Background: My parents, (51 M) & (53 F) have been on the “Optavia” diet, a soy based MLM diet scheme that keeps you in a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.
I’m currently a student in high school, and i’ve noticed that I’ve been getting very skinny recently as putting on weight has been a difficult task to achieve since i’m fairly peckish and have a fast metabolism. In the past few years I have been trying to cut down on man made ingredients in an effort to better my health, and I like cooking and eating a mostly paleo diet with some exceptions. It was my new year’s resolution to try and achieve a completely paleo diet in order to help achieve a healthy weight and reduce acne, to which I asked my parents for their support to achieve. Recently my parents have only bought junk food. Sugary cereals, chocolatey snacks, frozen foods, home cooked meals also having little to no nutritional value. It has been extremely upsetting as I feel extremely depressed and insomnious when I do not eat whole foods. This is not just concerning for simply just myself as recently my father has been hacking and wheezing after every “meal” to the point of being completely out of breath.
Today after having to take some of my parents “Optavia” to eat after school I discovered that the “meal plan” my parents have been on is a scheme designed to put people in a calorie deficit to lose weight. The company has been notorious for their soy protein isolate formula that gives people gall stones, as well as causes them to rapidly increase in weight after getting off the diet as it does not teach healthy eating habits. The worst part is my parents pay $400-500 per package to have it delivered to our home.
Ensuring there is healthy food for me to eat has been a battle at home. I have to constantly nag my parents to buy food when the fridge is low on healthy options, or resort to eating the processed food they purchase instead. My suspicion for the past few months has been that they spend the money dedicated to groceries on junk food as it appears to be cheaper. I generally get the response that they cannot afford to go grocery shopping at the moment, forcing me to either buy my own food out, or revert to eating junk food.
Following my discover I am immediately upset, as the money that could be going into a healthy diet has been going into a MLM scheme. Food choices have been a major problem at home for several months, and I have been considering confronting them about purchase decisions at the grocery. Am I the asshole for wanting to give my parents an intervention and quit “Optavia” in favor of healthy eating habits?
That is a very low calorie diet that is not good for growing teenagers. Is there any way they can give you money to buy food for yourself? Maybe you should speak to a counselor at school who can talk to your parents.
NTA but they aren’t likely to quit.
I don’t personally eat the products, and generally do not receive money from them for food even if asked as there is food at home, just not much that is healthy.
Sounds like all of you have an eating disorder
NTA You should definitely have access to healthy options at home. Don’t get me wrong, we all love a treat every now and then, but especially at your age, you should be ensuring you have regular balanced meals. As a student you are likely to be fairly active, probably do a PE class at school and are bound to metabolise faster. Your body is still developing and growing and you need the right foods to maintain not only your energy levels but also your ability to absorb information. If the brain is not well fed you are not going to do as well in school. Likely because you will become fatigued, sluggish, have poor concentration and memory retention.
Don’t tell your parents what to do- no one responds well to that. Instead present them with the information and encourage them to at least provide the correct foods for you. Use printed health information, leaflets and website links.
Secondary to your health is theirs. This should be the order of priority imo. Again present the information. Facts over opinions. You can’t argue with facts!
Good luck 🥗
Thank you for your comment, I should definitely keep my cool about this and maybe an intervention really won’t be affective.
YTA for trying to change their diet. You should just be lobbying to make sure they keep healthy food for you in the house.
NTA. Is it possible to convince your parents to meet as a family with a dietitian or nutritionist (medically licensed professionals and not MLM hubs) Maybe hearing it from a professional might be more helpful
NTA: You deserve healthy nutritous food especially at this critical developmental time
How old are you?
How old are you?
NTA for wanting to see your parents healthy but just know they very likely won’t listen to you because you’re “just a kid” and letting someone else make their food choices for them is easy.
Also, the sad truth is, as you point out, processed food is cheaper than healthy/“real” food. It’s also easier. There are some ways around it…but it’s harder than just buying the crap food.
Your best bet is to get a job and start buying your own food. If your parents want to get on board all the better.
I’d be loath not to mention that a “calorie deficit” is generally how diets work.
Also, if you are an incredibly picky eater, it may not be ideal to try niche diets.
Real talk tho, tell them that if you don’t get grocery money you’re going to tell someone at school that they are not providing food for you and the school WILL call CPS. NTA I guess
Which is it, are they buying only sugary junk food or are they starving themselves on a meal plan? Because you say both.