Study Buddy (Explorer): Chinese mother bans child from sweet birthday treats, sparking Hong Kong online debate
- Health-conscious parents may think it is best to restrict their children from eating sugary desserts, but some experts say these strict diets can backfire
- Each week, this page presents an interesting story that we have adjusted to be more accessible for all English learners
A nutritionist advises parents not to place a moral judgment on food but to focus on developing healthy eating habits overall. Photo: ShutterstockContent provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] A cake is usually the centrepiece of a birthday party. But like much of the food served at parties, it has a lot of sugar. For people who are trying to be healthy, that can be a problem.
[2] Last December, a Chinese mother set social media abuzz with a video she had uploaded. In it, she said that she and her husband had forbidden their 11-year-old son from eating birthday cake at school celebrations. In the video, she explained that she didn’t want her child to associate junk food with celebrations. His teachers were told to give him fruit instead. Opinion was divided among parents online.
[3] This is not the first time news about a cake ban has caused a sugary meltdown. In 2018, food author, cook, and mum-of-four, Tonia Buxton, made the news when she revealed on a British television show that she had banned her children from eating sugar. She compared sugar addiction to hard drugs: “sugar has the same effect as cocaine” screamed the headlines.
[4] Last September, US celebrity Kourtney Kardashian spoke publicly about restricting artificial treats for her children. She said she was trying to promote healthy eating habits. But some experts say strict restrictions on diet can backfire, and it can end up causing someone to fear certain foods or eat large amounts of them in a short time.
[5] Michelle Lau is the founder and principal nutritionist at Nutrilicious, a Hong Kong-based nutrition consultancy and communications company. She said eating sweets from time to time was unlikely to cause major problems, but parents should encourage young children to have healthy eating habits.
[6] High sugar intake raises the risk of obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer later in life. “It can also lead to weight gain and increase the risk of the child developing cavities,” Lau said.
[7] “When a child fills up on sugar-sweetened foods, they have less room for nutritious options that their growing bodies need, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins.” She added that gout and fatty liver disease were associated with excess weight.
[8] Lau said parents could use whole fruit as a sweetener instead of sugar. “Add a mashed banana to oatmeal, or blend dates into a smoothie,” she said. “Stevia, monk fruit and certain sugar alcohols are much lower in calories than table sugar and do not significantly affect blood sugar levels, making them smart alternatives to refined sugar.”
[9] She added that such sugar substitutes should be used in moderation. “I would advise parents to tell their children that some foods are everyday foods, while others are ‘once in a while’ foods,” she said. This avoids placing a moral judgment on food, but still emphasises that we shouldn’t have sweets all the time. “If a child goes to a birthday party or has dessert at their friends’ homes, try not to make a big deal about it,” she said. “It’s more important to focus on their overall eating habits.”
Source: South China Morning Post, December 18
Questions
1. What does “that” in paragraph 1 refer to?
2. Decide whether the following statements are True, False, or the information is Not Given in paragraph 2. Blacken ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) The child of the woman from the video feels left out at school because he is banned from eating cake.
(ii) Netizens have expressed mixed reactions to the couple’s decision.
(iii) The child is not allowed to attend birthday celebrations at school.
(iv) The child is addicted to junk food.
3. In paragraph 3, what does Tonia Buxton say sugar is similar to?
4. Find a word in paragraph 4 that means to “have an opposite and undesirable effect”.
5. According to paragraph 4, which of the following food items might Kourtney Kardashian NOT allow her children to eat?
A. potato crisps
B. candy corn
C. cupcake frosting from a can
D. all of the above
6. In paragraph 5, Michelle Lau says there is no harm in eating sweets ...
A. occasionally.
B. frequently.
C. constantly.
D. regularly.
7. According to Lau in paragraph 7, what do children eat less of when they consume a lot of food that is high in sugar?
8. Why are stevia and monk fruit better alternatives to refined sugar?
9. Complete the summary below. Choose ONE word or phrase from paragraph 9 to fill each blank. Your answers must be grammatically correct. (3 marks)
Lau discourages parents from completely banning their children from eating (i)____________ and, instead, advises that they encourage children to have healthy (ii)_____________ in general. This involves educating them about the difference between (iii)____________ food items that are important for their health and what they should consume only from time to time.
Answers
1. having a cake at a birthday party / cake (any one)
2. (i) NG; (ii) T; (iii) F; (iv) NG
3. hard drugs / cocaine (any one)
4. backfire
5. D
6. A
7. They eat less nutritious food that their growing bodies need, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins.
8. because they are much lower in calories and do not significantly affect blood sugar levels
9. (i) sweets/sugar; (ii) eating habits; (iii) everyday