It bothers me that the huge amount of food the families throw away is thrown in the garbage instead of going to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

Are you talking about the food after they clean out the kitchen? I volunteer in a homeless shelter and we're always dismayed that the junk food gets dumped on the homeless, as if it's better than nothing. A lot of the stuff we get cannot be used because the people are too sick to eat sugary cereals. The sugar also makes them crave alcohol.

Hummm, truth beknown, they should just stash it to go back to it when they resort to their old ways...I want to see a follow up of all the familes before I say her preaching worked. She is a little over the top...you have to gradually make a turn around. No child can expect to complie to this kind of regiment.

I dont think that all resort to their old ways totally, but i do think that a treat is due every now and then. Stash the junk and as a small treat, give a cookie here or a small bag of chips there. Its not going to kill anybody to have a cookie now and then.

The way I see it, pure junk food-- processed chips and cookies, anything with white flour and overly processed stuff and a host of unpronounceable ingredients and corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup and oil that is hydrogenated, partially or fully-- Should be thrown out. The last potato chip I had, one chip a couple of months ago was pure grease. After I ate the small chip, I looked at the ingredients-- Potatoes and hydrogenated oil. Ick. (I was at my in-laws' and wanted to see what was supposed to be great about the brand of potato chips that they like. However, this is a family who consumes chips and processed donuts and other stuff on a daily basis. Thankfully, I'm rubbing off on my husband.)

I do agree that cold turkey is too harsh. I'm a ex-smoker and weaned myself off of cigarettes. I knew I couldn't go cold turkey and didn't want to. (Also, things like the patches and pills, etc., just seemed like money-sucking gimmicks to me.)

I've worked with food pantries, homeless meals, etc. and was not impressed with some of the "food" that was there. My church hosted a group of homeless for a week (through a non-profit county-wide program) and I was pleasantly surprised at the meals offered. Well, the breakfasts, except for the cereals were to be desired (I thought), but that was it. I told the woman who was doing the cooking that even I went home happy almost every night. (She's a member of my church and knows I'm vegan. I only went home for dinner one night. I was able to eat with the guests as a volunteer.)

Anyway, I've lost my train of thought, but I hope my two cents has helped.