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anonymous
writes: My son is 14.He is obsessed with eating cornchips; he had them for breakfast, then with his dinner; with ice-cream; and even for supper.He refuses to eat unless he has cornchips with his food; what do I do?How will this affect his health?Jasona concerned dad Reply to this Question
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reader, smitty0421 +, writes (3 October 2005):
Your son should only eat what you give him. You have placed him into a habit of thinking that he can get whatever he wants. Therefore he knows that if he wants corn chips with his meals that you will give it to him. It's hard for parents to say no to their kids, but you have to do whats best for your son, and corn chips as a meal is not whats best. Bev is right, you have to be strong and sturdy with your stance on what your son should eat or not. He will eventually eat what you make when he realizes he isn't going to get what he wants. Be strong, yet understanding with him at the same time and try to reason. You don't want him to think you are bullying him. Explain it to him so that he understands. You remember when you were a kid and didn't want to eat something that your mother or father told you to eat, i.e brussel sprouts or any vegetable for that matter =0). He will soon realize that corn chips are not as good as the finer meals in life. Stay strong!!!
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reader, Bev Conolly  +, writes (3 October 2005):
 This just sounds like a dietary phase he's passing through, the way quite a few adolescents experiment with their diets. Some kids decide they're never going to eat greens, others decide to go vegan. Thankfully, a generally-healthy kid usually get bored with food fixations quickly. As long as he's not filling up on chips *before* the meal, and he's still getting lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc, he'll probably get over it in a few weeks or months.
Corn is the grain with the highest sugar content, so it might just be that he's mildly addicted to the sweetness.
I'd suggest that you take your son to the doctor anyway, and make sure that he doesn't have any hidden deficiencies that need to be addressed. And if not, try not to make a big deal about it... all the while cutting down on the number of bag of corn chips in the house.
If your son actually "refuses" to eat unless there are corn chips present, he's just yanking your chain, and making you bend to his will. A typical adolescent power struggle. You can shift the control of the situation back toward yourself by letting him have a few chips if he really insists, but by not letting him hold you to ransom over meals.
Honestly, when he realises how hungry he can get after missing a chip-free meal or two, he'll discover that he actually CAN enjoy his food without corn chips.
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