WELCOME to the weekend by taking a break from the kitchen and enjoying top-notch food.

Eating out can put a hole in your budget, but there are a few tricks to get a meal for less.

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Here are some tasty tips for saving. . .

SECRET EAT: Mystery diners can receive a free meal in exchange for providing feedback on their experience.

There are a number of companies that recruit people to dine and review.

You will need to sign up for a site that will give you a location and a brief description of what you will need to review during the visit.

Try Hgem, which partners with restaurants like Dishoom, Flat Iron and Brewdog.

Normally you pay for the food and are then reimbursed for your visit. Apply via mysterydining.net.

Service Scan works with both fast food restaurants and top restaurants. See service-scan.com.

LEARNERS: You can get cheap food by tasting menus from chefs in training. Hospitality colleges often have restaurants with delicious meals prepared by students.

They are usually only open during school terms and you will have to dig around to find the nearest location.

For example, The Stables Restaurant is part of Oaklands College in Hertfordshire. Or you can try the Scholars Restaurant at the City of Glasgow College.

DO IT FOR THE KIDS: During the holidays, numerous chains offer free or low-cost deals that reduce the cost of a family outing.

For example, prior to the Easter holidays, a maximum of two children can receive a free meal all day Bills when an adult orders a main course. The children’s menu includes macaroni and cheese, as well as fish fingers and chips.

At Subway, kids can get a 4-inch sub, a snack and a drink for free when an adult buys a 12-inch sub. Both offers run from Monday to mid-April.

• All prices on the page are correct at the time of going to press. Offers and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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ATTENTION gamers. The PlayStation 5, plus Grand Theft Auto, has dropped from £479 to £409 on very.co.uk.

TO RESCUE: £70

Cheap treat

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GIVE your tootsies a little TLC thanks to Superdrug’s tea tree and peppermint foot mask and socks, £1.99 from Superdrug.

Great exchange

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DIOR’s Miss Dior eau de perfume, which costs £137 at theperfumeshop.com, will leave you smelling divine.

But B&M’s Miss Adora has a similar scent for a fraction of the price – £3.99.

TO RESCUE: £133.01

PLAY NOW AND WIN £200

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Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.

Every month we give away £100 to 250 lucky readers. Whether you’re saving or just need some extra cash, The Sun can help.

Each Sun Savers code entered equals one raffle ticket.

The more codes you enter, the more tickets you earn and the greater your chances of winning!

While spring means longer evenings and nicer weather for some, for snails it’s time to party.

A professional gardener shared his top tip for keeping pests out of your flower beds and taking your garden to the next level.

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In his videoDavid Domoney (@daviddomoney) explained how beautifying your garden can actually repel snails.

The TikToker told his followers that while seedling plants are at their most vulnerable in early spring, so are the pests that feed on them.

To keep slugs and snails out of your flower beds, David suggested creating habitats in your garden.

This means that more animals are encouraged into your space and a new ecosystem is created.

Encouraging creatures such as birds and squirrels into your garden will reduce the number of slugs that nibble on your plants.

The green-fingered expert recommended creating environments for the slug predators.

He gave examples of hanging bird feeders, but also of planting shrubs and hedges.

David also advised his viewers to add a small pond to their gardens.

According to the experts at MilorganiteCreatures that live in and around ponds are common predators of slugs.

“Toads and frogs make great garden partners, they eat many insects including mosquitoes, slugs and snails,” they said.

And if you don’t have room for a pond in your yard, the pros suggested creating a rock pile to attract frogs instead.

For best results, place your rock pile in a spot in your yard that receives equal amounts of sun and shade throughout the day.

David, who opts for natural pest control solutions, also recommended forming leaf piles in your garden.

This step can help provide additional habitat and reduce the slug population in your garden.

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Everyone loves fruit – well, maybe not those on a plane who are constantly pointing out how annoying peeling the treats can be.

The discussion about peeling oranges and other fruits on a plane started after a Reddit user made this a post Asked about the move yesterday.

“Is it rude to peel oranges during a flight out of curiosity?” the user asked.

The person on Reddit too asked the same question on another subreddit, writing that they “love the smell of citrus.”

Other Reddit users are divided over whether it’s rude or okay to peel oranges on a plane, and the debate has even spread to other social media platforms.

