Food Hoarding
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What is Food Hoarding?
Food hoarding is a coping strategy whereby a child may hoard, store or steal food → food hoarding is most often a response to neglect and attachment that has been impacted by severe trauma.
Lack of secure attachment = inability to understand when needs will be met.
Closely aligned with other challenging behaviours, such as aggression, and can co-exist with eating disorders.
Food Hoarding & Eating Disorders
Food hoarding is one of many food maintenance syndromes. The symptoms of food hoarding bears resemblance to several other eating disorders, which increase under acute stress.
Even alongside eating disorders, it is not uncommon to have an additional diagnosis such as an anxiety disorder, impacted growth, or disrupted sleep.
Food for Thought
When we eat these parts of the brain are stimulated for survival.
Hunger → Need for stimulation → Look for food
How does it develop?
Nature V. Nurture
DEVELOPMENTAL AND FAMILIAL/INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCES
Experience of a period of neglect
Early attachment difficulties
Parental ability to feed child
Adaptive behaviours to experiences
Acute stress
SOCIETAL CHALLENGES/SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES
Limited understanding of health/food nutrition
Cost of food
Access to healthy food
Low household income
Education around food choices
Links to Attachment Theory
Behaviours such as hoarding are strongly linked to the provision of needs by a caregiver. Our brain rationality response is impacted by our need for survival, hence our instinct to prepare for a period of non-stimulation: lack of food provision.
A secure attachment can trust that needs will be met
An avoidant attachment believes needs are unlikely to be met, due to lack of engagement by caregiver
An insecure / ambivalent attachment cannot rely on needs being met
A disorganised attachment has no strategy as to how needs will be met. This state comes as a result of erratic, passive, or intrusive behaviours of caregiver.
Health repercussions
Diabetes
Failure to Thrive
Growth deficiency
Rumination
Anxiety
Swallowing difficulties
Sleep disturbance
Weight loss/gain
Nutritional Deficiency
How to identify Food Hoarding
Eating quickly
Stuffing food in the mouth
Stealing or hiding food
Eating large quantities - even to the point of vomiting
Becoming upset if someone eats off their plate
Getting upset if food is limited/taken away
Only eating familiar or "safe” foods
Pocketing
How can I support my child?
Model healthy eating and nutrition
Make eating together an enjoyable time
Avoid using food as reward
Encourage participation with cooking and groceries
Have patience around repetition of need for favoured foods of your child – these represent safety
Educate about & encourage interest around origin of food
Regular consistent feeding times
Regularly assure "There will always be enough food"
If you go to the park; bring a balanced and filling snack
Incorporate different food groups in meals
Avoid restricting meal and snack times
Let the child know that they may politely spit out any food they do not wish to swallow in a napkin - more likely to try new foods if they can spit them out
Serve foods family-style so the child can serve him/herself and feel a sense of control
Keep a snack next to bed