The conversation around eating disorders aren’t as prevalent in Asia as it is in other parts of the world, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a problem. A study recently found that in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and other parts of South Asia, “obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions.”
6 practical tips to develop healthy eating habits with our children
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to body image and eating disorders, which is why it’s important that we develop healthy eating habits with our children, starting from a young age. Here are six practical tips:
1. Be a good role model.
As in other areas, when it comes to nutrition, you can’t be an effective teacher unless you practice what you preach. Try to set a good example by choosing nutritious snacks and don’t skip your meals.
Photo: Dreamstime
2. Don’t ban food.
Banning certain foods can lead to overeating when they are available. Instead of labelling foods as “good” or “bad,” go with “everyday” foods and “sometimes” foods. Allow your kids to eat “sometimes” foods in moderation, and don’t make them feel bad or guilty about it.
3. Make nutritious food easily accessible.
When they’re hungry, kids will eat whatever’s in your fridge or pantry, so make sure that they’re well-stocked with healthy foods.
To read more tips on promoting healthy eating habits, click to the next page.
4. Don’t use food as a reward.
When you use food to reward kids or to show affection, they might start using food to cope with stress or other negative emotions. Instead, find non-food ways to reinforce good behavior, such as hugs or words of affirmation. And remember to praise your kids for their character, not their weight or what they choose to eat.
5. Make family meals count.
Regular family meals allow you to model healthy eating patterns while taking the focus away from the food and towards the social connection. Instead of fixating on what or how much your child is eating, focus on connecting with your child. Turn of the television and keep other devices away from the table so you can get the most from meal times.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
6. Teach your child to eat when they’re hungry.
Instead of simply telling your child to eat everything on their plate, help your child distinguish feelings of hunger and fullness. Avoid strict rules. While you can decide what you will serve at meal times, allow your child to choose how much—or even whether or not—they will eat.
Different types of eating disorders
A variety of psychiatric illnesses known as eating disorders result in the development of inappropriate eating patterns. They could begin with a fixation with food, weight, or body type.
When eating disorders are severe, they can have a substantial negative impact on health and, if ignored, even be fatal or may result to death. That is why, it is important to be equipped on the signs of eating disorder among kids, for us to treat it properly.
According to an article written by Healthline entitled 6 Common Types of Eating Disorders (and Their Symptoms), eating disorders are among the deadliest or fatal mental illness.
There are different types of eating disorders that may affect our child. Here are 3 of the most common types of eating disorders:
Eating disorders types
1. Anorexia Nervosa
Despite being extremely underweight, people with anorexia frequently perceive themselves as overweight. They frequently track their weight, stay away from particular meals, and drastically limit their calorie consumption.
2. Binge eating disorder
The most common type of eating problem and one of the most prevalent chronic disorders among teenagers is binge eating disorder. Those who have this disease frequently experience binges, which are times of unusually rapid eating, where they feel out of control. They do not cut calories or compensate for their binges with purging habits like vomiting or overindulgent activity.
3. Eating disorder types: Bulimia nervosa
Like anorexia, bulimia typically manifests during adolescence and the early stages of life and seems to affect men and women differently. People with this eating disorder commonly consume unusually large amounts of food in a short length of time.
Typically, a binge eating experience lasts until the person is excruciatingly full. The person experiencing a binge typically feels helpless to stop eating or regulate their intake.
Updates by Jobelle Macayan
READ: 7 Popular myths about kids’ food debunked
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