“Just don’t give me your peeling mess while I walk down the aisle doing my compliance checks with no gloves and no trash bags,” one flight attendant wrote in response.

A dietician and frequent flyer revealed in Vane Airport Mag that a big ‘inaction’ when boarding an airplane brings ‘messy fruit’.

“Oranges on airplanes are a disaster unless they are small clementines,” the pilot wrote.

‘The juice from cut fruit like pineapple can leak over your carry-on and stick everything in sight. All you need to tame with a napkin is not your friend on the run.”

However, an aviator and TikTok user known as @_maxn_ managed to peel an orange with his hands without making a mess on his seat a video he posted in 2022.

The TikToker isn’t the only one who thinks it’s okay to peel an orange on a plane.

Reddit users who commented on the original poster’s posts wrote about why they think the orange peel habit is okay on a plane.

“I’d love to smell fresh oranges on a flight, I’ve had to put up with so many worse smells,” one user wrote.

“As long as you don’t put the peels in the back pocket of the chair, you’ll be fine!” added another poster

A few Reddit users commented that they would think it was rude and that fliers should just “peel it beforehand.”

A Reddit user who doesn’t mind someone peeling an orange during their flight noted in his comment that airlines are concerned about the health risks that could result from oranges on a plane.

According to the Transportation Security Administration: ‘Solid foods (not liquids or gels) can be carried in your carry-on baggage or in checked bags within the continental United States.’

TSA regulations also say that “passengers flying from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland cannot bring most fresh fruits and vegetables with them.”

The reason for these rules is because of ‘the risk of spreading invasive plant pests’.

This rule may not apply to Europe based on what a flight attendant and TikToker did in a video she posted last year about pomegranates. Ericka Renee was obsessed with the fruit when she shot the video on the plane.

Renee claimed that there was no one on the plane except the crew.

The flight attendant then showed users how to eat the fruit using a butter knife.

However, she proved in the video that pomegranates are harder to eat on a plane and can make a mess. The seeds came out of the pomegranate after Renee cut the fruit with the butter knife and then ‘popped’ out the rest that was stuck.

The container Renee used seemed to make her pomegranate a great airplane snack without making a mess.

Social media users have not commented on their thoughts on pomegranates on planes, but one TikTok user revealed in the comment sections that she wanted to try the fruit.

Users who want to eat the fruit in a non-messy way can choose to purchase the fruit a TSA-approved snack – Chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.

These snacks can be found at most grocery stores and can also be purchased on Amazon.

A helpless mother-of-two has revealed how her daughter suffers from a rare condition that sees her ‘eating the house’ – including the walls, sofa and glass.

Stacey A’Hearne, 25, from Blackwood, Wales, has to keep a constant eye on three-year-old Wynter to prevent her from chewing on potentially dangerous items in the house.

Her little one suffers from pica, an unusual eating disorder that causes sufferers to crave inedible household objects.

The little one has even been caught smashing a picture frame to try and eat shards of glass and even taking bits out of a brand new sofa.

“She literally eats the whole house,” Stacey said.

‘I bought a brand new sofa and she took pieces out of it. She is very picky with normal food, but she will sit down and have a sponge each.

Stacey, a full-time caregiver for Wynter, first noticed her daughter’s unusual eating habits when she was a baby, but thought nothing of it when she reached the usual milestones.

But since Wynter’s cravings worsened and she became non-verbal, the mother of two has desperately begged for help – and is exhausted having to keep an eye on her 24/7.

Stacey caught Wynter, who also has autism, eating plaster off the walls, gnawing foam off the inside of the couch and the side of a high chair.

She even saw the toddler destroying photo frames and trying to eat the shards of glass.

And the little girl wakes up at night to chew on her crib and blanket she sleeps in.

The parent must be on ‘high alert’ due to the severity of Wynter’s condition and in the hope of helping other parents of children with pica.

‘She smashed about eight picture frames and tried to eat the glass.

“No matter what she finds, she finds a way to eat things she shouldn’t eat,” she said.

‘Luckily she never really hurt herself because I keep a close eye on her. But it’s a full-time job looking after her.”

Stacey first noticed Wynter putting things in her mouth as a baby and didn’t think it was anything serious.

