Food aversion

[Arcadia]

I might be way off the mark but is it possible your own eating issues as a young person has made you more conscious of healthy eating and so this might be a reaction to a stricter attitude about food?

What happens if you try to change the whole dynamic around food? Perhaps he had to start packing his own lunch, and if he doesn't want to eat dinner then don't make him. If you don't want him to fill up on junk then I would limit access by refusing to buy it and offering money for canteen.

It sounds like a power struggle, and as a mother our instinct is to feed our children, but he is carving out his own identity and I think he might need some space to do so.

Family meals are great, but they shouldn't be stressful. I would just put meals on the table and everyone has to serve themselves. Let him serve himself what he wants and pick at it as he chooses without any pressure and see if less attention makes any difference . I'd say it would take a few weeks to see any difference.

I don't think he needs a psych. My sister was exactly the same. Vomiting and all. She ONLY ate Vegemite sandwiches for a while there and mum and dad had to pack them when we went out to restaurants. Now as an adult she eats everything. When we asked her about her food issues, she said it was the pressure of being forced to eat and try things. She didn't like the attention.

My dad is a GP and thought she would grow out of it and she did eventually. Good luck.

Eta: obviously I am assuming he is not physically unwell or undernourished and will not starve himself, which would need medical help.