My friend has gone through a lot these last three years. Typical Americans, they have faced medical problems, job loss, foreclosure, moving due to foreclosure – right alongside trying to raise young children.
While we as parents try to keep our children stress-free, sometimes it will trickle down to them. Children react differently to stress, but one result my friend’s daughter is experiencing is food obsession.
Her daughter is in the third grade, but has put on quite a bit of weight in the last year. My friend was already concerned, but grew even more worried when she found food hidden in her daughter’s closet. There were full bags of unopened potato chips, cookies, and other snacks tucked in the back under a pile of clothing.
Perhaps the top reaction a parent can have when they’ve discovered something like this or their children have started eating unhealthily is to not freak out. A parent should approach the subject with a lot of sensitivity and in a gentle way, but more importantly – stop bringing unhealthy food into the house. Concentrate shopping on fruit, vegetables, and other healthy foods.
The biggest concern is that with economic stress, the most important thing a parent needs to do may be out of reach: counseling.
For more information, visit the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. The site offers links about who to contact for a variety of eating issues.
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