Wynter reached the usual milestones — like talking and walking — until he was about 13 months old, when things changed “overnight.”

She became non-verbal and her unusual eating habits began to escalate.

Stacey contacted her healthcare provider, who made a number of referrals to doctors who said her daughter had the eating disorder pica.

Stacey said: ‘Babies are always putting things in their mouths, but when she started doing it a lot I started to think it wasn’t normal.

‘Pica may be more common in children with autism, which Wynter also has. I think it’s a sensory thing, and she craves the different textures.

‘She has very severe autism, which means she doesn’t speak much and has a behavioral problem.’

She has caught the toddler eating plaster from the walls, wool from the inside of her toys, plants and candle wax.

She said, “I put Wynter in the high chair with snacks, but she will choose to eat the high chair.

‘Her autism really affects her sleep, and she wakes up quite often. Her pica actually comes out to play at night.

‘She wakes up at 2am and I see her eating the crib and the blankets.

‘It’s tiring to keep an eye on her 24/7, but I’ve developed a good routine and I understand her needs.’

Stacey has found that providing “sensory playtime” has distracted Wynter from her pica cravings.

She is raising her two daughters with her partner, their father, Ryan, 30, who does not live with them.

She said: ‘Children with autism like sensory things they can touch or hear.

‘I have a chew chain for her, specially designed for people with pica, that she can chew on with different textures.

‘She also eats things like pasta in different shapes that she can touch or play with.

‘The doctors said there’s not much we can do. It’s not good for her, but it’s not extremely dangerous, as long as it’s not glass.

“I just have to keep a very close eye on her and hopefully she’ll grow out of it eventually.”

A woman has revealed her horror after watching a man dip his pizza into a pint of stout as a seasoning.

The bizarre moment took place at Millers pub in Kings Cross, London, where the unnamed man was spotted sharing a Domino’s pizza with friends, along with a pint of Guinness.

The reveler appeared to be enjoying a casual chat with his friends before dumping a whole slice of pizza into his beer and munching on it as if nothing had happened.

Onlooker Amarah Maddar, 26, who caught the whole thing on camera from outside the pub, couldn’t believe her eyes and said the man’s diving combination was ‘criminal’.

On her social media page @amarahmaddar, she wrote, “What did I just see?

‘Dipping dominoes into your pint is criminal!’

While many of us opt for more classic condiments – like the beloved garlic and herb dip made famous by the brand – the man seemed to enjoy the extra kick his pint offered.

Personal assistant Amarah said the concoction left her ‘horrified’, not least because another friend of his also tried the hearty, infused snack.

Amarah was out with her colleagues when she discovered the adventure. The group laughed so much that they even nicknamed the man ‘Lucky Dipper’.

She recalled: ‘My colleagues and I were walking to meet some friends for drinks after work and saw a man dipping pizza slices into his pint of Guinness outside a pub.

‘It was so bizarre. His friends didn’t blink an eye!

‘Someone in the pub also saw it through the window and was as shocked as we were.

‘We all burst out laughing, and I filmed it to share with friends we met, because I knew they wouldn’t believe us.

‘It started a whole dip debate and we’ve now dubbed him the Lucky Dipper.

“It was just too weird not to share it with the world, so like you, I posted it on my socials!”

The video has since gone viral on @NoContextBrits and has been viewed more than 100,000 times on X, causing disbelief among viewers.

One person hilariously suggested the ‘perpetrator’ should be investigated by the Metropolitan Police, posting: ‘Hello @MetPoliceuk Can you please look into this?’

Another advised: ‘Requires section’.

A third added: ‘No pint, Guinness (crying face emoji)’.

Meanwhile, one person defended the move: “He’s an innovator, leave him alone.”

And on the plus side, someone else argued that his unusual combination is still not as bad as people who like pineapple on pizza.

It comes amid a bizarre TikTok trend where Gen Z content creators are raiding their kitchen cupboards to put together weird snack combinations.

The strange trend – so-called ‘rat snacking’ – is where people are mimicking the behavior of rodents by scavenging for old leftover food to try to make a meal.

Any unusual food combination would make a “rat snack,” including sprinkling chocolate on a Ritz cracker or mixing hummus with dark chocolate.

The trend is so popular that Waitrose features it in its annual Food and Drink report, highlighting that young people are most likely to swap the traditional three meals a day for snacks.

