Food for thought with kids

ALARM: EMOTIONAL EATING CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON YOUR CHILD'S WELL-BEING

- Citizen reporter

Emotional eating isn't something only adults struggle with - more and more children are turning to food for comfort, and it can have a profound impact on their physical and emotional health.

Instead of eating because they're hungry, many children eat when they feel bored, stressed, sad or anxious. Having a treat now and then is perfectly okay, but when food becomes a way to manage emotions, it can lead to unhealthy habits, weight gain, and low self-esteem.

Globally, more than 35 million children under the age of five are now overweight, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This growing trend is linked to a rise in childhood obesity and related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease later in life.

Children today face pressures that didn't exist a generation ago, from school stress and bullying to social media and family problems. When they don't learn healthy ways to cope, food can easily become their go-to source of comfort, offering short-term relief but long-term harm.

"As parents and caregivers, it's important to recognise emotional eating is often a sign of deeper stress or unmet emotional needs," says Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health.