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THE WAR AGAINST NOT EATING!!!!!!!

Does this sound familiar?

Doctor my child does not want to eat anything!!!!

He/she looks so thin!!! I don’t think he/she is growing well!!!

Junior can play all day without getting hungry. Is something wrong with him???

These happen to be some of the most common and distressing complaints that come from parents/guardians.

In this article we will look at how much of it is our fault (guardians/parents), and how much of it is the child’s fault.

Here are some facts:

20-30% of parents will report that there pre-school child is a picky eater, so you are not alone, them plenty!!!!

Another 50% of parents report that there children are never hungry at mealtime, so take heart!!!!!

1/3rd of parents will also report that the kids do not enjoy meals, and prefer play

1/4th of parents will also report the child refusing to eat anything!!!

While one in five will report that the child requests for food then gladly refuses to eat them!!!! Causing consternation!!!!!

So almost 80% of parents will report a problem with eating in their pre-school age children

Let’s not lose hope. A solution is around the corner!!!

Children will either be picky eaters or nonchalant eaters

STEP I:

Ensure that there is no other associated medical problem, Visit your doctor.

Generally speaking a child who is of appropriate weight and height for his/her age, does not have a problem!!!!! So the problem may be coming from the parents

STEP II

We need to understand the hunger cycle of children!!

A child will only get hungry when his or her blood sugar is low enough to trigger the hunger reflex!!!!

So if you are one of those parents who encourage in between meals--snacks/ sweets/cakes/chips/ribena/fruit juices/fruits/youghurt/soft drinks/ice cream!!, then your problems are on the increase

The fact is that all of the things mentioned above contain enough glucose to keep a child’s blood sugar high for a whole day. No wonder they are never hungry or simply refuse to eat. They can’t understand why all the fuss because they are truly not hungry!!!

STEP III

The blood sugar of children tends to rise with stressful conditions such as school exercise, school work itself, play, fear (of school or a bully in school or a hated teacher), upon waking up from sleep.

So if you expect a child to eat happily after any one of these events, you are going to have to wait a while!!!!!

STEP IV

A child may simply reject or refuse his food because it doesn’t taste right!!!

Flavor, texture, appearance are important characteristics that determine whether you as an adult eats a meal, SO WHY NOT THE CHILD!!! This is in fact one of the most common reasons for food rejection

So mom next time you are preparing juniors meal, do it like it is a date!!!!! Special!!!!

Once a child associates any food with poor notions of any of these characteristics he/she is not likely to eat it!!!!!

If a child believes and has tasted better tasting food elsewhere, than that of his/her parents beware, you have a long convincing period ahead of you!!!!!

STEP V

Association of foods with traumatic or bad experiences (vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, as favorite television characters, odors, or fearful scenarios (you will get an injection if you don’t eat) will often lead to food rejection

STEP VI

Beware the intelligent child who uses the non eating of food to control the parents!!!!. Yours will be a long vigil!!!!!!

STEP VII

For parents who love giving drugs for every cough, pains, and daily vitamins, remember!! All those syrups have sugar as part of their formulations!!!!!!!! You may be creating the scenario for not eating!!!!!!

Let’s talk about some best practices:

· Regiment your child feeding as much as possible to specific times

· Ensure no in between snacks till food time, allow only water!!!

· Ensure this is enforced at school

· Understand the child may not be hungry after coming back from school, allow a time for adjustment( I understand these days kids come back from school and head straight to lesson)

· Look out for things in school that raises the child’s anxiety level

· After play, don’t expect immediate hunger

· The child should eat when everybody else is eating (if this is possible these days of nursery, lesson, crèche, late working parents, early leaving parents!!!!)

· Understand that waking up itself is a stressful condition.

· All children should get at least 10 hours sleep to wake up unstressed (as they do during holidays)

· Be firm and don’t succumb to pampering the child because of not eating

· Remember once the child’s growth is normal you don’t have much to worry about

· Remember this period is usually a phase that will pass!!!!!

WARNING SIGNS

· Weight loss and poor eating, head for a doctor!!!!!!!

· Incapacitating abdominal pain, blood in stools or diarrhea after certain foods, it may be an allergy!!!

· No appetite, no interest in food or play, always alone, poor social communication, head for a doctor!!!