly large portion. He is underweight and has been bulking by eating lots of protein and carbohydrates.

He said that both of his biology teachers put him on the spot for a good few minutes about his lunch choice. They were laying into him about how he needs more fibre in his diet and they didn't pick on anyone elses food. He is actually quite a shy lad, and he finds it hard to stick up for himself against adults.

I told him he needs to stick up for himself, and he said it was very hard to stick up to his biology teachers. Which I do understand as mentioned he is a 16 year old lad, and they are two women in their late 30s. He says that one of these teachers in particular is always picking on him. Other people in the class have noticed it as well, supposedly.

Am I being unreasonable to think its highly unprofessional for 2 teachers in their 30s to put a shy lad on the spot in front of all his peers and make him feel uncomfortable about his food choices for several minutes.

I've been a scout leader, and I'm now a guide leader and I'd never treat a teen like this.

Oh be quiet it’s not like it’s a greasy takeaway.

It seems very unreasonable to.me
a) Biology teachers are not nutritionists
b) He couldn't make any changes while on a trip.

Well, I think they were out of order and are too teachery.

Telling a 16 year old their lunch will give them cancer is not “making conversation”!

I struggle with being anaemic so red meat is essential in my diet. Tofu isn’t going to cut it.

I went on a school trip today. I forgot about my lunch until this morning, so grabbed some crisps, Kipling cakes and a punnet of cherries!

We sat away from the students and no one gave a second thought about what anyone else was eating!

I don't think the issue is the food.

I think the issue is that the OP sees a conversation like this as 'unprofessional', 'laying into him' and 'picking on his food'.

If this is what he's been raised to believe, it's no wonder they picked the wrong child to have a simple, mature conversation with that others would've been happy to have.

I guess they weren't to know.

That’s completely inappropriate behaviour from the teachers. Also, although this isn’t really the point, it was only one meal so it’s pretty ridiculous to make judgments about your son’s diet based on that.

Except nobody told him his lunch will give him cancer.

I can’t see why they thought it was any of their business. If they had concerns about his diet (based on more than what they saw at one lunch), then that’s a different conversation that should be had in private.

I’d love to have seen their lunches! Personally it’s none of their business what a 16 year old lad eats.

Except if you read OPs second post they actually did

If a teacher is genuinely worried about a child's food (not just young children) they do have a responsibility. But not like this, criticising him in front of everyone else. And saying he should be veggie, where do they get off? While it's perfectly possible to be a healthy vegetarian, there are risks of a "bad" non meat diet.
I usually have lots of respect for teachers, but according to this site a lot of teachers are leaving the profession-hope the ones that stay aren't all like these.

Why are you picking on him now? This thread has taken a bizarre turn.

And yes, OP. It was weird that they went on about it. What you do depends on how your son wants you to proceed I guess? A phone call to the school plus strategies to help him to stand up for himself (shouldn't need to against a teacher though!).

A) they know the same as we do that this isn’t healthy

B) he could consider making changes long term

I’d be worried about the rice and this heat on a school trip. But I do agree they should butt out, what if they’d said that to a girl, there would be uproar!

Is it just me who doesn’t understand what the problem is with his lunch? I’m sure he gets fibre from other sources.

No they actually didn't.

And this is the problem with conversations like this.

You've got the OP talking about 'the worst lunch in the world' (which wasn't said) and now you saying they told him his lunch will give him cancer, which also wasn't said.

They (apparently according to the OP) said 'Red meat gives you bowel cancer'.

And I'd wager a bet that what they actually said was too much red meat can give you bowel cancer.

I’d bet that he is eating pretty much just beef mince and white rice. And his teachers expressed appropriate concerns.

They must have more time and energy than me because I work in HE and couldn’t give a flying fuck what any of my students eat. Maybe if they told me about their food I’d make polite conversation but i don’t think these teachers actually truly care. Maybe your “shy” son was being arrogant about what he was eating and saying this was an ideal way to eat (although it’s not too bad, mince is fine as is white rice, it just needs a bit of veg with it).
But I promise that the vast majority of teachers cannot be arsed to “pick on” or bully a student. Correcting someone for something isn’t bullying.

I’d be furious about this. Fibre? No one needs it. Haven’t touched it in 5 years and I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been. Don’t even get me started on red meat causes bowel cancer . I’d report them

Surely its better than a typical packed lunch of a sandwich made with cheap white bread, bag of crisps, some sugary thing and a fizzy drink? With a small apple/orange thrown in to be "healthy". Or a supermarket meal deal of the same?

Not really. They’re about the same.

Are you on crack? Lean red meat is very healthy and white rice is the staple diet in countries that have much lower cancer and obesity rates than us. Seriously.

It doesn’t surprise me that this is as far as your reasoning skills can take you.