The report reads: ‘Those aged 18 to 24 are the most likely snacking group and social media is flooded with people displaying plates of artfully arranged snacks, marking one of this year’s strangest sounding trends in # ratsnacks is started: the unapologetic pleasure of eating unusual snack combinations (that only you enjoy!) often created by raiding the kitchen cupboards.’

In one video, a young woman piles chili sauce on cauliflower, while another shows a girl making a sandwich from just chips and chocolate.

Footage posted to TikTok shows the second woman explaining her bizarre snack choice: ‘I thought I’d share one of my very strange snacks with you – it’s not so strange that it actually makes sense, just to me .

‘So I just get ready-made salted chips, just like chocolate. This is just the original flavor.

“Basically I just cut off smaller pieces, and I like to get a crunchy piece.” [eat it]. It’s so good.’

• Caroline said there was one big difference in the way both nationalities snack

By Zac Campbell

Published: 02:36 EST, March 9, 2024 | Updated: 12:56 EST, March 9, 2024

WHEN it comes to my sons, beans really mean Heinz.

Every time I try to swap their favorite brands for a cheaper version, I become resentful that Will, 20, Ally, 16, Eric, 13, and Ted, ten, can only eat Walkers crisps or Nutella chocolate spread.

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Their insistence on only having high-quality goods means an expensive grocery bill at a time when the cost of living crisis is already hitting my wallet hard. In an effort to save some money, I decided to undertake a sting operation.

Could it be that my hungry offspring are simply blinded by the packaging? Or is the real deal really the best?

After researching the top-rated own-brand swaps, I headed to the supermarkets and secretly filled the cupboards of our house near Bristol with my dupes.

That’s how they went down. . .

KELLOGG’S FROSTIES V ALDI FROSTED FLAKES

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Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I’m a serial buyer of cereal. But with a 470g box of Frosties for £3.55, the costs quickly add up.

However, Aldi’s Harvest Morn Frosted Flakes look the same and cost £1.15 for a slightly more generous 500g pack, so I throw a few in my trolley and hope for the best as I pour them into my plastic cereal container and put it in the cupboard. .

The next one morning, spring has finally emerged as everyone leaves the house after their “Frosties”, nevertheless their mother has sabotaged their breakfast with a cheap alternative that costs 52.5p less per 100g.

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS £2.40

POT NOODLE V LIDL NEWGATE EXPRESS FAST NOODLE

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THIS might be the toughest of my challenges, as Will often comes in from his physical job as an injection molder and reaches for his after-work ‘snack’, a Pot Noodle.

They cost £1.20 each so I once tried to replace it with the Tesco version but both he and Ally complained it tasted like cardboard.

A friend tells me that the Lidl version costs 69 cents and that’s a good comparison, so I’m going to try that this time.

I offer to make him one with chicken and mushrooms and after adding a watery looking soy sauce, I pour it into a bowl.

Will looks at it suspiciously and asks where his real Pot Noodle is, saying, “That looks gross.”

One bite and he says it tastes bad too. Messed around.

WINNER: BRAND

ADDITIONAL: 51p

McCAIN CRISPY FRIES V WAITROSE ESSENTIAL FRIES

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A chip is DEFINITELY a chip and when posh supermarket Waitrose sells its own version of chips at £1.75 for a 900g bag, why did I pay £3.20 for a brand?

There must be a reason for it, so after cooking them in the oven, I pile a portion onto plates and wait for my family’s reaction.

They eat it and leave the table satisfied.

They may not have noticed that this wasn’t their usual brand, but I will definitely notice that my bank balance looks healthier even if they haven’t had the healthiest meal.

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS: £1.45

HEINZ TOMATO KETCHUP V SAINSBURY’S TOMATO KETCHUP

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DO YOU REMEMBER the tomato shortage this time last year? This is why the price of ketchup has skyrocketed.

My kids tell me you can’t have chips without them, but who can afford £3.40 per 16oz bottle for just one flavour? I have to get this trade over the line.

I chat while the boys spoon a dollop onto their plates, as I notice it seems thicker than their usual sauce.

They’re so hungry, they won’t go away that I swapped the bestseller for Sainsbury’s, only paying 90p back for the same size bottle.

