What to do if children have anorexia

Children nowadays live an extremely free and happy life, and many families tend to spoil their children. This causes some children to develop bad habits, such as picky eating and anorexia. Many children give their parents a headache when it comes to eating. They don’t eat well and are picky eaters. So, what should we do if children have picky eating habits or anorexia? Here's how to handle this situation.

1. First of all, the place where children eat should be fixed. Before eating, parents should try not to arrange children to watch TV, listen to the radio, read books, play with toys and other activities. The TV should be turned off and toys and books should be put away.

2. Parents should eat with their children. Studies have shown that children who often eat without their parents or other relatives will develop a sense of loneliness and abandonment, which may affect the healthy development of their personality. Moreover, children who eat alone, since they have no parental discipline and guidance, generally choose food according to their own preferences. They eat more of what they think is delicious and leave the rest of the food untouched. Children who eat with their parents and other relatives will not only develop good hygiene habits, but also seeing others eat with relish will stimulate their own appetite, and they will eat more food unknowingly.

3. A quiet and relaxing dining environment should be created for children. Parents can ask their children to follow necessary dining rules and set a good example themselves. Parents should not quarrel during meals and turn the dining table into a battlefield; they should not use drastic measures (such as scolding, beating, and intimidation) to force their children to eat certain foods, so as not to cause them frustration and affect their appetite. It has been proven that a harmonious and peaceful dining atmosphere can reduce children's tension and rebelliousness and promote their appetite.

4. Adults should set an example and not be picky or anorexic. This includes pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. For the health of the next generation, they should try their best to choose food scientifically and diversify food to ensure balanced and comprehensive nutrition.

5. The variety of food should be diversified. Pay attention to the type, color, taste, shape and combination of food to cultivate children's good eating behavior.

6. Food should be fresh, prepared hygienically, eaten immediately after being cooked, and no leftovers should be left. Choose more easily digestible foods, more fish and shrimp, vegetables and fruits cannot be replaced interchangeably, choose more dark green, red and yellow vegetables and fruits.

What should we do if children have picky eating and anorexia? Many children nowadays have this situation. Some parents coax their children to eat. It is best not to let children develop the habit of playing with toys and watching TV while eating. Provide children with a quiet dining environment and let them eat with their parents. Another thing is to provide children with a variety of foods to stimulate their appetite.