Should children be aloud to eat fast food?

June 26, 2011 3:25am CST
I always think about this, and if children should be eating fastfood? My child has the occasional happy meal, like once every 2months so not very regular at all. To be honest I am not keen on him eating such processed food that has no goodness or substance to it. But then why would anyone want there child eating like this? KFC, burger king, pizza hut, Mcdonalds, Subway, Wimpy, Starburger, Wendys and god knows there are hundreds that I cannot list every takeaway posible. Everything coated in sale, E numbers, processed and so bad its found that it can actually cause health problems! So is it right for children to eat this rubbish or to be given it when they don't even understnd the crap were feeding them is terribly bad and cause obesity, diabetes,and more underlying health problems in the long run. Why don't we make fresh at home, chicken nuggets from scratch, burgers, chips and they can all be prepared and cooked in a much healthier way for our children and not have any additives or rubbish thrown into them. Why are we as parents so bought into the whole Ronald Mcdonald, KFC and every other takeaway scheme?
3 people like this
22 responses
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
26 Jun 11
I knew a girl who was a single mother to 2 year old twins and every single day she would feed them fast food. When they would get rowdy, she would tell them "You're not getting your fries!" I was so shocked and she told me when she was pregnant all she ate and craved was some double cheese burger at the fast food. She remarried this guy that said the doctors assume he'll be getting diabetes by the time he's 23 as he was eating a burger.
1 person likes this
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
28 Jun 11
Hi Lore! It scares me to hear that story. Feeding the children with fast food it like ruining their body with diseases in the future. Eating fried foods is not good as it contains high of sodium and children is easily to get addicted to it. Hope the mom could change the eating habit. Poor the child~
27 Jun 11
This is my ecaxt point, this is why parents should be keeping a real eye on what there children are eating. I wouldn't want to see my child become ill because of my own foolishness
28 Jun 11
Hope it all works out Lore.
• Philippines
26 Jun 11
Yes of course but in moderation because we know as adults that it is not good for our health either. Give them the pleasure of eating in their favorite fast food once in a while as part of their growing up. At home, discuss to them the importance of eating healthy so they would understand why they don't have to eat there always.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
27 Jun 11
I agree with you. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children to eat the right kinds of food at an early age so they'll know how to eat properly when the right time comes. Some parents overindulge their children in eating junk foods that doesn't give any nutrients to our body.
26 Jun 11
I agree with this, my son will occasionally have a happy meal from MCD's but every 2months id say as I don't like him eating the rubbish. Id rather come home and make him fish fingers or nuggets from scratch with the chips and he wont no any different. It's out faults in a sense as we introduce our children to these foods
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@makatas (1098)
• Greece
26 Jun 11
When we were children we had this kind of fast food once per 4 months. We had other kinds of national only fast food, which however is way more nutritious than the usual McDonalds style fast food. That other kind, we ate maybe twice per month. At the moment I cannot think of one single reason why someone would go eat at McDonalds style fast food. People never seize to amaze me, though.
1 person likes this
26 Jun 11
I mean don't get me wrong if we went seaside wed have fish and chips, but we never had takaways as our meals in evenings like kebabs, chinese and mcdonalds. My mum would cook from scratch for us
@makatas (1098)
• Greece
26 Jun 11
Sorry but chinese and kebabs do not qualify for fast food.
• Philippines
26 Jun 11
I don't have a kid but I think that bringing a kid into a fast food restaurant is like a reward for the kid. As parents who want to please their kid of mundane but tasty and addictive food, my parents often allow me to eat fast food even we have health issues in the family. I liked fast food until now becuase it is fast and hot but I also exercise some restraint due to the food prices (they often carry tax) and my health as well. I like your notion of cooking the 'fast food menu' in the home. However, I doubt if your kid will make the transition easy. The only thing that attract kids to the fast food in the first place is it's distinctive taste. The taste is part of what makes it not healthy but kids don't care about that. They only care that they eat tasty food and admit it, some of the most nutritious food aren't exactly the best in taste. I guess the reason why parents let the fast food in their kid's lives is that they want to please the kid. It's like denying him the luxury of having something when you can afford it. Like a guilty trap, parents often use this to 'score points' and make the impression that Mom or Dad is cool and can relate to a kid's tastes.
1 person likes this
26 Jun 11
I use to think of it as a reward but how is it rewarding a child by giving them something that is really bad for them and in the long run can do more harm then good?! But I think parents should take a step up in the healthy notion of food, I mean aske parents would they for example feed there child teaspoons of salt or sugar? Of course you wouldnt and this is what weare all doing by giving them this fast food. I don't believe it denying them of atreat, my son is 16months of age i try and make sure he has a well balanced diet everyday of his life, the odd naughty treat for me doesn't hurt but I want him to see it as when we go to town going to a fresh bakers and buying a freshly prepared sandwich, baguette, sausage roll, panini just something along those lines as treat and this is what we do for our son
1 person likes this
@sjvg1976 (41134)
• Delhi, India
27 Jun 11
Hello katrinakat1987, Fast food is not at all good for the health of children therefore they should avoid it.junk food/fast food do not have any thing in it means nutrients in it so whats the use of eating it as we know for grown up child balanced diet containing protein, carbohydrates,vitamins,fats etc in some proportion is essential to boost child's growth.Moreover Fast food are unhygienic for health as most of the time these are not fresh prone to diseases like cholera etch as they are kept in open sometimes. I don't prefer fast food & don't allow my children also to eat it.
