Summary: Emotional eating has become a widespread problem and it’s one that affects parents and teens alike. We’ve watched stress levels rise in ourselves and in our children, but along with that we have not really learned new ways to handle that stress or all the other feelings we experience on a daily basis. So what happens? We use food to deal with our emotions and get into a pattern of emotional eating. When parents try to stop their teenager’s emotional eating it can lead to a power struggle. This can have a profound effect on the parent-child relationship and it’s hijacking our families. Karen R. Koenig, an expert in eating psychology, shares insights with Mighty Parenting podcast co-hosts, Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler. They dig into the why and how of emotional eating as well as looking at what we can do for ourselves and our teens. Real Talk: Have you ever found yourself making statements like, “Kids today…” or “Teenagers are always…” then finishing off those statements with a negative observation? It’s a common occurrence and in today’s Real Talk, Judy and Sandy look at what happens when we do this. They discuss why this is an issue and what can happen instead. A Favorite Quote from the Show: If we don’t have effective life skills for dealing with stress and distress, then we turn to food. Show Notes: Visit MightyParentingPodcast.com and select episode 23 Support: Visit MightyParenting.com for tools, community, inspiration, and support.
