cheerios

Dietainment is in Every Child’s Day! Take the Pledge and Help #StopDietainment

November 13, 2015 by Kathryn 33 Comments

While driving my boys to school a few days ago, I asked them if they had any items on their Christmas wish list. Benjamin, my youngest son, told me that he wanted a Nintendo 3DS (something he’s wanted ever since his brother received one), and a Power Wheels vehicle. He described the drivable, battery-powered vehicle he was coveting and finished by looking at me earnestly and saying, “And Mom I looked at the commercial, and I felt like they wanted me to buy one!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his description of how the advertising had affected him, but I was also a little amazed that it had made such an impact. After a few more questions, I learned that he’d seen the Power Wheels commercial four months ago when we were staying at a hotel. All these months later, he remembered it and wanted the product. If I’d ever wondered how much of an impact advertising could have on a child, Benjamin’s experience gave me an answer.

Of course, some of the messages a child sees each day are more damaging to their self-esteem and life outlook than others. And that’s why I’ve been watching my boys for the last week to learn what kind of “Dietainment” messages they see throughout the day. Unhealthy dieting messages disguised as entertainment aren’t just emotionally damaging; they can create unhealthy eating habits as well. And I had a feeling that my boys were being affected by these messages just as much as anyone else. [Read more…]

Stopping Damaged Self-Esteem in Children Means We Need to #StopDietainment

November 6, 2015 by Kathryn 33 Comments

When I was a teenager, I was absolutely in love with women’s magazines. I started out reading magazines like Seventeen, with its stories about young celebrities, makeup tips for teens and articles about getting “him” to like you. But I soon graduated to the more mature women’s magazines: Cosmopolitan, Elle and Glamour, to name a few.

While I enjoyed the fun, lightly-presented content and some of the hilarious or heartwarming articles, I have to admit that part of what appealed to me about magazines like these was their promise that with a few simple changes, I would be prettier, sexier and, of course, thinner. At 5’7” and around 155 lbs, I was certainly wasn’t fat. But I was convinced that I was huge and though I didn’t realize it at the time, magazines like the ones I was reading were only making that worse.

Back then, there was no term for the endless ads and articles promoting a thinner, prettier, “better” you. This year, Multi-Grain Cheerios started calling it Dietainment…and went on a mission to educate parents about just how damaging it can be to our children. With my first-hand experience of the destructive power of Dietainment, I couldn’t wait to join in the movement to stop Dietainment messages from reaching our children.
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That Meaningful Connection with Somebody Special…It’s the Cheerios Effect-Giveaway

October 24, 2014 by Kathryn 80 Comments

Have you heard of the Cheerios Effect? It’s not exactly a celebration of cereal; it’s actually a real scientific principle that you can test out at home. Drop two Cheerios into a bowl of milk and eventually they will float together and connect. And just like Cheerios, we humans are hard-wired to be drawn to one another and seek out our own connections in a similar way.

I’ve had a few especially meaningful connections in my lifetime, but one of my most memorable was with my best blogging friend Jen. We first started just casually chatting online. I’d actually been a little shy about reaching out to other bloggers and she helped me realize that there was an entire supportive community that I could join. Similarly, I helped her with some of the finicky back-end things involved in running a website.

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Power Up at Breakfast with Multi-Grain Cheerios + Ancient Grains-Giveaway

July 2, 2014 by Kathryn 241 Comments

I love mixed grain products for the added nutritional benefits they provide, and Ancient Grain products tend to be a special favourite. I generally enjoy Ancient Grain blends in things like bread and tortillas, but now General Mills is bringing the blend of grains to breakfast with brand new Multi-Grain Cheerios + Ancient Grains! This combination of Multi-Grain Cheerios with puffed and toasted kamut, spelt and corn is a fun new addition to breakfast and one I couldn’t wait to try.

I have to admit, I had expected the cereal to incorporate the grains into the Cheerios themselves, so it was interesting to experience the blend of puffed kamut, spelt and corn combined with Cheerios when I poured a bowl each for my boys. Zackary and Benjamin liked the new flavour and texture the different grains added to the cereal as well as the slightly sweet cinnamon and spice flavour! [Read more…]

Take the Never Say Dieting Oath with Multi-Grain Cheerios and Create a #WorldWithoutDieting-Giveaway

February 24, 2014 by Kathryn 154 Comments

At 33 years old, I am outgoing, self-confident and comfortable with my appearance. But I wasn’t always that way. The high school years are a hard time for many girls and I was no exception. I obsessed over my body, convinced myself I was too fat dozens of times and tried pretty much every fad diet I came across. It was mainly a manifestation of low self-esteem that had nothing to do with my body at all, but it took me many years and a lot of mistakes to grow into the woman I am today.

While I know that raising my two boys will have its own challenges, I also know that they won’t be exposed to the pressures of dieting as badly as the average teenage girl is, and so any low self-esteem issues they have likely won’t manifest in that manner. But I also have three beautiful little nieces and the idea that they might one day go through something similar is so scary to me. After all, a recent study by Multi-Grain Cheerios of young women between 10-17 years of age found that three in five women have been on a diet, 52% of girls get their information about dieting and nutrition from family members and one in five girls under 18 is currently dieting.

teenager kathryn lavallee — Me in Grade 12, with my naturally chubby cheeks and far too little self-confidence.

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