James and I watched Super Size Me about a month ago. Although the “stuffed me fat with McDonalds” process was not as exaggerating as I have imagined, nevertheless, we went through a few days of detox programme consisting of mainly plain water, fruits, vegetables, wholemeal bread and healthy home cook dinner.

I don’t eat fast food often, only once or twice a month, most of the times KFC or pizza, thought I love McSpicy from McDonalds. After watching the show, I decided that under no circumstances I am going to introduce fast food or any other junk food to the kid in future. Ok, that probably won’t work, I shall delay the introduction as long as I could and limit the intake vigilantly.

It was also very wrong of me to think that most Singapore parents are health conscious when it comes to their kids. The McDonalds and KFC across the street are always pack with families dumping burgers, fries and soft drinks into their mouth. I hope they don’t do it often. I still remember my overweight students panting breathlessly and sweating like nobody’s business after their Trim and Fit programme (aka TAF, really tough for them), they were those who drank soft drinks and ate fried chicken wings all the time.

Anyway, back to the main story. I was at Jacqueline’s daughter, Ashley’s first birthday party last Sunday with my baby. There was this very adorable looking girl, about 2 years old, eating beehoon and cleaning the meat off a chicken wing. My first impression was that she must be a very good eater being able to take adult food. Then, one Aunty started to distribute potato chips, and the girl happily ate them one after another. The parents looked on as happily as the girl. I was around, and Yauyau was offered a piece too. Phew! Luckily she got only one tooth so I didn’t need to invent any excuses to decline the good intention. And Dory, luckily you didn’t left your Ryan with that Aunty; else he would be savoring chips too.

Then Ashley was offered one. The parents were busy entertaining other guest, so she happily took the chip and went munching away. You should look at the thick layer of orange coloured powdery seasoning coating the chip. How many kids would resist that kind of taste! When Jac discovered what had happened, it was too late, Ashley almost finished the treat. Upon seeing Jac getting so worked up over a tiny piece of chip, the Aunty quickly commented that it won’t kill the baby. Then she pointed to the other girl and praised her parents for letting her eat everything, chicken wing, chocolate, soft drinks, fried noodles, sweet, chips, anything the adults take. The ultimate wisdom was “must let the children eat everything, especially the sweet and the salty food, so that the sugar and the salt will go into the bones and strengthen their bones!” Reason? “Last time parents where got restrict this restrict that, the children everything also eat what, all so healthy.”

Allo auntie, I really don’t know where you get those ideas from. When I was a kid, I ate everything, but junk food weren’t available to me readily, so my everything consists of mainly fresh food and plain water. Sugar and salt don’t strengthen the bones like what you thought. Overload the kid’s body with them, plus the artificial colouring, preservative, MSG, chemicals and other load of shit, you are paving the road for the organs to go on strike one day. We parents should be cultivating healthier eating habits to the kids. I really wonder why some parents would want to dump rubbish into their children on a regular basis. I know occasional treat won’t hurt, but with so many varieties out there, a new junky treat a day means a new trashy food into their system everyday forever.