Question

Case Study: Bill is 4 years old, and his mother is worried about his eating habits. He absolutely refuses to eat vegetables, meat, and most meals in general. Some days he eats very little food. He wants to eat snacks most of the time. But, his mother wants him to eat a sit-down lunch and dinner to make sure he gets all the nutrients he needs. Bill likes to eat breakfast cereal, fruit, and cheese and regularly requests these foods for snacks. However, his mother tries to deny his requests, so that he will have an appetite for dinner. Instead, he drinks 5 or 6 glass of whole milk throughout the day because it tastes good and keeps his tummy from growling.

Mealtime is a battle because Bill says he isn’t hungry, but his mother wants him to eat everything served on his plate. When his mother prepares dinner, she makes plenty of vegetables, boiling them until they are soft, hoping this will appeal to Bill. She serves casseroles and stews regularly because they are convenient. Bill’s dad waits to eat his vegetables last, regularly telling the family that he eats them only because he has to. He also regularly complains about how dinner has been prepared.
Bill saves his vegetables until last and usually gags when his mother orders him to eat them. Bill has been known to sit at the dinner table for an hour until the war of wills ends.

At preschool, Bill is often fidgety, and has difficulty remaining in his seat. The teacher finds he will not stay focused on any tasks like his classmates do. Bill’s mother asks you what she should do.

Step 2: Write an Initial Post

Create a new thread and write/submit an initial posting using facts from your book. The original post should be focused on one topic (if there are multiple examples, limit your discussion to 1-2 examples that you explain in more detail with facts from the book). Please do NOT answer every question in one post. The reason I do not want every question answered is because it either becomes too long, or it lacks depth of understanding (listing instead of explaining). It also makes it less conversational and doesn't leave as much for others to talk about. The idea behind this discussion is that collectively as a class you will answer all of the questions thoroughly using the book to back it up. If you talk about everything in one post, what will others have to say in the reply? So, I want you to show depth in your answer, but keep it focused on one idea. Provide details and/or examples in your explanations.

• What mistakes might Bill’s parents be making that contributes to Bill’s poor eating habits. (limit to 1-2 mistakes, explained in depth using facts from the book)
• What nutrient deficiency might Bill be exhibiting and how do you know based on his behavior symptoms and food intakes?
• How might Bill's/his parents’ current behaviors lead to obesity?
• How might eating breakfast be helpful to Bill?
• What strategies might Bill’s parents try to promote good eating habits for Bill? (limit to 1-2 strategies that are explained in depth with examples - foods/solutions to the food related problems)

nothing is missing .

Answer 1

Answer 1-

Mistakes done by Bill's parents that contributes to his poor eating habits:

1. His mother not giving him a proper breakfast so just he will have an appetite for lunch or dinner.

2. Bill's dad's habit of eating vegetables at the end and telling the family on a regular basis that he just eats them only because he has to.

Answer 2-

Nutrient deficiencies Bill might be exhibiting:

Bill might fail to meet a need of certain nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12.

Six glasses of whole milk could add up to more than half of the calorie needs of Bill, from milk alone. This imbalance could lead to a shortage of iron and other vitamin absorption.

Answer 3-

Bill gets lot of calories from his food but not enough nutrients. He likes to eat more snacks but he refuses to eat a proper meal. Skipping breakfast could lead to increase in the number of the fat cells in his body which would ultimately make his obese at a very young age.

On the other hand, his parents eat the same meal on a regular basis which do not include nutrients like meat or green leafy vegetables. Overcooked food leads to loss of nutrients in the food. They might get obese.

Answer 4-

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Kids who skip breakfast will feel tired, restless and would show fidgety behaviour ( like Bill). Encouraging Bill to eat breakfast will lay a foundation of eating right for years to come. By eating a complete breakfast, he would meet his daily nutrient requirement and would concentrate better in class.

Answer 5-

Strategies to promote good eating habits for Bill:

1. Do not make his skip breakfast. Rather he should be served a proper breakfast which would help to get him start a healthy eating habit.

2. Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables to him.

3. Adjust portion size appropriately for his age (like giving him whole milk twice or thrice daily)

4. Try not to complain about the food at the table in front of the child. Rather they should appreciate the taste of food and try to make Bill understand the importance of nutrients and a proper diet.