Quote From: jaklyn1055 I'm interested in the girl who is a picky eater and wants to eat normal. Dr Phil has had anorexic females on but never an anorexic male. My son is anorexic, not because of negative body image, but because he just can't eat and doesn't know why. He's been this way since he was about 5 and is now 17. He desparately wants to eat like a normal male. He has a very very limited list of foods that he will eat and is very skinny and hates it. I worked with my Dr when he was young and it seemed like none of the usual behavior techniques would work. My Dr finally told me to stop worrying about it because he ate cheese, cottage cheese, apples, brocolli and bread and he said that was a healthy diet and thought he would grow out of it. He hasn't. I took him to a therapist for a few months when he was 10 and the therapist said he had severe anxiety and stress that manifested in an eating disorder. He has been through a lot of trauma in his life. My husband was a farmer and because of the drought we lost our farm and home. Before that he farmed with his brother who was a rageaholic and my son witnessed some very ugly treatment to his dad from his uncle and other family members. The family disowned us. His dad was a suicide threat for two years, and as much as I tried to protect him, I know he picked up on my fear and anxiety. We've been fairly poor since then and have had trouble putting our lives back together after the loss, so it makes sense that his eating disorder is stress-related.
His biggest problem is eating meat. He's such a good kid and never complains but he's so embarassed by his "problem" that he fears things like our church potlucks because someone always says something about how little he eats. Occasionally he does get very hungry like a normal 17-year -old and will eat a whole pizza (he does love pizza) but that's not very often. Over the years we've been able to add chicken (certain kinds) bacon and eggs but it's very rare that he's hungry enough to eat it. He's so embarassed to be like this and hates it. One time at a youth camp his girlfriend was able to get him to eat a hamburger (she's very understanding) and that was a huge thing for him and he called me so excited. He hasn't been able to since and doesn't know why.
I really hope I get some answers from Dr Phil on this because no doctor has been able to help him. Uh oh he just came in and saw this message and says that he is very embarassed but gave me his okay to send this
I related to the girl on the show today. My mother was ill and didn't cook for us and didn't feed us when we were little kids. The four of us were taken from my parents when we were 3 - 8 years old. Any food around the house had flies on it. My sister used to climb on a chair and try to get food from the refigerator for us, we used to eat dry dog food, and I only remember my mother cooking one time and it was horrible. My mother and father made us sit there for hours and forced us to eat it. It was this hidious tasting rice. I'll never forget it. So, I became the picky eater in the family. I would never eat fish, I get sick if I smell it. But, I found out a few years ago that I'm allergic to fish. I had muscle testing done and now I know why it makes me sick. Maybe you can have your son tested for food allergies.
I get the part about her eating only the skin on the chicken and I can relate to your son. He may be a natural vegetarian. I don't like meat much. It has to do with it being an animal. Like if I try to eat ham, I can only think about how this was a cute little big. I would eat the skin off the chicken too because it's like potato chips, mostly bread crumbs, oil and seasonings. I didn't eat pizza until I was in my 20s cause it looked funny. It all stems from what happened when we were little kids.
I eat fine now for the most part. I found food I like to eat, I took cooking classes and learned to cook with lots of fresh foods. One thing I found out is some people who are picky eaters have really good pallets. They like really good food, fresh, well put together. So, this might be the case with your son. When I go to a restaurant, the waitress will typically say I made the best selection. I can tell if meat has been cooked on a grill where fish has been cooked and cannot eat it. I eat quickly, like a normal person, not like the lady on the show, but I'm a lot older now, and like I say, I cook a lot myself and know what I like.
I wouldn't eat food at a party if I did not know what it was. I will ask what is it first. People may have had a bad experience with food poisoning, or like I say, if they have a good pallete, they get very picky. I understand about your son finally trying a hamburger. I finally tried pizza with some friends. As you get older, it gets much better. I'm guessing your son may just be a vegetarian by nature.
(Original Air Date 12/14/07) Dr. Phil’s guests call their loved ones on the carpet about their unusual behavior. Linda says her dog, Sasha, is more human than canine. She loves to dress Sasha in pearls when company comes and feed the pampered pooch off her fork. Linda’s future daughter-in-law, Jill, says Linda is going overboard with her doggie doting -- especially since Linda wants Sasha to host Jill’s bridal shower! Then, Mary says it’s time for her husband, Eric, to let go of his dream of being a rock star. He’s 50 years old, and she says it’s time for him to get a real job. Eric says she supported his passion for 27 years -- so why is it suddenly abnormal? Next, Amber says she’s concerned about her fiancé, Colin’s, unpredictable mood swings, because one minute he’s the nicest guy in the world, but the next minute he’s flying off the handle. Should she call off the wedding until he gets his temper under control? Plus, a picky eater says she wants to stop being a “food weirdo” and start enjoying meals like a normal person. And, a woman at odds with her husband over the dangerous hobby that left her with a fractured back. Should she pursue her passion even though it terrifies her spouse? Tell us what you think!
