‘My son eats dog food, what should I do?’

Question: Hi Dr Zac, I don’t know how you can say this as a result of it’s very embarrassing to confess, so I’ll simply come out and say it – my son likes to eat canine biscuits. It began out with my discovering him head first in our canine’s meals bowl earlier than dinner, and has ended up with him now not desirous to eat his regular human meals at dinner as a result of he’s crammed up on canine biscuits!

I’ve appeared it up on the web and apparently it’s not harmful to eat them. Can you verify whether or not it’s harmful to eat canine biscuits? I’m hoping he’ll develop out of it as he will get older. Might there be a particular clarification for his fascination with doggy dinners? – Anon, Darwin

Answer: Please know that folks preventing their youngsters over what they eat is a common subject. You should not alone in that. There exists all types of meals obsession, particularly processed meals with numerous salt (identical to canine biscuits).

Many sufferers have talked about their baby getting caught into some canine biscuits through the years, they usually have all grown out of it so I’m certain your baby will do the identical.

Now please don’t get alarmed however there’s some very fascinating analysis that has related long run consuming of pet food biscuits with a variety of medical points, together with some types of most cancers. As I say although, just a few biscuits right here and there for just a few weeks shouldn’t be going to trigger any upset apart from possibly one within the tummy.

Dog biscuits, like many varieties of pet meals, have change into an increasing number of complicated and focused in direction of particular animals. This might be why many pets live longer, as we’re supplying much more of their dietary wants.

I used to be fairly shocked although to search out that since I wrote about this matter nearly a decade in the past, now many pet meals are sometimes extremely processed, and never derived from pure meals.

Although it’s ‘not dangerous’ to eat pet food, I wouldn’t say it’s wholesome. Dog meals, because the title suggests, shouldn’t be meant for human consumption. Man’s finest buddy has totally different dietary necessities to a rising younger human.

Dog biscuits might comprise excessive ranges of protein or fats, which could be troublesome for people to digest and should trigger gastrointestinal upset. Additionally, some canine biscuits might comprise synthetic colors, flavours or preservatives that aren’t accredited for human consumption and will probably be dangerous.

This state of affairs is classed as a ‘food obsession’. They are described as intense wishes to eat particular meals, meals teams, or generally atypical, uncommon objects. You might have seen the present My Strange Addiction – this collection is a case examine on meals obsessions. I bear in mind one episode the place a girl had a compulsion to eat mattresses. There was one other episode the place somebody liked consuming rocks!

Some meals obsessions are innocent, nonetheless there are others which might be unhealthy or dangerous as they will result in nutrient deficiencies.

There haven’t been any concrete explanations as to why individuals have meals obsessions, however one potential motive is that sure meals set off the mind’s reward system, inflicting a launch of dopamine. This types a constructive suggestions loop, and your mind associates this meals with pleasure and satisfaction resulting in a robust need to eat the meals.

You might know somebody who has an obsession with consuming ice or filth. This is definitely linked to a situation referred to as Pica, which is brought on by iron deficiencies. Hormonal imbalances additionally trigger meals cravings, which is why pregnant girls generally crave unusual issues.

There’s additionally an emotional and psychological think about meals obsessions. People might crave sure meals to deal with stress or anxiousness, as a method of self-soothing.

I like to recommend you’re taking your son to a well being skilled and get to the foundation of the meals obsession, because it might be a symptom of a extra critical situation.

Got a query: askdrzac@conciergedoctors.com.au

Dr Zac Turner has a bachelor of drugs and bachelor of surgical procedure from the University of Sydney. He is each a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was additionally a registered nurse and can also be a certified and skilled biomedical scientist together with being a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering