Food and Body: The Struggle

In my practice, I have the opportunity to work with some wonderful parents who have struggled with their eating, or food habits, or even just healthy thoughts about food or their body. For more information, visit my website at http://deborahhurowitzmsw.com/ .

Teaching your child to think of food in healthy ways is incredibly complex, even for someone who doesn't struggle with their own relationship to food. From birth, many parents worry:
Are they eating enough?
Too much?
Are they underweight?
Overweight?

Babies and toddlers have an innate ability to modulate their intake...until they 'unlearn'. This can happen early, when parents encourage them to finish the bottle, or when they're excited about introducing foods. Or it can happen later, because so much of what we offer children tastes delicious, and has been lab-created to block satiation. 

Some tips to encourage healthy relationships with food:

• No food is bad; there are 'sometimes' foods and 'all the time' foods...but no 'never' foods (barring medical or religious restrictions, of course). 

• Encourage your child to listen to their belly. It is okay to take a break before taking seconds, or even before finishing what is in front of them.  

• Some days your child may eat very little. Unless they are medically underweight, do not encourage them to eat more than their belly desires. This starts in infancy...if they don't finish a bottle and are not medically underweight, let them stop when they indicate they are done. 

• Some days they may shock you with what they can consume. This balances out the days they barely eat. 

• Talk about food as fuel. Yes, it's wonderful when we enjoy what we are eating, but eating what fuels our body is key. For example, a protein with every meal/snack will help keep our motors running. 

• Try not to discuss food or bodies in negative ways. This includes the food on your own plate, and your own body.

• Use positive words to discuss bodies, such as 'strong', 'healthy', and 'capable'. 

• Talk about why some foods are 'all the time' and others are 'sometimes'. Remind them that there are no 'never' foods.

• There are outfits your child will look adorable in. There are other things that will not flatter them. If you need to comment, you can let them know something isn't 'as flattering' as opposed to telling them it makes their stomach look big...then make sure you have a suggestion of something you think is more flattering (not something they look 'thin' in).