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Raw Fruitarian Diet for a Child

79 replies

Rawfruitarian · 06/09/2023 14:06

I have a friend who feeds their child a raw fruitarian diet, they feed the child only raw fruit (a mixed of various fruits) and different type of nuts. The child is quite small for their age, but they explain this as one of them was very small as a child and that the child takes after that parent. The child was fed this diet from birth and he was breastfed until around 3 years old. Apart from being small, the child seems to be developing fine, in speech etc..
Is this considered child abuse? I have tried to talk to my friend, but they do not even want to engage in the subject, they do believe that this diet is the best and they (the adults) mainly follow it too, which a few exceptions here and there (as in they will rarely have some cooked food). Is there anything I can do or should I stay out of it?

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LifesShortTalkFast · 06/09/2023 21:42

frankly I have has to bite my tongue on so many occasions when people are having creatine, high protein diets, vitamin infusions. People think they're doing these things for the best and often don't realise the renal damage

I have an (adult) family member who now has permanent kidney damage because she was convinced that drinking huge amounts of water daily over the long term would prevent cancer. Nobody could convince her otherwise🙄

But there's a difference when adults suffer the consequences of crazy fad diets as opposed to children being put at risk by stubbornly ignorant parents.

I have little empathy for a parent that can see that their child isn't thriving and has severe dental problems but refuses to connect the dots and continues on with a raw fruit and nut diet. You don't have to be a nutritionist to figure out this is not an adequate diet for a developing child (or anyone else). It's more than stupid to continue on with this; it's plain old abuse. "The parents meant well" isn't a valid excuse for neglect and abuse.

LylaLee · 06/09/2023 22:18

LifesShortTalkFast · 06/09/2023 21:42

frankly I have has to bite my tongue on so many occasions when people are having creatine, high protein diets, vitamin infusions. People think they're doing these things for the best and often don't realise the renal damage

I have an (adult) family member who now has permanent kidney damage because she was convinced that drinking huge amounts of water daily over the long term would prevent cancer. Nobody could convince her otherwise🙄

But there's a difference when adults suffer the consequences of crazy fad diets as opposed to children being put at risk by stubbornly ignorant parents.

I have little empathy for a parent that can see that their child isn't thriving and has severe dental problems but refuses to connect the dots and continues on with a raw fruit and nut diet. You don't have to be a nutritionist to figure out this is not an adequate diet for a developing child (or anyone else). It's more than stupid to continue on with this; it's plain old abuse. "The parents meant well" isn't a valid excuse for neglect and abuse.

How much water was she drinking?

YoungYankee · 06/09/2023 23:59

morknmindi · 06/09/2023 20:41

Some years ago I went on a school trip with my daughters class when they were 5.

I was given four children to supervise including my daughter. We were walking from the school to a local park.

One of my wards was a small boy called Jack with pale, almost translucent skin. He was very weak and not at all lively like the other children.

We made it to the park and he semi collapsed and I was concerned he was going to faint.

The other kids were not bothered and neither was the teacher and they all said that he's always flaking out with tiredness!

The kid looked like he had run a marathon.

We opened their lunch boxes (no restrictions back them, kids could have anything) and his was mainly fruit. Just fruit and some cucumber.

I thought perhaps he was just a fussy eater but I was greatly concerned about his lethargy.

I tried talking to him and he admitted that he never walked anywhere. What about in the supermarket I asked. No, mummy leaves him in the car. (2003)

The teaching assistant, a young lady who I was friendly with as she had been an assistant for my older child, came over and wanted to have a quiet word. She expressed grave concerns about the boy and had reported it but other than the teacher having a chat with the mother, nothing further had been done.

She told me the boy's mother was a vegan and that the school had strict instructions about what he could eat.

I said I wanted to report it not just die his well-being but he was ruining the ousting for the other children as we all had to wait for him practically limping along. Not his fault but I was annoyed he was in my group and felt the school should be taking things further about the poor boys health.

He looked like death warmed up.

Later, my daughter confirmed everything the teaching assistant said. He was falling asleep in class!

I made an appointment at first with the teacher who shrugged it off and then with the head who also didn't seem too concerned but said he would speak to the mother himself.

Then the next thing I know the boy was taken out of school and I have no idea what happened to him.

That's harrowing. I hope he's OK. 🙏

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SafferUpNorth · 07/09/2023 08:01

YoungYankee · 06/09/2023 23:59

That's harrowing. I hope he's OK. 🙏

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Oh god, this is such a disturbing story - it was clear for all to see the boy was weak and malnourished, yet school staff respected the parents' ridiculous, damaging instructions and shrugged their shoulders when concerns were raised. Enabling neglect.

I sincerely hope SS got involved and this poor child is now OK. Then again, he might be dead.

@Rawfruitarian let this be a cautionary tale - if you don't speak up, it's possible no one else will. Good luck. Please let us know how it goes.

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