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Is It a Behavioral Issue or an Appetite Problem ?
I had seen plenty of poor eaters in my practice, but this one had left me with no doubts that he was the worst amongst all. . With a history of bird’s appetite, this time he was breaking all records. It was nearly three days since he had taken a morsel. It looked as if he had taken recourse to some kind of Satyagraha. Any attempt to feed him forcefully would end up in a vomit. The young parents were nearly on the verge of a breakdown, when on the fourth day he ended his fast.
When kids don’t eat, why is it that they don’t eat? What makes them a poor eater?
The Eating disorders are complex disorders. It could be a simple behavioral disagreement to food or as some Research shows that its origins can have more than one reason – Biopsychosocial. A neurobiological brain disorder with a strong heritability component is also under investigation. Some individuals with eating disorders have an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation. Behavioral disagreement occurs if the child is force-fed or over -fed.
When kids don’t eat, it can be very distressing for their parents, but is this disorder treatable?
Yes, but first it is important to understand the relationship between the child?s total family environment and his eating disorder. The individuality of each child is an important factor in assessing the most suitable approach for dealing with food refusal. It would simply be illustrated by a case that I treated without any medication. A child of two had developed a very obstinate food refusal. It was assessed that the disorder had no biological angle, but was a case of behavioral disagreement. The mother was feeding the child at an inappropriate time, seven thirty in the morning, as she had to leave for her job by eight, which had resulted in an overall refusal to food. A simple adjustment in the feeding time gave the desired results.
In another case a little one had developed disgust for food after her mother used harsh punishment for not finishing meals in time. Such a situations can become a psychological deterrent and the child may sub consciously develop a contempt for food.
Homoeopathic medicines are very helpful in treating eating disorders.. Antimonium Crudum, Lycopodium, Nux Vomica are a few of the important homoeopathic medicines. Antimonium crudum is very helpful for infants who vomit milk immediately after breast-feed. Some peculiar mind symptoms easily identify the child who requires this medicine along with a very weak appetite he is Cross and contradictive; whatever is done fails to give satisfaction. The little one is Sulky; does not wish to speak. Child cannot bear to be touched or looked and gets angry at every little attention.
Lycopodium has a very strange indication. Although the child may be very hungry, eating ever so little satiates him easily. Nux vomica is often an abused appetite stimulant. Nux should only be used only when it is indicated. It should not be used as an appetite panacea. Homoeopathic medicines should only be used with the advice of an expert homoeopath.
Eating disorder can result out of general ill health as in chronic disorders like asthma and recurrent coughs and colds, also at times a result of over or an improper medication. Such children need to be treated with a constitutional and holistic approach where the root cause is identified and remedied.
The child being referred as ?he? in the above feature is just a grammatical connotation. It does not favour any sex.
hi, I m a mother of a two; my elder daughter is 6 and half yrs of age and my son is 3 yrs old.Both of them lack appetite for food..since i ve already read the reasons ,i know somewhere i m to be blamed for forceful eating.
Kindly help as my elder one is diagnosed with poor eyesight also.I make sure i cook as per their taste but utter failure…help
respected sir,
my daughter is of 01 year 06 months she is very active and smart, but she didn’t want to eat rice, she is interested to eat mixture, groundnuts, etc.
Please suggest some homeopathy medicine.
Thanks in anticipation
Regards
Bhavani prasad
Namaskar Dr. sir, Well my problem is that my grand son of 9months old is taking milk[lactogen2] but not opening his mouth to take solid food[liquidified].He vomits immediately after taking any fruit juice even. This is first introduction of solid food home made or cerelac2,etc. Under this situation my daughter and son -in-law are much worried for this reason. Will you pl. Doctor suggest some measures? Thank you
Hi,
We have always struggled with our 15 month old son. When he was a few months old he was diagnosed with reflux. After we introduced solids things were going better but worsened when we introduced gluten. We found out he has gluten intolerance and we adjusted his diet accordingly. Now he eats very very little each day, I can tell he is not hungry most of the time, he doesn’t have a psychological problem. When he is hungry, he eats, but that happens very rarely. So he is now surviving mostly on milk. He drinks water constantly, so his thirst is fine. His appetite not. Waht can we do to improve his appetite. I must say he also has poor weight gain.
Thanks!
My son was not eating anything, he is totally avoid food. when he saw food he will getting start crying and said i do not eat . i do not eat. I eat Bada, he always want to eat to Bada
Hi,
I am having 17 months son.He is not at all eating from the past 2 months.Hardly he eats only 1 meal a day that too only biscuits with milk.Whatever we try him he is just spilling it out with out tasting it.
