I see. So I should let them eat all the ice cream, Pop Tarts, potato chips and pizza that they like? I should let them eat candy until it makes them throw up (and one of my daughters has acutally done this when I wasn't around to tell her to stop)? No? A responsible parent wouldn't do that?
Well, then I'm restricting their diet and for good reason. Most kids if given the choice between junk and healthy food will go for the junk every time. You see, they lack something that even a lot of adults haven't devloped yet...sound judgement, and adverstising (as the advertising companies know and take full advantage of) exerts a powerful influence over the choices that kids are likely to make when it comes to food choices.
I don't think anyone here is suggesting that we put all our kids on induction levels of low carb, but it certainly isn't doing them any harm to restrict the amounts and types of carby foods that they eat until such time as they develop sound judgement for themselves or become adults, whichever comes first. Foods like fruits, cheese, whole grains and keeping those with transfats out of the house. Doing your best to help your kids develop healthy eating habits is selfish? I think not. Selfish implies that you are doing something for your benefit and your benefit only without thought or consideration for the effect that it will have on others. Making an informed decision to limit the amount of junk in the diets of your children couldn't be farther from that definition.
As for forcing my views on others, that happens to be my job as a parent. Not so much forcing my views on my children, but teaching them what I believe is the best way to go, setting boundaries and then enforcing them. The alternative is to let them run wild and find their own way. My DH sees the results of that approach at work every day; it's called juvenile deliquency. When they're adults, then they can make decisions for themselves and hopefully they will be sound ones based on the guidance that they have received from their parents up until that point.
As for my kids, they can whine all they like. I'm not buying Pop Tarts. Besides...whining and badgering at my house earns my kids an immediate time out.