Poverty - and Eating Disorders

You would assume that kids who have been denied food most of their life would eat anything!  Wrong!!

The terms Breakfast, Lunch and Supper were non-existent in their vocabulary.  By the time they were finished with one meal they were asking what we would have at the next meal.  They always wanted to know that there was something more to look forward to.

They seemed to remember hot dogs cut up in spaghetti-o's and that is about all they talk about having to eat.

Being children of an alcoholic mother, they crave sugar.  While they won't drink a glass of milk, they do like sugary breakfast cereals.  I have known recovering alcoholics who eat ice cream by the cartons.  Nutritionist say that the refined sugar and the milk/sugar combination turns into a form of alcohol in the digestive system, which may explain the cravings.  Too much sugar is linked to Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit problems, and when added on top of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, these kids get a double whammy.

When we first met our kids G12 was 6 years old.  We never saw her eat anything except a bag of chips (usually cheese flavored Doritos) that she would carry around all day long.  It seemed as though as long as there was one chip left in that bag, she felt secure.  Most food, even the "kid friendly" foods, seem repulsive to her.  We suspect that some day she will have her own pantry stocked full of cheese Doritos and Hot Cheetos!

Our B9 was only 3 when we met him, and I can't say that I ever saw him eat much of anything unless there were biscuits or sweet rolls available.

As infants, formula could be obtained free, but solid foods, even baby foods, were not around.  They never learned to eat food, to experience the taste and texture in their mouth.  Now as they get older, it is much harder to do.

When B9 came to live with us a year ago he was losing weight fast.  The first few months we struggled to get him to eat anything.  Then, much like a toddler, he decided he liked bologna and ate nothing else.  After a few months it was chicken nuggets and nothing else.  Now he has discovered peanut butter and that is his mainstay.  He is beginning to be brave enough to try a bite of what we are eating.  We will ask "Do you like it?"  He will answer "yes".  But if we ask "do you want some more" and answer is almost always "no".

We have tried to work nutritious food into their diet, starting with the most bland or kid friendly foods.  Corn is tolerated because it is somewhat sweet, peas roll down the throat and can be swallowed without chewing, same with mandarin oranges because they slide down whole.  If we try to get them to actually chew their food, the facial expressions show their distaste for the texture.  B9 can't eat a grape because of the texture when he bites into it.  G12 won't try anything new without a fuss.

After trying unsuccessfully to get them to eat, I finally resorted to chicken nuggets 3 times a day.  At least they ate without causing chaos!

Organized sports, which he started a year ago, may have been a true lifesaver for B9.  It gave him an appetite, and with encouragement from the coaches who he respects and wants to please, he has decided in his own mind that he needs to eat lots of good food.


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