How To Prevent Eating Disorders In Children? – Being Parents

Often times, parents worry about not knowing how to prevent eating disorders in their children. As children grow older, they become more and more picky about food; sometimes it even seems like they don’t like food at all.

Between the foods that they don’t want to eat and those that they should avoid, many foods should be eliminated. By entrenching these bad habits, the little ones can suffer from illnesses from the low intake of foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

On the other hand, it is also possible that they gain weight. How to avoid these troubles?

Factors indicating future eating disorders

Parents should watch for these signs; they can all be an indicator of possible future eating disorders:

• Underweight, short for their age, or premature infants.
• Difficulty switching from breastfeeding to solid food.
• Pain when breastfeeding or when parents force them to eat.
• Excessive discipline in eating, especially when it occurs without companionship or emotional stimulation.
• Traumatic causes, such as mouth injuries or choking; it creates fear while eating.

How to prevent eating disorders in children?

If the root of the problem is known, it is easier to implement a plan to improve the discomfort or suffering that the little one is presenting. When complementary feeding is incorporated in addition to breastfeeding, it must be done in a controlled manner and by providing children with foods that older children tend to reject.

Thus, they will get used to the taste and texture from a young age, which will reduce rejection of this type of food in the future.

How can we help children eat healthy?

Babies often have difficulty accepting new foods. This is called neophobia.

Then, when they grow older, they prefer high calorie foods ; with them they easily satisfy hunger, but they do not feed themselves in the most appropriate way.

If they are offered sweets or processed foods, they will obviously eat them without thinking about the negative consequences that will result in the long term. They will prefer these kinds of foods and not those that their body really needs for optimal development.

To eradicate this behavior, parents should lead by example by eating healthy foods and avoiding those that are high in sugars and fats.

Another important aspect is to make mealtime the most rewarding time of the day. Not just for the food, but for the business. It is necessary that the child feels comfortable when eating, appreciates his food and the environment around him.

Recommendations for good eating habits

Eating well is a matter of habit. That’s why we offer you the following recommendations to help your child adjust to a healthy diet.

• Food portions should be small ; you can offer fruit for dessert and, for drinking, a glass of cold water.
• Some children do not tolerate certain foods for different reasons. In these cases, it is advisable not to force them to ingest them, as they could cause unwanted reactions in the future.
• Take the time to rest after each meal. In this way, the digestion process will run smoothly and problems with constipation or inflammation of the intestines will be avoided.
• Large meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner should be eaten at a fixed time.
• Take any snacks two hours after meals ; preferably, opt for a fruit.
• As for sweets, they should be given from time to time. You can set one day a week to give it to them.

• Fat should not exceed 40% of daily meals. During this time, protein should provide 20% of the calories and should be of animal and plant origin.
• It is necessary to moderate the consumption of salt and sugars per day; they are harmful to health.
• Having your child participate in the weekly menu can be stimulating.
• In order to balance the calories that the child consumes, it is necessary to play sports.

If we put these recommendations into practice, we can prevent eating disorders in our children and tomorrow they will thank us for helping them grow up healthy and strong. One last aspect to keep in mind: when in doubt, the best thing to do is always to consult your pediatrician.