Parental worries about their children’s eating habits and health can happen when teens can’t stop eating sugar. Learn about the causes of teens’ sugar cravings and how you can help them without causing the problem.
We recently received a request for help from a young kid who was desiring sugar. She said that when she wanted to eat it, she was losing control of her appetite and that she couldn’t stop thinking about sweets. We noted it’s impossible to get rid of sugar cravings. However, we can look into some strategies to help when teens can’t stop eating sugar.
There are eight suggestions in the following article to help the teen who has developed an addiction to sweets.
Disorder when teens can’t stop eating sugar
According to the NEDA, disordered eating is defined as eating huge amounts of food regularly, quickly, and to the point that one feels uncomfortable. Shame, distress, or guilt can come with an eating disorder, which usually comes from feelings of guilt that one cannot stop.
The most common eating disorder in the United States is binge eating disorder. When someone has a binge eating disorder, they usually do not engage in actions like vomiting to stop overeating.
Learn more below and consult your healthcare provider if you think your teen may be suffering from a binge eating disorder.
Teens’ Cravings for High-Sugar Foods: Why?
Teenagers’ cravings for sugar, a carbohydrate, are mostly caused by physical hunger, growth, the brain’s reward system, and food parenting.
When teenagers are physically hungry, their bodies signal that it’s time to eat. And they naturally know that simple carbs, such as those found in sugar and sweet foods, work fast, so teens can’t stop eating sugar.
The brain’s pleasure center and positive chemicals, particularly dopamine, are also activated by sugar. Your teen uses dopamine to help them remember that food is tasty and pleasurable. The release of dopamine from those memories makes you want to consume more sweets, which is satisfying. This loop keeps repeating itself.
Teens may be going through a period of growth, which increases appetite. Also, some parents may be worried about sweets and keep an eye on their teen’s excessive sugar intake, especially if they are unable to quit.
Parents can choose the “no sweets at all” option, removing all sugar from the house in the hopes that this will help manage their teens’ sugar intake.
Teens are independent and can get sweets on their own. This means that you don’t have the same control you did when your teen was younger, so attempting to manage them, especially when it comes to food, usually goes wrong.
It’s better to work together when your teens can’t stop eating sugar than to fight him by setting strict eating restrictions.
How to Help Your Teen Stop Eating Sweets
Sugary drinks, candies, and desserts will always be available. And they will not go away. Although you desire to control things and push for a nutritious diet, doing so could worsen matters. And that’s not good.
Yet, you most likely don’t want to watch helplessly as your teen starts overeating sweets. You may try the following methods to help them when teens can’t stop eating sugar. Your teen should control their cravings for sweetness and consume less sugar as we work on them.
Teach Your Teen How to Maintain a Better Balance in Every Food
Treats and sweets are acceptable, but they shouldn’t take up about 10% of the daily intake. This is following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) and Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ (DGA) recommendations on added sugar.
For many teenagers, this will be a challenging objective. Try reducing the amount of sugar your teen is currently eating. The majority of a teen’s diet should consist of nutrient-dense foods from the following food groups: dairy (or a protected, non-dairy substitute), fruit, vegetables, grains, and protein foods.
Daily treats are acceptable as long as they “fit” within a healthy, balanced diet, and your teen is smart enough to realize this.
Ease the Limits on Sweets
Making sweets easier to get may seem unnatural, but for some teens, particularly those who have been subjected to control, this is exactly what they need.
The realization that they exist and are not prohibited can be comforting to teenagers. Make sweets a regular part of your week.
Make the sweets routine, like ice cream for a family movie night or baked pastries on the weekend.
Avoid Blaming or Shaming Sugary Snacks
Try not to pass judgment on foods and sweets. Your teen has likely received a lot of messages about “good food” and “bad food” by the time he reaches adolescence.
The lectures and warnings regarding circulatory and heart disease should be saved for later. They won’t change your teen’s interest in sweets and treats.
Making your kid feel miserable about wanting or enjoying something could make them go more in the direction of it rather than away from it.
Encourage your teen’s independence.
Our ultimate goal is to raise independent children. Children who are capable of caring for themselves, making wise decisions, and supporting themselves.
Adolescence is the time to start sharing part of the power to make choices about food and let things develop naturally. Allow them to go to the coffee shop or the grocery store. Yes, they might decide on junk food or soft drinks.
The basic line is that they have control, not you. Give them the freedom to choose wisely. It’s your body; you can make decisions about what goes into it.
Practice in Active Eating
Being completely present with all of your senses while eating is known as mindful eating. The overall speed slows down, and your teen becomes more aware of their hunger when they enjoy the sight, smell, taste, texture, and sound of food.
When it comes to sweets, mindful eating is especially beneficial. When your teen thoughtfully consumes a piece of chocolate instead of eating it down, it’s a different experience.
Encourage your teenager to write down their feelings and thoughts.
Some teenagers are attentive to their dietary habits. Some aren’t, and the thought that they have no control over treats and sweets irritates them.
Maintaining a journal might help you become more conscious of your eating desires and emotions. Teens can prepare for a range of situations by putting down the things that happen the cravings, ideas, and triggers that make them want to eat sugary food.
Through writing, your teen may discover for themselves that laziness or loneliness is what makes them need sweets. The first step in controlling cravings is becoming self-aware about why teens can’t stop eating sugar. Your teen can make changes once he can identify unhealthy eating patterns and make the necessary connections.
Changes generated from within will be considerably more effective and lasting than any external reward you may provide. Additionally, your teen achieves a level of freedom that is close to adulthood when he can adjust to who he is.
Do You Need More Help Feeding Your Teen?
Check out courses, classes, and guidebooks created to help all parents provide their children with the nutrition they need, no matter their age or condition. When your teens can’t stop eating sugar, this guide will help you overcome the situation.
The Eating Disorder Guide is an excellent guide for identifying and managing problematic eating in teenagers.
