I have a friend with a child who just turned 2. He wears 5T clothes. Not because he's tall, but because he's so heavy. His mom is heavy too and has mentioned concern over his weight. Talked about how they try to eat healthy, etc.
Since that time, we've been around for their dinner a few times - and there is a reason for the weight issue. Dinner has included Doritos crushed on top of their tacos and sloppy joes with huge platefuls of cheetos on the side. Not that there's anything wrong with these chips as a snack, but this seems to be standard fair. No fruit, no vegetables. I watched the kids while the newest addition was being born, and when I tried to feed them, did not see a single fruit or vegetable (canned, fresh or frozen) in the entire house. Which is even sadder, since she gets WIC, and get vouchers for free stuff from Farmer's Market. The closest thing they get is juice, which they drink endlessly. They also drink a LOT of Powerade, which is pure sugar.
I really don't think she has a clue. She's not dumb, but I think that's how she grew up and it's just force of habit.
I am not looking to lecture or anything like that. I don't even expect to make a huge impact. I am just looking for a tactful way to get her to look at what they eat. I've tried a little positive reinforcement, by commenting on all the water in their fridge (a strong point) and how much better it is than juice or milk all the time. I stick to the "I" language, so it doesn't come across negatively (something like "Wow! YOu guys have a lot of water in the fridge. That's great...I try to get Ry to drink more water - he doesn't need all that sugar."), but I am interested in any other ways to encourage better habits. I'm also thinking that since Farmer's Market it out my front door, that I'll offer to take her checks and pick the stuff up for her and drop it off on my way to work That way she won't have any excuse for not using their checks.
Any other ideas?