@sjvg1976 (41134)
• Delhi, India
27 Jun 11
There can be differences of opinion that hardly matters.
28 Jun 11
Thank you for your comments
27 Jun 11
I couldn't agree more with you.
• Philippines
26 Jun 11
Too much is harmful so for me it is OK to expose your child to different foods but not too much.I remember when my teacher said it is OK to eat fast food in street so that your immune system will be immune to that kind of foods.They may cause health problems if practice regularly or too much.When I was a kid I want to try foods other than my parents prepared in the house.
1 person likes this
26 Jun 11
But the things is these foodscan be tried at home, like homemade burgers, kebabs, chinese, nuggets, chicken burgers along with 100's of other things but the only difference is that you know completely whats going into them and thats its better for your child
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
27 Jun 11
I dont think fast food is good for anyone to eat all time. I try as much as possible to avoid eating at fast food places. For one its expensive to eat there and two the food is just not very healthy. When we go to fast food places I try to choose healthy things. For instance at mcdonalds I will get a fruit and yogurt parfait. They actually have other things on the kids menu now like mandarin oranges. Thats a lot healthier then the chocolate chip cookies I used to get there when I was younger.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
28 Jun 11
HI Shaggin! I found that fast food can not make my tummy full and I would think to eat more evn if I just eat them. It won't last for a long hour as the hunger will haunt me after a few minutes! It is not worth with the money we spend for it~
28 Jun 11
I always find once I have eaten a meal form mcdonals or burger king, no matter the size, I could eat a full emal again an hour or two later. it doesn't seem to fill me up.
27 Jun 11
See you can see that it is bad but small moderation is ok and also you look for the healthy options. Your'e not making excuses, but I completely agree with you
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
28 Jun 11
I think it is the responsibility of parents especially the mother to prepare healthy food for the family. Fastfood will kill your children little by little. We know how unhealthy the foods there are but still many parents either do not know, or do not really believe or do really mind because they are too busy perhaps or too lazy maybe, or in most cases too ignorant.
28 Jun 11
But I think its a duty as a parent to find this out for our child and do our best in making they have the best start in life and that they are nice and healthy.
@YINGTANG (133)
• China
26 Jun 11
I think they can eat,but don't eat so much.
@YINGTANG (133)
• China
27 Jun 11
That's a good idea.
• Philippines
27 Jun 11
Yeah! Anything excessive, even if it is healthy or not, is bad. Let those children enjoy their fast food meals once in a while. Anyway, those fast food meals are still food and regulated by authorities. It's like paering their taste bud every now and then. Just keep it at moderation.
26 Jun 11
I agree, i believe in moderation aswell. but some children eat likeit everyday of there lives?!
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
27 Jun 11
Hi Katrina! I really love this subject of topic! I really loves discussing things about fast food or anything that has something to do with it. Should children be aloud to eat fast food??It depends on the child parents. We usually found parents who both mom and pa working outside and it is such a difficult thing for them to serve a healthy meal for their children. A real big BUT, it is not a reason for why they can't avoid such meals from their children as well. To have them once in a while is fine to me. I even bring my niece and nephews to a fast food restaurant but it will be once in one in a month. But to have them as an everyday meal is a big NO from me. It same goes to junk or instant food. I prefer home-cooked meal than the one I get from the fast-food restaurant. Subway is a healthy meal as far as I know if we do know how to select the perfect topping.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
28 Jun 11
Oh really?? Is it from the meatball or from the whole sandwich??? 27 packets of crisps is too much! I read some reports that it depends on the topping we chose. If we choose more vegetable it will be more healthy right?
28 Jun 11
I watched a programme on subway and the footlong meatball marinara contains the same amount of salt thats in 27packets of crisps! They are infact really enough, they contain so much additives and aren't as fresh as they say they are
• Philippines
27 Jun 11
For the fun of it and for my own enlightenment, I once posted myself in a big supermarket in Manila (I now reside in Davao City) at such a location that I could see people going in and out of a world-famous fastfood restaurant. I counted the people going out. Then I transferred to another location in the same supermarket, this time to again make a headcount of the customers of another world-famous fastfood restaurant. You know what I found? 6 out of 10 people dining or taking out food at these two restaurants were undeniably obese. I'm fortunate I don't have a yearning for fastfood. I avoid it when there are other foods. With the kind of food sold by fastfood restaurants today, you had think that these companies were chaired by Lucrezia Borgia. Among other claims to infamy, she was notorious as a poisoner using food and drink as a means to dispose of her enemies.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
28 Jun 11
The restaurants here are always full with lots of people till I can't how many of them are being obese! It is good to hear that you made a little observation on that. Whenever I feel I want to eat fast food i will go to the restaurant which has many customers so there will be no seats and I need to be in a long queue. I don't want to wait and this will stop me from but the fast food.
