A father who admitted to putting his nine-year-old daughter on a diet has been accused of ‘damaging her emotionally’ and putting her at risk of an eating disorder.
The dad, 34, believed to be from the US, revealed on Reddit that after noticing his child had developed ‘a belly’, he started cutting snacks, applying portion control and taking her to parent-child classes at his local gym four times a week.
But his little girl, he referred to as M, then started crying at a sleepover because she was afraid people would hate her if she got fat, prompting her mother to stop him from seeing until he changes his ways.
The dad said he only had her best interests at heart, but Redditors slammed the father for imposing his health ideals on to a nine-year-old without consulting a professional.
A father believed to be from the US, 34, was slammed online after he admitted on Reddit he put his daughter through a diet after noticing she was carrying some puppy fat (stock image)
The father explained he thought his ex-partner was not doing enough to keep their daughter healthy, and that he didn’t feel his daughter’s two 90-minute sessions of physical activity a week month were enough.
After being ‘shut down’ by his ex when he tried to discuss it, the father who shares custody of their daughter, decided to start using a portion control plate when his daughter stayed with him.
He also began packing ‘lean lunches’ for her, including carrot sticks, yogurt and flavoured steamed chicken breast – instead of letting her buy food.
The father also decided to take his daughter to parent-child classes at his local gym four times a week, and explained he told the little girl they were ‘working to set her up for the future, being physically fit and mindful of what she eats.’
However, things came to a head when he sent his daughter to a birthday party and sleepover with veggies and hummus as a snack.
The Reddit post shared by the child’s father where he explained he didn’t think his daughter was healthy enough in spite of exercising 90 minutes a week already
‘She made a little fuss about not getting candy but seemed fine,’ the father wrote.
However, he was not expecting his ex-partner to call him, upset, the next day to tell him the children had been comparing snacks at the movies.
‘M told the other kids that they were gonna get fat and unhealthy because their parents gave them those snacks.
She said she had to eat the veggies so she could lose weight, and she wasn’t allowed any popcorn (I never said this).
‘Then at their house after they ordered pizza for the kids. She refused to eat saying she was gonna get fat. The parents called ex and she came and got her,’ he went on.
People on Reddit slammed the man for putting a nine-year-old on a diet, and said this was a terrible lesson to teach a child
‘M was crying saying that she was scared if she ate anything bad she’d put on weight and everyone would hate her. She told ex about our diet and gym. I hadn’t because it was my weeks and why should I divulge all our plans.’
The father went on to explain his ex-partner was furious with him for making their daughter feel guilty about her weight, and said he could not see her until he stopped ’emotionally damaging her’.
The father, who believed he was acting in his child’s best interest, said he believed that his child would not be bigger than other girls her age if she was truly healthy.
Reddits slammed the oblivious father for putting the nine-year-old on a diet and said he may have had put on her course to develop an eating disorder.
‘Man, your daughter is NINE. She is a little chubby, for what you have said, and she was CRYING because she was scared if she ate anything. For Christ’s sake, you are f****** your daughter’s life up.,’ one said.
‘You shouldn’t be anywhere near your daughter until you resolve whatever the f*** is wrong with you in private therapy sessions. She is NINE-YEARS-OLD and there is nothing wrong with her growing body,’ said another.
Some said the father should have checked with a dietitian and could have damaged his child’s relationship with food
‘I don’t think you actually give a damn about her health. You only care about how she is perceived by others,’ they went on.
‘That is a terrible lesson to teach your kid and is definitely setting her up to have eating problems in the future. Portion control is a good thing to teach kids. Healthy eating on a daily basis is important. Teaching them to fear food and not teaching them about moderation is bad,’ said another.
‘A birthday party is a totally acceptable time to allow kids to eat some unhealthy snacks and pizza, not a time to “teach them snacks can be healthy” – surely he’s teaching her that every day? Or is he cutting out snacks completely,’ they asked.
Many criticized the father for not checking in with a pediatrician or dietitian before putting his daughter on a diet.
‘If you are worried your 9 y/o is getting overweight, you go to a doctor and if that doctor says it’s worrying, you visit a dietician. you don’t have your healthy child live on yoghurt and carrot sticks,’ one said.
Others said the father had put harmful ideas in his daughter’s mind and needed to stop before causing more damage
‘She’s NINE. Children will gain weight before going through a growth spurt,’ another wrote.
‘Your daughter is now scared to eat food because she doesn’t want to get fat and have people hate her. Whether you said these words to her or not you are the one who instilled these thoughts into her head. These are the thoughts people with an eating disorder have and she’s NINE,’ one wrote.
‘If you want to pack her healthy lunches and snacks then fine. But your way of “educating” her is making her feel shameful of her body. Imagine if your father made you think that the only way people will like/love you is if you are skinny.’
‘I hope you have a plan to undo the psychological damage you did to your nine year old daughter,’ they went on.
‘You’re ingraining harmful ideas about body image into a child. Children goes through phases as their bodies grow. You need to stop this before you cause more damage,’ another said.
‘You are teaching your kid to be afraid of food and she might start binging. She wants to eat all these “unhealthy” foods but since they are forbidden she will end up craving them and start shoving them down her throat in large portions secretly,’ one wrote, ‘you should be teaching her moderation….not avoidance.’