In 2023, a woman shared a bizarre story on the “Am I the A******” subreddit about how she ruined her stepdaughter’s birthday with her obsession for healthy living.
The woman has two boys, ages 8 and 10, from her previous marriage and recently became the stepmother to 6-year-old Gwen, who spends weekends with them. Gwen is 20 pounds over the recommended weight for her age, and the stepmom, obsessed with health, tried to enforce strict eating and exercise habits whenever Gwen visited.
On Gwen’s birthday, the stepmom replaced cake with low-fat ice cream, believing she was helping Gwen make a “healthier choice.” But when Gwen returned to her biological mother, she revealed she had wanted cake, not the substitute, and cried because she felt pressured to choose “better.” The mother was furious and demanded an apology.Reddit users overwhelmingly criticized the stepmom, saying she was shaming Gwen and could be fostering unhealthy relationships with food. The consensus was clear: she crossed a line in the name of health.