Food cult 'leaving children malnourished'

Australian Broadcasting Corp./April 23, 1999

A South Australian Liberal Senator says hundreds of Australian children are being denied a normal upbringing because their parents are involved in a bizarre food cult. Senator Grant Chapman says the cult operates under the guise of the Vibrational Individuation Program, which is based on the use and control of food.

He believes the cult has now spread from South Australia to New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia and has asked the Attorney-General and Health Minister to investigate.

Senator Chapman says two South Australian women have been operating the cult for 10 years.

"Children born into the cult are fed the most bizarre food from birth and reports have come to my attention of undernourished, unerweight babies," he said.

"In addition to malnourishment, children miss out on vital socialisation which is so necessary to their overall development.

"In the words of a person who managed to defy the cult, and I quote, 'children can't have birthday parties, can't go to a friend's house for tea or have a sleepover in case the host parents feed the child something normal'."