Orthorexia

http://ow.ly/dPqV Here is a link to an excellent article on Orthorexia or the term used for those who are obsessed with healthy eating. I realize that while healthy eating is important, it shouldn't consume you (pun intended). As dietitians we become a little obsessed with healthy eating- well, at least most dietitians do, I am sort of the worst dietitian on earth in that respect! If you scroll down the article there is a paragraph on how we can pass on these obsessions to our children and they can internalize these messages and literally become afraid to eat. So, how do we get our kids to eat healthy? We show them by example, we provide plenty of healthy choices, we keep our big mouths shut and allow our children to follow their intuition! Again, as I have stated previously, they won't always make the best choices- they are kids remember, but childhood is the time when they should learn from experience, b/c we won't always be there to control them (er, I mean guide them). Awhile back I used to be a volunteer breast feeding counselor and I would cringe, literally cringe when moms would tell me they were going to put their babies on a feeding schedule. Nothing like teaching our children to ignore their intuition right from the start! Just because mom has a bigger stomach and can go 3 hours without feeling hungry doesn't mean that an infant with a golf ball sized stomach can! I apologize if I offended anyone. I just get so darn hyped up when I hear people talking about controlling their child's food and eating habits. Did you know that the more controlling a parent is with their child's eating the more likely that child will be overweight? Just something to think about the next time you catch yourself forcing your child to clean their plate. I used to be one of those moms who would be trying to get my kids to finish their chicken nuggets and french fries and then finally it dawned on me, why would I want them to eat more of a junky food than they want to.