To go to the GP over my child's fussy eating?

[guiltynetter]

DD has just turned 7 and although has always been a fussy eater, recently is getting much worse and the list of foods she will eat is getting smaller and smaller. I struggle what to feed her and I'm completely at a loss what to do. She eats no actual meals and would happily live on crumpets and weetabix if she could. Is it pointless making a GP appointment to ask for advice or is there nothing they could do?

The reason I'm more worried is because we've always 'got by' before but recently she has got a lot worse. I don't know how to handle it. The only thing we used to eat as a family was roast chicken on sandwiches with veg and roast potatoes (she just ate the sandwich part) and yesterday she said she doesn't like that either now. I could cry!

Just for reference, she won't eat...

Anything potato based
Nothing with any type of sauce
No vegetables
No meat other than chicken and ham (for sandwiches)
No fish
Just one fruit (strawberries)

Thanks!

The thing people need to understand about ARFID ( I know she's not been diagnosed but everything the OP says points to this) is that it's not fussy eating. It is an actual phobia of food and it needs to be treated as such.

You wouldn't tell someone with a phobia of spiders to just go and pick one up or someone with a phobia of heights to climb to the top of a tall building.

Telling someone with ARFID to just eat won't work. They will literally choose starvation.

You might be interested in this link.

www.childfeedingguide.co.uk/tips/common-feeding-pitfalls/food-refusal/

Maybe try giving pudding first for a couple of days
See if she will eat more food after she's had her pudding because she's not scared of being too full for it.

Have you tired cooking something simple together ? would she try it if she enjoyed making it etc. what about breakfast muffins, would she try them as they are like cakes but a bit healthier.

will she drink smoothies ?

Oh bless you my son is only two but he eats nothing and I mean nothing. Will only drink bottles of formula. We have been recommended to speak to a feeding therapist, we will be paying for it ourselves though. I noticed that feeding therapists often do group courses for fussy eaters where the chicken and adults can attend and do activities related to food to start getting them more comfortable with it. Might be something the go can tell your lore about x

Oh my god so many typos above! Hopefully you get what I mean!

My 8 year old also won't eat potatoes, or bread, meat, eggs, pastry, fish, cereal. She ate everything as a baby/toddler. She would happily eat ice cream/crisps everyday. Only saving grace is She loves vegetables and fruit. She has school dinners and some of the combinations she tries seem bizarre (dry hotdog and broccoli) but she always finishes dessert! Dinner at home at the moment is either pasta with red pesto, beef super noodles (!) Or veg with yorkshire and gravy. She is top percentile height and weight - trying not to make a big deal of it, but it's hard to not get frustrated.

Definitely see your gp. Ask for a dietitian. They will have lots of ideas on how to help without pressure or criticism. We see one privately for our DD who has a similar list. I feel much better for some professional guidance and some confirmation that things will get better if we persevere.

My mum could have written the same about me. My diet was very restricted from 8-13 for no reason other than I just started going off a lot of foods from about age 6. No trauma, no SEN, no logical reason for it. I even avoided going to friends' houses because I was too worried about dinner. I gradually started to try more things as a teenager because I was missing out on so much socially. I've turned into a total foodie in adulthood. We didn't go to the GP because it wasn't the done thing at the time and I turned out fine. It worth going for your own sanity and her health but I mention that I was fine as reassurance in case it takes a while for her to learn to like food.

@VinceBitMe

This is ridiculous! Give her a choice: what you’ve cooked or nothing. She’ll soon start eating. Jesus Christ, you lot are giving children too much power! SMH

@VinceBitMe ni they won’t this is a ridiculous pint. If there is nothing my DH likes he just won’t eat…I’ve seen him do a solid 48 hours whilst travelling. Hunger doesn’t matter to him.