Re: Son That Won't Try New Food

[Guest guest]

Dear AJ,

Yes, I have an 11 year old daughter who sounds identical. In fact, as I

write, I can hear her downstairs having her " Easy Mac " for an after-school

snack. We have tried every trick in the book and it hasn't helped. She has

learned

to taste new foods, since we require it, but more than one bite just doesn't

happen. We worked with her therapist on trying new foods this fall, but I

can't say it helped much. With her it is a combination issue - part sensory

problem, part OCD. She hates the texture of most foods in her mouth, and has an

obsessional fear of vomiting, so any food that could by any stretch of the

imagination look or feel like vomit is out. She has managed to continue growing

and

is very healthy, but I don't know how.

From my experience, the only way to deal with it at this age is to have

your son agree to work on the problem, and have him create a list of foods that

he would be willing to work on. We got my daughter to at least eat peanut

butter and jelly sandwiches this way (I needed one source of protein that I

could

send with her in her sack lunch on field trips, etc.). Other than that,

insist that he try a taste of everything you serve as a family, and hope that

someday he'll be more amenable to new things.

Good luck - I know how frustrating this is!!!

in NV, mom to Annie (11 with OCD/ADHD/TS) who ONLY eats pizza, pasta,

one kind of bagel and anything candy, cookie or ice creamish.

[Guest guest]

Well, I have to admit that this makes me feel a lot better. My son (7)

actually eats a decent variety of foods and will try new foods - as

long as it isn't vegetables. It's definitely become a bit of a

phobia/obsession.

We tried the " just one taste " bit, but he has a fairly effective

technique. He has a pretty overactive gag reflex and so, he usually

ends up winning those battles. (It's not deliberate, either. Even

when he is highly motivated to try a taste, any and all vegetables

still come right back up.

We have so many other things to work on that we are letting this on

slide; but it still concerns me.

Jeanne

jwestpha@...

NBCT - Exceptional Needs (2000)

[Guest guest]

Two things to check, other than OCD texture-related issues are tongue

thrusting (which makes it hard to move the food around the mouth and

swallow) and sugar craving.

Tongue thrusting children (like my 6 year old girl) usually have a hard

time nursing as infants, and can have problems forming certain letters as

they enter first and second grade, sometimes even lasting as a lisp until

third or fourth grade.

Sugar craving is very much like drug addiction. Sadly, white flour and

processed foods like mac and cheese turn into sugar in the bloodstream

very quickly and provide the same " sugar rush " as sugar itself. We have

identified this as a problem with a couple of our children, especially

after finding food they have " snuck " into their pockets or rooms.

The biggest eye-opener to me that this could be a problem was an

interview I saw on TV. There is a rock musician who overcame his drug

addiction and opened a drug rehab center in Arizona. When asked what was

his " gateway drug, " he was easily able to identify it as sugar. It really

does affect some people that way!

Peggy

[Guest guest]

Add our DS (11) to the list of food avoiders. Even if he " likes "

something, he doesn't. We've allowed him to pick/suggest new foods,

but when it comes down to sitting at the table actually trying it, we

enter the realm of high drama, not to mention high stress.

He mostly likes any kind of pasta/sauce, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers,

french fries, chicken nuggets.

Even with his pediatrician recently explaining the health risks

associated with his " normal " diet, he would rather fight than try.

Its incredibly difficult. We've begun, again, forcing the " try one

new food a week " approach. 1 for 3 so far. He picked the veggies,

DW made them...that's all we can do.

[Guest guest]

Has anyone found that there daughter or son's appetite has

increased since being on medication for treatment of OCD?

My son is on Celexa now for almost 3 months. The doctor recently

increaded the dosage from 20 mg to 30 mg.

He still won't try

any food other than his usual routine. So far, I don't see any

change in regard to his eating habits. However, his room is

messier now then it used to be.

thanks.

-- In , efowle@a... wrote:

> Dear AJ,

> Yes, I have an 11 year old daughter who sounds identical. In

fact, as I

> write, I can hear her downstairs having her " Easy Mac " for an

after-school

> snack. We have tried every trick in the book and it hasn't helped.

She has learned

> to taste new foods, since we require it, but more than one bite

just doesn't

> happen. We worked with her therapist on trying new foods this

fall, but I

> can't say it helped much. With her it is a combination issue -

part sensory

> problem, part OCD. She hates the texture of most foods in her

mouth, and has an

> obsessional fear of vomiting, so any food that could by any

stretch of the

> imagination look or feel like vomit is out. She has managed to

continue growing and

> is very healthy, but I don't know how.

> From my experience, the only way to deal with it at this age

is to have

> your son agree to work on the problem, and have him create a list

of foods that

> he would be willing to work on. We got my daughter to at least eat

peanut

> butter and jelly sandwiches this way (I needed one source of

protein that I could

> send with her in her sack lunch on field trips, etc.). Other than

that,

> insist that he try a taste of everything you serve as a family,

and hope that

> someday he'll be more amenable to new things.

> Good luck - I know how frustrating this is!!!

> in NV, mom to Annie (11 with OCD/ADHD/TS) who ONLY eats

pizza, pasta,

> one kind of bagel and anything candy, cookie or ice creamish.

>

>

>