Feeling that your child is struggling with food can be very distressing and difficult at times to understand. Many people experience problems with eating, this can occur at any age but is more often for teenagers – both males and females. Eating problems can appear in many different ways. When we think about this our first thoughts are often around restricting food, either to lose weight, or for other reasons. It might also look like eating lots in one go, which we call binging, this can sometimes be followed by actions like restricting food, inducing vomiting or taking laxatives. Both restricting and binging can cause serious damage to your child’s physical health, which we understand can be very worrying.
Your child may struggle with food in other ways such as struggling with the taste or texture of certain foods. This can make it difficult to get the nutrition that is needed and can cause social difficulties such as eating out with family/friends. Other difficulties such as anxiety and low mood can impact on our appetite making us feel not hungry or that we don’t want to, or can’t, eat. If you feel that your child may be experiencing anxiety or low mood that is impacting on their eating then you might find our other sections My child is feeling worried or My child is feeling sad helpful, as when we focus on getting help for these difficulties you may find that their appetite will come back!
If you are concerned about your child’s eating, you may want to start by having a conversation with them about any other difficulties that could impact on their appetite. Trying to have food “little and often” can also be helpful and feel less overwhelming for them if they are struggling. Consider high energy foods and slow release carbohydrates to ensure that they have the energy they need throughout the day. We would also suggest seeking support from your GP for a check-up if you are concerned about your child’s health or their weight, as well as checking out some of the resources below for more information.