Can you please suggest me what to do.
i have daughet of 2 .5 years. she donot eat on her own and i have to ask her for food.she never said me that she is angry but wnt something to eat .i am a working mother
apart from chapati she donot take anything extra and that chapati she donot eat her own i have to make her eat He keeps his food in his mouth for 10 minutes and when it becomes too soft he vomits it
she donot like fruits at all i have tried many times but all in vein
pls suggest em the medicine to increas her hunge as she is getting wea day by day
i give her pediasure in her mil in morning and evening
Hope to get a reply. My daughter who is 2 years and 4 months old is a forced eater. I have to force everything on to her otherwise she will NOT eat. She is a slow talker and is quite weak. Her hair growth is very poor too. Please suggest some medicine. Am in great distress please help me:((
Dear Doctor,
I have a 5 year old grand daughter who refuses to eat any vegetables or fruits. When she was smaller we used to grind it and mix it with her pediasure and bottle feed her. Now she has turned 5 nearly 6 and when we tried to make her eat a tiney piece of mango she nearly vomited. She is fond of fish, chicken, paneer, and sometimes we even mix a little ground dal in her rice.
Please help
Thanking you,
Hilda
My child age-4yrs,he very scrawny lean thine child.desire-ice-cream,chocolate.&banana.he eat only 1chapati per day.my problem not given daily icecream.wt.-13kg so plz gain my child weight&appetite
sir,
my daughter is 15 months old. she did not eat any food. i am afraid what can i do… all day she eats only breast milk 2 times. and small quantity of food, but she is very active.
please help
HELLO SIR,
MY NAME IS RASHI, I HAVE A 2 AND A HALF YEARS OLD BABY BOY……HE IS VERY SKINNY ONLY 10 KGS, DONT EAT WELL THROUGH OUT FOOD FROM HIS MOUTH WE HAVE TO FEED HIM FORCEFULLY……OTHERWISE HE IS VERY ACTIVE AND ALWAYS ON HIS FEET…….I HAVE NOTICED SOME LYMPH NODES ON HIS NECK WE ARE ALREADY TREATING HIM WITH HOMOPATHIC MEDICINE FOR THE SAME PLS SUGGEST HOW TO MAKE HIM LITTLE FAT…
Hello Doctor,
I am facing the same problem with my 3 years old boy. He only drink milk 4 times a day and sometime a 1/4 of a chapati. He don’t like solid food. I also forcefully put some in his mouth but he throw out after 1 minute. He also feel constipation after every 3-4 weeks . I am worried about him . Can you please guide me the best way to I can make him eat some solid food for his growth.
Thanks
Sir ,
My mother is 75 years and she has developed a strange habit of eating very very less food any time in breakfast and dinner.She says that she wants food as if she is hungry but when food is presented in front of her she makes strange faces and strange behaviors making faces and eats very very less she takes at least three hours to eat small quantity of food. Sir i fear if she continues with this habit then her health may deteriorate. Please tell me some good medicine to increase her appetite .
Thanks
Rahul Sharma
sir my son is 23 month ols and weighs only 10.1 kg.. was born 2.8kg his height has also nt grown in last 4 months his height is 81 cm… pls help me to gain weight and increase height.. he looks small for his age.. and he even looks smaal as compard to othr children of her age.. pls help me out pls…
hi doctor, my 5 yrs old son is nt eating anything & nt drinking milk. I made his favorite bornvite milk every day. Bt he didn’t take. He is nt eating chapati nt even junk food. I m in very tension. Which things i give him to increase his hunger & weight. Plz doctor help me.
Sir
My daughter is 5 years old. she is not interest to take food.she is get up early morning take 2 and 3 nos of biscuits.i mean to say i in lunch and i in dinner and that also he dont finishes up. she is not take break fast. she is birth after food eat not interested.Now she is take interested only choclate.
she never asks for food very rare she says iam hungry.
Please suggest some homoepathy medicine.
Thanks in anticipation
Regards
saritha
Hello dr sharma.. my son his 5 years old and does not eat and i have to force him all the time..his very skinny and shorter then other kids from his age.we r both parents are taller. Can u plz recommend me any medicine and is it safe to use . Thanks
I am writing to you today to get some consultation for my almost 6 year old daughter. She is very active child but unfortunately she weights only 16.8 kg , she has good height but low weight. I want her to gain some weight so that she is proportional with her height. Please let me know if there is any way that you can help.
She is a picky eater, never tries any new food and doesnt like most of the foods that kids love. I have to force her, be strict with her to even finish milk. Not only that but she sits with her food for hours and I end up scolding her to finish her food. I am so frustrated and don’t know what to do. I dont feel good scolding her all the time but there is no other solution in sight. Please help
Thanks
Hi Dr.Sharma
I am a homemaker and a mother of two girls aged 3 and 1 year resp.
my older daughter, Tashvi aged 3 years weighs around 10.5 kgs and stands at 92 cms. she has gained only about a kilogram of weight in the past two years. I give her zincovit tonic and vit d3 syrup.
she is a picky eater takes a lot of time to finish her meals and does not drink curd or milk.
she goes to playschool and is generally cordial too.
I am worried her poor stature may be on account of an underlying eating disorder
please advise
regards
Rupal Mohta