How Do Your Food Attitudes Influence Your Kids?

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Every parent wants what's best for their child. And for some, that means reading labels and doing as much research as they can to ensure their child's diet is a healthy one. But could too much focus on things like trans fats and high fructose corn syrup lead to unhealthy feelings and behavior in our kids?

Often the parents aren't as concerned about obesity as they are about other health problems (like diabetes and hyperactivity) that can be strongly influenced by diet. But experts are finding that creating a diet that is too strict (such as only eating organic foods to avoid pesticides) can create unhealthy feelings about food. Many children start to become anxious and afraid of what's going to happen to them if they consume "bad" foods. These feelings and attitudes aren't just showing up in older kids and adolescents, but even in children as young as age 5.



One researcher has coined the term "orthorexia," which refers to people obsessed with health food. He theorizes that this condition can develop in homes where there is a fixation on health food, although eating disorder experts disagree and consider this to be a form of anorexia nervosa or obsessive compulsive disorder. There's no research to prove that an obsession with health food can lead to eating disorders. But preoccupation with avoiding "bad" foods can become an issue for young people who are surrounded by those ideas at home.

I'll admit that I'm a label reader, and I try to be very careful about the foods I prepare for my 2-year old. I want to set a good example, teaching her that healthy foods can taste good and veggies are a normal part of the day. I buy organic products when I can and she doesn't drink juice or soda. But I do let her have "treats" now and then. If we go to a birthday party, I'm not going to tell her she can't have a few bites of cake because it's full of processed foods and "chemicals". Sometimes I worry that my label reading and focus on healthy foods could create fixations for her down the road. But I do my best to balance being an informed consumer with relaxing and letting her "live a little".

When it comes to food, how do you create healthy attitudes and behaviors in your children? Are you worried that they could become too focused on health food because of the examples they see at home? How do you create a healthy balance?