Restaurant Server Criticizes Lazy American Parents For Ordering Unhealthy Meals For Their Children
A waitress on TikTok called out a set of parents who often come into her restaurant and order their children the same unhealthy foods. A fierce debate quickly erupted in the since-disabled comment section and the waitress was criticized by many for “food shaming” the family.
Still, she insisted she had the children’s best interests at heart.
The restaurant server criticized ‘lazy American’ parents for ordering unhealthy meals for their children 3 to 4 times a week.
In a TikTok viewed over 177,000 timesthe Applebee’s waitress (@rissrora) shared photos of the kids’ meals that one family of regulars ordered. The plates featured a corn dog, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and onion rings.
Piotr Krzeslak | Shutterstock
“Stop feeding your kids literal trash,” she wrote. “Like, is this not an insane-looking meal for a 5-year-old?”
The waitress claimed that there are healthier options on the kid’s menu, yet the parents order the exact unhealthy meal every time they visit.
“We offer yogurt, grilled cheese, mac n cheese and so much more but you feed them…pure cholesterol???” she questioned, dubbing the parents “lazy Americans.”
The waitress’ opinions stirred an uproar among viewers and she disabled her comments section after commenters threatened her and her job.
Still, in a follow-up video, she doubled down on her original point.
The server insisted that the parents in question were doing more harm than good to their kids.
“People don’t understand that when you’re raising your kid, especially when they’re younger … you’re helping your kid develop eating patterns, and those eating patterns stay with them until they’re adults,” she explained.
“This is why people become obese,” the waitress continued. “Because you’re teaching your kid (crappy) eating patterns, and you’re not teaching your kid how to eat in moderation, and now they don’t know how to eat.”
“Am I food shaming for saying that I don’t want five fat little kids to eat fried food every single time they come in?” she asked. “I guess I’m just not understanding.”
The waitress alleged that all five kids are not “picky toddlers,” and look to be between the ages of 5 and 10.
Childhood obesity is a major problem in America.
The server pointed to some very concerning stats to support her point.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 in 5 U.S. children are obese — about 14.7 million U.S. youths.
Several factors contribute to childhood obesity, including genetic factors, health conditions, medications, cultural factors, and — most relevant to this discussion — family and home environment factors.
The Cleveland Clinic noted that “shared family behaviors and home environment factors can contribute to childhood obesity.” This includes “the type of food parents and caregivers offer their children and how often.”
For these reasons, the waitress does not believe that she was wrong to call out the parents who “clearly don’t care about their kids” by feeding them junk food constantly. However, others online disagreed with her.
Viewers pointed out that we and the waiter do not know the details of this family’s personal life.
Some commenters noted that the kids could struggle with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a condition in children that causes extremely selective eating habits and little interest in eating.
When they do eat, it is often a limited variety of preferred food since they tend to have strong negative reactions to smells, tastes, textures, or colors of foods.
When it comes to kids with ARFID, it’s a miracle when their parents can get them to eat at all, healthy or unhealthy. So, while regularly eating corn dogs and fried food may be appalling to some parents, others breathe a sigh of relief when their kids pick up a couple of mozzarella sticks at the end of each day. To them, a fed kid is all that matters.
As important as healthy eating habits are, every family’s circumstances are different.
Some may be on a tight budget that only allows them to get cheaper, unhealthy options. Some may have limited time between work and school and can only afford fast food some nights. Others may struggle with health issues like ARFID.
Instead of criticism, offer understanding and grace. Encourage balanced choices while respecting the complexities of modern-day parenting.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
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