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Parents often run after their children to force them to eat because they want them to be healthy and grow up quickly. However, the effects of force-feeding can be worrisome, sometimes causing stomach upset or loss of natural appetite.1. The situation of children being forced to eat
Parents often worry when their child eats very little, doesn't eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, or refuses meals altogether. For some parents, it's important to worry when a child refuses to eat, especially if the child is not gaining weight well for age or is losing weight. Therefore, when seeing that children do not eat enough as desired, many parents use pressure and coercion to try to force their children to finish eating.
Although children may eat a little more when forced to eat, actions that force children to eat can make them feel negative about food, eventually not wanting to eat and find ways to avoid it. . Furthermore, when children are forced to eat, it can also prevent them from recognizing and responding appropriately to their internal signals of hunger and fullness, making them more likely to skip meals or overeat. a lot, binge eating in later life.
Thus, even though force-feeding is often done with the best of intentions, it can have unintended consequences.
2. What harms can happen when children are forced to eat?
Parents' application of measures to force their children to eat often stems from worries and concerns about whether the child is eating enough, whether the child is gaining enough weight or not. Parents can become concerned about their child's health if they feel their child is not eating enough to maintain healthy growth. If a child is underweight, parents always have many ways of encouraging the child to eat and may end up using pressure without realizing that they may have the opposite effect of that desire.
Thus, the situation of children being forced to eat will have some potential negative consequences as follows:
Interrupted diet: Each human body has a different food capacity and metabolic rate . The number of parents deciding to feed the child may be more than the child's actual digestibility. If the child is forced to eat the entire meal even when the child is full, the parent is feeding the child too much. That's why the baby won't be hungry by the time of the next meal. Destroying Natural Appetite: The natural desire to eat is known as one's appetite. Children who are forced to eat continuously during mealtimes will cause them to lose interest in food and disrupt their natural appetite. Children with stomach pain due to force-feeding: Forcing children to eat too much can also lead to vomiting and even stomach pain, becoming disgusted with the intention of eating in the long run. Induce mealtime stressors: It's human nature to avoid anything that causes stress or discomfort. The only way a child will accept something is if they enjoy doing it. Forcing a child to eat healthy foods on his or her plate can cause stress and discomfort. So instinctively, this will only make the child hate the meal and continue to struggle with the food. The tendency to eat sugary or junk food: Children who are forced to eat often tend to develop unhealthy eating habits as they grow up. In addition, due to the hatred towards healthy foods, children are more likely to be attracted to sugary foods or junk foods. Loss of control over eating habits: As a parent, the ultimate focus is on raising children to adulthood, making them less dependent on their parents and learning to do things on their own. However, the more parents control and force children to eat, the less control the children will have over their eating habits. This will interfere with a child's life and eating habits in the long run, even into adulthood. Forming an eating disorder: Children who are forced to eat never learn how much food their bodies need, so they tend to overeat even as they get older. This loss of control over eating habits can lead to serious eating disorders such as obesity, bulimia...
Hiện nay có rất nhiều trẻ đau dạ dày
3. Instead of forcing children to eat, what should parents do?
Except in rare cases, children are extremely sensitive in knowing when they are hungry and when they are full. Therefore, it is important for parents to trust their children and believe that children will eat on their own if they are hungry.
This way, parents won't feel the need to force their child to eat. Similarly, children's natural tendency is to reject novel foods. Instead, continue to offer new foods and accept denials, acknowledging that this is a normal stage of development and that what parents do is important in determining whether this is a positive or negative experience. extreme for children.
Accordingly, instead of forcing children to eat, parents should try the following:
Build a nutrition diary for your child How long has it been since your child last had a snack or a complementary drink, such as milk ? Are you really hungry? Are you too tired to sit at the table? Are you unwell and therefore not hungry?
Try using a diary to track the amount and time of day of meals, snacks, drinks, activity, sleep to see if your child's routine for the day might be contributing to behavior their eating habits or not.
Think like a child Try to imagine what it would be like if you weren't hungry yourself but were coaxed, even forced to eat, or if you weren't sure what you were asked to eat.
This will help parents empathize with their child and seeing the parent's behavior through the child's eyes will help the parent realize that this behavior may have the opposite effect than intended. Each time your child refuses food, remember to see things from your child's point of view rather than from your own desires.
Step back and be objective Eating should be an enjoyable experience for children to meet basic biological needs. Moreover, the fact that children eat less or more, eat what food is not at all to please adults.
Therefore, parents need to strive for the satisfaction of knowing that their children have eaten as much as they wanted and that they feel satisfied, instead of the child being forced to eat a specified amount of food.
Trust your baby's belly The human body is very sensitive in telling when the stomach is hungry and full. However, repeatedly intervening by forcing the child to eat or overeating will cause the child to have stomach pain which can disrupt this ability.
Thus, eating when hungry and stopping when full is behavior that the body wants to protect itself, not destructive, so try to allow children to tell parents when they are hungry and need to eat or eat. when you're full and don't eat anymore.
Check portion sizes Children's stomachs are smaller than adults' and children are forced to eat when parents may set unrealistic expectations.
As a guide, a small portion of each food that almost fits in the palm of a child's hand is enough to meet needs. For example, if feeding your child rice, a palm-sized portion of rice and 2-3 palm-sized portions of vegetables is enough for one meal. For dessert for kids, try a palm-sized portion of fruit with a palm-sized portion of yogurt.
It is following the above measurement method for each type of food that will help parents avoid forcing children to eat too much and leading to stomach pain when children are forced to eat.
Trẻ bị ép ăn hay trẻ ăn quá nhiều sẽ làm tăng nguy cơ đau dạ dày
All parents want their children to eat healthy and full. However, parents' desire for children to grow up quickly and gain weight when raising children sometimes leads to children being forced to eat. Because of possible consequences such as stomach pain when children eat too much or eating behavior disorders later on, parents need to respect their children's basic needs by choosing nutritionally balanced foods. , build scientific meals during the day that are suitable for your child's development and add necessary micronutrients such as: Zinc, selenium, chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C). ), ... to improve taste, eat well, reach the correct height and weight, enhance resistance to less sickness and less digestive problems.
References: childfeedingguide.co.uk, beingtheparent.com, babydestination.com
