I'm not going to delve into this but when I was a kid, I was forced to eat. If I did not eat, I had to sit at the dining table until the food was consumed--sometimes I sat there all day because I was not hungry. I sat with my breakfast plate and when dinner came around I still did not eat breakfast. I developed a negative association with food, and twenty years later, I still sometimes have my inner battles with enjoying food. Sometimes I revert to my past thoughts and behaviors of not wanting to eat because of those negative experiences. A kid is supposed to play and laugh. A kid is not supposed to feel threatened if she does not eat all of her food. (i need to find the book where i got this information. most children do not starve themselves. if they are emotionally healthy they will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. ugh i need facts.)
This is not the same as forcing a kid to eat vegetables or unpreferred food. I think as long as you introduce the kids to varied tastes and textures positively, there may not be a problem of making healthy choices and trying diverse foods as an adult. One thing I learned from moms in my nutrition class was to leave food out if you think your kid isn't eating enough. You are in charge of what's available, so make a good choice. When your kid is hungry, they'll come around. They will have to eat what is available to them. I don't think there is a need to force children to eat, even though I have been paid to work with three kids with eating problems. That was more associated with behavioral issues.
I have no perspective on obesity or overeating. I do know a bit about my experience with not liking food, and developing obsessive compulsive behaviors to try to cope with such lack of control in my life. The behaviors have lessened as I've become happier, learned to calm myself and cope with stress positively. Every now and then, like this morning when we had a lecture on eating patterns, I step back in progress. This time I asked for help. My professor and classmates gave me great ideas to help me recondition myself to be happy with food. I started this lunch by pairing food with a positive activity--computer games lol. I hope this will continue :)
This is not the same as forcing a kid to eat vegetables or unpreferred food. I think as long as you introduce the kids to varied tastes and textures positively, there may not be a problem of making healthy choices and trying diverse foods as an adult. One thing I learned from moms in my nutrition class was to leave food out if you think your kid isn't eating enough. You are in charge of what's available, so make a good choice. When your kid is hungry, they'll come around. They will have to eat what is available to them. I don't think there is a need to force children to eat, even though I have been paid to work with three kids with eating problems. That was more associated with behavioral issues.
I have no perspective on obesity or overeating. I do know a bit about my experience with not liking food, and developing obsessive compulsive behaviors to try to cope with such lack of control in my life. The behaviors have lessened as I've become happier, learned to calm myself and cope with stress positively. Every now and then, like this morning when we had a lecture on eating patterns, I step back in progress. This time I asked for help. My professor and classmates gave me great ideas to help me recondition myself to be happy with food. I started this lunch by pairing food with a positive activity--computer games lol. I hope this will continue :)
No comments:
Post a Comment