About this episode

This episode explores the complexities of emotional eating in children and teenagers, discussing its causes and providing actionable strategies for parents.

Is your child reaching for the pantry every time they’re stressed, bored, or upset? 🍎🍪 We’ve all been there: seeing our kids finish a bag of chips after a hard day at school and wondering, ”Are they actually hungry, or is something else going on?” In this episode of The Impactful Parent, host Kristina Campos sits down with nutritional therapist Cammy Musabi, founder of Step Together, to dive deep into the complex world of emotional eating in children and adolescents. We often think of eating as a simple matter of willpower, but Cammy explains the fascinating (and sometimes scary) science of how highly processed foods hijack a developing brain’s dopamine system. More importantly, we discuss how our own ”parenting patterns”—like the ”clean your plate” rule or using treats as rewards—can accidentally set the stage for emotional eating later in life. In this episode, you’ll discover: The ”Why” Behind the Hunger: How to tell the difference between a growth spurt and emotional soothing. [01:42] The Boredom Trap: Why today’s digital world makes it harder than ever for kids to sit with discomfort. [05:47] The Power Struggle: Why ”policing” the kitchen usually backfires and leads to…

People in this episode

Host: Kristina Campos

Guest: Cammy Musabi

Topics covered

• emotional eating
• children
• teenagers
• parenting strategies
• nutrition
• mental health

Keywords

• emotional eating
• children
• teenagers
• nutrition
• parenting
• dopamine
• food relationship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Step Together

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