27 Jun 11
This made me chuckle, the part where you said you sat outside counting. I think thats quite amussing. But its the same in my town, when we do go mcdonalds (very very rare) but there is all shapes and sizes but most of them bein obese and I wonder why they carry on eating it, they must know they aren't well or the underlying problems that it will cause.
28 Jun 11
Im going to do this one day when I eventually go back to a fast food restaurant, then report back to here and let you all know what happens
@godfever (21)
27 Jun 11
in my opinion i think children should not aloud to eat fast food regularly.. if they do so then they will face many problem like obesity etc. once they are habitual of fast food then they will not like homefood and wanna to eat fast food.. it doesnot mean that they will not fastfood they are allow to eat fastfood ocassionaly....
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
27 Jun 11
We can't blame the fast-food restaurant alone for a reason they would cause an obesity. There are many other reasons which contribute to those disease. I even met with families who don't eat instant food, they prefer home-cooked meals yet they suffer from both obesity and diabetes. Because the way they cook the meal is similar to the way the staff at the fast-food restaurant do. Types of meals with more calories, more fried foods with high usage of MSG/sodium and lack of exercises. I can't imagine if they consume both home-cooked and fast-food everyday. If they do know that life is not just about food~ We can't die if we don't eat for several hours huh??
27 Jun 11
I do agree wth what you are saying, thank you for your comment
@godfever (21)
26 Jun 11
ya abcouse .. because fast food is for childrens not for old age peoples.they have to enjoy it .. they are eat for their tastee..
26 Jun 11
I see old people sitting in mcd's when I go, and it's not just for the young what a stupid comment, its for people of all ages. Aslong as the companies are making money do you think they trully care? NO
• India
26 Jun 11
Our childrens health is the most important to all the parents.So why should we be the reason to cause of any diseases,for our children..Nothing is worth in these world than a mothers food.Its our duty to safeguard our kids and should not make them to be adicted from outer foods.Childrens wont understand the causes of the other foods until we make them understand.We can avoid taking them to hotels instead,go to someother places and we can take some snacks with us.So,everything is in our hand.We cant change the world for the foods style like burger,pizza or what ever it may be.
26 Jun 11
This is completely right and I agree with what you are saying its down to the parenting skills I believe and how you present food to a child aswell
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
6 Jul 11
Parents should really be more responsible but the bottom line is, you cannot tell people what they can and cannot eat. It's up to the population to form committees to close these businesses but they are just too convenient and society is too busy.
@elmiko (6630)
• United States
26 Jun 11
yes, i think its overkill to not allow children to eat fastfood.
26 Jun 11
We will have to agree to disagree But even if it means in time they become obeast, get a heart condition, diabetes and all thesecan kill a person! But oh well let them eat, what harm can it do!!!!
@tash01 (2030)
• Jamaica
28 Jun 11
I only make my son easy a little fast food once in a while, i rather prepare my food at home for my kid.My son love KFC and Burger king,and to be honest i only take him once in a while.Its not that i cant afford it,but i love when kids eat healthy food.Kids can east fast food, but not too much grease.I am a good cook,and i love to cook every single so that he can eat healthy so that's why i only take him once in a while. Because when kids are consuming a lot of grease, it may not affect them but in the long run will affect them.Parents should take their time out to prepare their children food at home,so that the kids can eat healthy and grown healthy an strong.
@ritzz07 (788)
• India
26 Jun 11
hi katrinakat it depends what types of values you are giving to ur kids if you teaching them what is good for their health i am sure they take that only and will avoid which is not good and this is also also depends on the way how do you explain them........and it is said in ayurveda that"you are what you eat "...............
@tink91879 (742)
• United States
26 Jun 11
I dont think kids should eat fast food all the time either. Mine get it more than they should. I prefer to cook at home and know what my kids are eating. We do pizza every friday for pizza and movie night and I buy the frozen pizza reading some of the ingriedients. I really need to make my own. I dont blame the fast food companies though for children obesity or any other health problems. We as parents need to teach our children how to eat and introduce them to healthy foods. I have my children try everything. We go to many different ethnic restaraunts. I would like them to not just want three different types of food. I cook different things and they try them. I know some parents just give in, my kid will only eat this or that, so thats all I fix. The parents who might be a single parent and its easier to pick up fast food. They just fall into a routine and I dont blame them for being tired and not wanting to go home and cook. My husband is in the Navy and gone for months at a time and its exhausting raising two kids on my own and Im a stay at home Mom. Its just learning new ways to live. Some families spend a day cooking meals for the week. They freeze them and than when its dinner time they have a meal thats ready to heat up and serve. We just need to learn how to live different.
@gamma9967 (607)
• India
26 Jun 11
Nowadays children are exposed to a lot of fast food because everywhere the fast food is available easily and it does not cost a lot.I think children should not be allowed to eat fast food because it is not healthy for the body and it also leads to obesity.Once in a while it is fine but not always.