Is my son developing food issues?

[longingforsomesleep]

I have 3 teenagers, two of whom seem to take a fairly sensible approach to food. However, my 15 year old son is starting to worry me slightly. He is a little over 6 foot, really skinny (32" waist), very fit (lifts weights every night), well developed chest and arms, plays lots of sport, loves food, but ..... He seems to be getting obsessed with 'sat fat'. He does eat plenty of food, especially sugary things, but denies himself stuff that he thinks contain too much sat fat. It's becoming a little obsessive I think and I'm wondering what approach I should take to stop it becoming too much of an issue.

For example, I just made a tuna pasta bake for tea - he picked off the cheese topping. I'd bought meringues for pudding - he scraped off the cream and ate the meringue. He bought me some chocolates for mother's day. Very keen to open them and look at the menu - but wouldn't have one. He made me some muffins as well but wouldn't have one, but was very keen to have a bite of mine. He was also very keen that his dad should have one and that he should have a bite of his. But he wouldn't have one of his own.

He ate 2 or 3 squares of fruit and nut chocolate from the fridge the other day and I stupidly pointed out that it contained sat fat too and how inconsistent he was being. He said, 'don't worry, I just won't eat lunch tomorrow'. I looked appalled and he insisted he was joking.

He's just told me that he looks at the sat fat content of things he eats and, when he thinks he's eaten his daily allowance he stops. I said that was ridiculous and the guidelines are for adults, not 15 year old boys whose bones were still developing.

What do I do to stop it getting more of an obsession? Ignore or try to reason with him?

[Brightspark1]

I think you are right to be concerned especially if he has problems in other areas, being bullied, or has a perfectionist streak. Try www.b-eat.co.uk, it gives support and information. Your GP may be worth having a word.
In the meantime try not to react or comment on his eating, especially at mealtimes.
An active 15 yo boy needs about 3000 calories a day, difficult if he is cutting out all the fat from his diet.

[longingforsomesleep]

I've no reason to think he's being bullied - very sociable, good group of friends etc. But you've hit the nail on the head about him being a perfectionist. He's also very self critical.

He's certainly getting enough calories and I wouldn't say he's cutting out all sat fat. He doesn't seem to object to milk (on cereal, horlicks etc) for example, and he does eat sat fat - just seem to need to be able to calculate exactly how much fat he's eating (the calories don't bother him).

[GnomeDePlume]

Can you talk to him to find out where he is getting his information from? I wonder if he has picked up on some sort of programme but has only heard bits of it. He might need some help to sort the whole thing out so that he understands the whole approach. It is good that he is taking an interest in what he is eating but this sounds like he has read something off the front of a magazine!