When Your Child Isn't Like Others Around Sweets

Parents tell me their kid is not like the others when it comes to their behavior around sweets and treats.

Their child gets more excited about treats, is preoccupied for days when a holiday or party is approaching, can't control their eating when abundant food is available, and often overeat (sometimes to the point of being sick) in this situation.

So when parents tell me this, I take it to heart. Because sometimes you just know when your child isn’t reacting to food in healthy ways. ?

Take sweets, for instance.?

Some kids are more drawn to them. They get more excited about them and may overeat them when they have access to them.

If you’re on social media, you may be seeing a lot of talk about sweets – especially since we’ve just had all the big holidays where a lot of sugary treats are present.

You might hear that you want to make sweets and treats available. That you don't want to "restrict" them. And if you do...then you’ve probably caused their fixation.

While this could be true, I believe there’s a deeper picture here.

For one, your child may simply be wired to be more "responsive" to food.

In the research, this is regarded as an appetite trait. Some kids are what is called food-responsive, a genetically inherited trait that basically means a child gets more excited about food, is more interested in it, motivated by it, and really enjoys eating it.

This is not a bad thing. And this is not something you’ve caused.

It just is.

Kids who are food-responsive need more structure around sweets.?

Picture a toddler who is impulsive and cannot control themselves. You would hold their hand as they crossed a street to keep them safe. Or, you would stand close by while they're on a jungle gym to prevent a fall. You would be keen to offer some guardrails to support them.

The same is needed for kids who are food-responsive.

They have trouble self-regulating their eating when it comes to palatable foods like sweets and treats. They need more support, like predictable access to sweets and more structure around the context of eating them.

What doesn't seem to work?

Increased or free access to sweets and treats. This may make things worse for them.?

There are a few more considerations to think about if you believe your child is food-responsive, like whether or not they're impulsive, or able to delay gratification, and of course, their developmental stage.

You can learn about this in my interview with researcher Dr Alison Miller. And my next book (available in August) takes a deep dive into how your child's personality traits, executive functioning skills, and genetic inheritance affect their eating. Fascinating stuff!

Yours in health and wellbeing,

Jill

P.S. Learn more from my resources on The Nourished Child and connect with me directly for personalized support.