Extremely Picky Eater Fears Food

Summary

Erin, a 7-year-old with food neophobia, faces extreme pickiness that limits her diet to just a few items. Despite various attempts to encourage her to eat, Erin's family turns to an intensive five-day program at Duke University, where she learns to face her food fears. Gradually, Erin expands her diet, trying new foods like turkey bacon and even calamari. A year later, Erin has made significant strides, now enjoying food adventures and trying new flavors. Her journey highlights the challenges and breakthroughs of overcoming severe food aversions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Erin suffers from food neophobia, a condition where she has an extreme fear of trying new foods, limiting her diet to just 10 items.
• 😀 Erin’s food aversion has caused physical health issues, including stomach aches and difficulties with digestion since infancy.
• 😀 Despite being an active child, Erin’s picky eating has led her parents to seek help, initially through common advice like 'starving her out.'
• 😀 Traditional methods of forcing Erin to eat or withholding food didn’t work, prompting her parents to explore professional intervention.
• 😀 Erin’s family enrolled her in an intensive five-day program at Duke University, run by Dr. Nancy Zucker, which specializes in treating food neophobia.
• 😀 Dr. Zucker’s program focuses on helping children relax their bodies and minds, offering strategies to gradually expand their food preferences.
• 😀 One of Erin's significant breakthroughs during the program was trying and enjoying turkey bacon, despite never having eaten meat before.
• 😀 Post-program, Erin’s family continues to work on expanding her food choices by having weekly 'food adventures' where Erin tries new flavors and combinations.
• 😀 A year later, Erin has incorporated new foods into her diet, such as crispy bacon and pumpkin pancakes, signaling her progress.
• 😀 Though Erin has not yet reached her ultimate goal of eating pizza, she is much closer, and her willingness to try new foods has increased substantially.
• 😀 The process of overcoming food neophobia is long and challenging, but with the right interventions and support, significant progress is possible.

Q & A

What is food neophobia, and how does it affect children?

Food neophobia is a condition characterized by an intense fear or aversion to trying new foods. It goes beyond typical pickiness, affecting some children to the extent that they refuse many types of food, limiting their diet to a very narrow range of items. This can lead to health problems and difficulties in developing a balanced diet.

How does Erin’s food neophobia manifest in her eating habits?

Erin's food neophobia is severe; she refuses to eat many common foods, including pizza, chicken nuggets, hamburgers, and most vegetables. Her diet is limited to breakfast foods like waffles, pancakes, and french toast, as well as some fruits, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, and peanut butter, but even those preferences are very specific.

What role did Erin’s stomach issues play in the development of her food neophobia?

Erin's food issues began in infancy, when she suffered from acid reflux. Every meal was painful, which contributed to her extreme reluctance to eat. The stomach aches and painful eating experiences may have contributed to her aversion to food and heightened her food neophobia.

How did Erin's parents attempt to address her food neophobia?

Initially, Erin’s parents tried to encourage her to eat by being firm and insisting she eat the meals presented to her, thinking that hunger would motivate her to eat. However, this approach didn’t work, and they later recognized the need for more specialized help.

What approach did Erin’s parents take when they realized their previous methods weren’t working?

Erin's parents decided to enroll her in a specialized program at Duke University, led by Dr. Nancy Zucker, that focuses on helping children overcome food neophobia. The program involves intensive exposure to new foods and retraining the child's experience with food.

What techniques were used in Erin’s treatment at Duke University?

At Duke, Erin was exposed to new foods and combinations of foods in a structured and supportive environment. The program included strategies to help Erin relax her body and mind while eating, and it aimed to gradually introduce her to new tastes and textures, such as mixing foods and trying things like pizza sauce.

What was Erin’s first breakthrough during her food therapy?

Erin's first breakthrough occurred when she successfully ate turkey bacon, a food she had never eaten before. This was a significant moment in her treatment, as it showed her ability to try and chew new foods despite her strong aversion.

How did Erin’s eating habits change after completing the program at Duke?

A year after the program, Erin made significant progress. She added new foods to her diet, such as pumpkin pancakes and crispy bacon, and she began participating in 'food adventures,' where she tried new and different foods each week. Her parents reported that she was more open to new flavors and combinations.

What is a 'food adventure,' and how does it help Erin?

'Food adventures' are weekly activities where Erin is encouraged to try new foods and combinations that she would typically avoid. These adventures are meant to push her boundaries in a fun and non-pressuring way, helping her build confidence in trying new things and expand her diet gradually.

Has Erin completely overcome her food neophobia?

While Erin has made significant progress, she has not fully overcome her food neophobia. She is still hesitant about certain foods, like pizza, but she has expanded her palate considerably. She now enjoys foods like calamari and cheeseburgers with specific ingredients, indicating progress in overcoming her extreme pickiness.