Help those who can't help themselves
Identifying the Problem
Be Present for your child
Get involved in your child's life. Be there to listen and observe their eating habits. Listen for things that sound out of the ordinary for them to say. Check out the links below to learn more about eating disorders and how you can help them just through knowledge.
It is really important that you understand you are not alone. Eating disorders in children can be heartbreaking for the family. Know that, even though you are in pain over this problem, your child is looking for help and answers for the pain they are feeling inside. This video explains how you can recover from eating disorders. Please listen to Dr Greg Baer, Parent Educator and Author.
Arm yourself with Knowledge! This article talks about how you can be supportive to your child during this crisis they are going through. Communicate with your child when they are young, this will help them develop a healthy eating habit. Set a good example, you eat when they eat and eat nutritious foods in front of them. Know your family history with eating disorders, this can be a key to making changes before they happen, and be proactive about the eating disorder; earlier is better to make changes (2023).
Parents can feel very overwhelmed with child eating disorders. This is a case study about parents who feel impairment over their child's problems (2020).
Does your child seem to be acting different than they normally do? Are they having behavioral changes that are sudden and/or unexplained? Maybe even temper tantrums? These and more are signs that you need to take seriously and look further into them.
-Excessive hoarding or hiding of food
-Making up excuses about foods they like or dislike all of a sudden
-Does your child tell you "I am too fat"?
-Do they use the restroom right after they are done eating?
-Are they binge eating?
-Are they only hungry for snack foods and not nutritional foods?
-Are they eating more than what you are serving for a meal?
-Are they still hungry after a meal?
These are just some of the things to look for when you feel there may be a problem with your child's eating habits.
Please click on the links throughout this site, to see what you can do and know that, if you are going through this, you are not alone.
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Let's talk about eating disorders that are not as common
As parents, we are so busy raising our children, going to work, coming home to do homework, making dinner and getting the kids ready for bed, that sometimes, we miss signs of our child either eating too little or too much.
Here are some 'not so common' resources for you to help determine if there is a problem, or if your child is just going through a growth spurt.
(Case Study#1) -Post Natal Depression/Infant Failure to Thrive-
In this first case study about Post-Natal Depression, a mom is failing to feed her 10-month-old child. The child was admitted to the hospital with malnutrition and no sign of solid food. As the study went forward, they found that mom had a brain tumor in the front of her brain making it difficult for her to remember to feed her child.
(Case Study#2) Stress and Depression in Mothers of FTT Children
In the second case study and according to Pub Med Central, children who fail to thrive or meet growth expectations for their ages, constitute approximately 1-5% of all infant hospital admissions. Failure to thrive is associated with significant developmental risk and can be relative to maternal increased stress levels, lack of self-care, depression lack of attachment to her child, social isolation and differences in spousal relationships. (1990).
(Case Study#1) Mother's Neophobia
In the first case study, there may be links between maternal food neophobia (MFN), eating disorders, and children’s food preference. This survey included socio-demographic characteristics such as a Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), Eating Attitude Test 26 (EAT26) and Children Eating Behavior Scale. Children’s energy and nutrient intakes were also included in this study.
(Case Study#2) Mothers Restrictive Eating
Mother's Neophobia is defined as a mother's fear of anything new. This is sometimes passed on to her child, creating an environment where her child doesn't want to try new things either, such as different nutritious foods. According to the Cambridge University Press, a mother's restrictive eating and food neophobia and dietary quality are associated with breast-feeding duration. Mom's and Dad's eating patterns and practices are associated with the feeding practices of infants and young children also (2015).
This first article is about availability of treatment and the urgency for help needed with obese children. It also talks about how Covid-19 has exasperated obesity in children.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), from 2017 to March of 2020, the prevalence of obesity among U.S. children and adolescents was 19.7%. This means that approximately 14.7 million U.S. youths aged 2-19 years old suffer from obesity. Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex (2025). Body Mass Index (BMI)
In this first article, Mayo Clinic defines Prader-Willi Syndrome signs and symptoms, according to Prader-Willi Syndrome Association-USA which states that Prader-Willi Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by chronic hunger, growth hormone deficiency and when to see a doctor. The child will experience
- Poor muscle tone, Distinct facial features, Poor sucking reflex, generally poor responsiveness, and Underdeveloped genitals.
What is Prader-Willi Syndrome?
In the second article, the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association-USA states that Prader-Willi Syndrome affects 350,000 worldwide. In addition to chronic hunger, there is weak muscle tone and less muscle mass. There are also learning disabilities, making every day a bit tougher. Behavior challenges also persist with this syndrome with frequent temper tantrums, compulsive skin picking, stubbornness, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. In many cases, the critical gene on the father's chromosome 15 is missing. A child may also have two copies of chromosome 15 from the mother instead of one from each parent (2025).
Autism selectivity and sensitivity
This article compares children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and children without ASD and the sensitivity they may have towards food. Few studies have compared atypical sensory characteristics and food selectivity between children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This article compared oral sensory processing between children with (n=53) and without ASD (n=58), ages 3–11 years. They also examined the relationships between atypical oral sensory processing, food selectivity, and fruit/vegetable consumption in children with ASD (2018).
According to the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, food selectivity and sensory sensitivity in children are comprised of a set of related developmental disorders that are characterized by impairments in communication, social interaction and repetitive behaviors. Autism spectrum disorders are considered to be a major health and educational problem affecting many areas of daily living, including eating. Children with autism spectrum disorders are often described as being picky or selective eaters (2010).
Signs/Cause and Effect
It isn't always loss of weight that you see, sometimes it is behavior issues that start the process of not eating.
This article is a good tool to check when you are looking for things your child may be going through physically and/or mentally.
Added Complications
ARFID or Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder is a disrupted eating pattern that happens when a person fails to meet appropriate nutritional and energy needs associate with significant weight loss, failure to achieve expected growth or weight They will have marked nutritional deficiency, and significant interference with psychosocial functioning (2025).
According to the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, food selectivity is common in children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Many children have difficulties with rigidity and a need for things to be the same, this includes their food.
Something people do not always think about with eating disorders is Gender Identity. This article shows that based on criteria of the latest edition of the DSM, 1.2% of males develop Anorexia or Bulimia compared to 5.7% females (2025).
Hope & healing-It takes a Village
Myplate.gov is a very helpful and fun website for parents to make sure the meals they prepare are nutritional.
No one has to go down this road alone, there are tons of videos, books and articles out there for help. Here is a video to help you in the kitchen when preparing meals for your child who has an eating disorder.