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS: £2.50

NUTELLA V M&S ITALIAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CREAM

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THIS was a wildcard because it’s more expensive than real Nutella.

I wondered if my boys’ taste buds were just conditioned to recognize the things they usually eat, or could really tell the difference between brands – not just cheaper ones, but also more expensive ones.

And this has to be the crème de la crème, because it’s not just any chocolate spread, it’s M&S chocolate spread. And it costs a whopping £4.50 for 360 grams.

Still, Ally took a bite and thought it was Nutella, cheaper at £3.20 for a similar sized jar, and the other boys fell for it too.

WINNER: BRAND

ADDITIONAL: £1.30

HEINZ BAKED BEANS V MORRISONS BAKED BEANS

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I no longer struggle to buy one can of beans, as just a pack of four can be enough to satisfy bean fanatic Ted’s appetite.

It costs around £1.25 for a 415g can of Heinz, so if I swap this I could save a fortune.

The Morrisons version is only 50p, so I’m hoping I can make a few bucks by suggesting a dupe as the more expensive brand.

I microwave them and serve them with his usual bread and butter for dipping.

And as he happily gobbles them down, I whisper ‘kerching’ under my breath.

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS: 75p

SNACK A JACKS RICE CAKES V TESCO RICE CAKES

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ALLY and Eric are old enough to realize how boring a regular rice cake is, but they love these spicy versions.

I had considered crossing the snack off my shopping list because they aren’t filling enough to satisfy your hunger, but then my eyes fell on the bottom shelf.

Tesco’s rice cakes cost £1.25 for 120 grams, while Snack a Jacks cost £2.25 per pack.

I decant them into a plastic box in the cupboard anyway, so who knows the difference?

Ally is the first house and straight to the snack bowl. “How come it has yellow bits on it, Mom?” he asks as he bites into the Tesco treat.

“Oh, they probably changed the recipe,” I lie as he walks away.

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS: £1

WALKERS WOTSITS V TESCO CHEESE PUFFS

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I usually buy this classic cheese snack to add to lunch boxes or for a quick bite when they get home from school.

At £1.95 for six they work out to almost 33p a pack, and for a large family the whole lot will be gone in the blink of an eye.
Tesco’s Cheese Puffs cost just £1.35 for ten, which works out to less than 14p per pack.

One evening after school, I play hostess and present each of them with a bowl of the supermarket version instead of throwing the bags in their direction.

They hungrily suck them down by the handful, without noticing that they are slightly less cheesy and lighter in color.

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS: £1.95 for ten

HEINZ SPAGHETTI HOOPS V ASDA SPAGHETTI LOOPS

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WHEN I’m craving a frozen dinner and want to add an easy side, I open a can of hoops (unspaghetti, according to the brand).

The price of Heinz hoops has shot up to £1.25 for 400g, so I’m heating up a can of 47p Asda Spaghetti Loops (see what they did there?) and hoping Eric doesn’t like the darker color of the sauce will notice.

He didn’t, but he did notice that they tasted different, so my trick was discovered.

It seems like Heinz is really unpalatable.

WINNER: BRAND

ADDITIONAL: 78p

CADBURY MINI ROLLS V ALDI DAIRYFINE MINI ROLLS

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THE price of my kids’ favorite cake bars Mini Rolls recently shot through the roof.

The cheapest I can get a pack of ten for is £2.50 at Morrisons, while Tesco charges £3.45. Should I get them from our snack supply, or is there an alternative?

I decide to play this game dangerously as the packaging looks almost identical and give Ted one of Aldi’s more reasonably priced packs of ten, which cost £1.15.

Did he notice? Has he been crazy?

WINNER: DUPE

SAVINGS: £1.35

JORGE MASVIDAL binged on takeaways for a month before he was convinced to retire.

Masvidal emotionally hung up his gloves last April at his Miami home after the loss to Gilbert Burns.

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The next day – with his 20-year, 52-fight MMA career over – the American superstar felt so empty that he decided to eat fast food.

Ahead of Gamebred bare-knuckle MMA, Masvidal told SunSport: “It wasn’t the best feeling when I woke up the next day.

“It was like, ‘Damn, I’m not retired, am I really retired? What if I’m retired, Uber eats!’

“Then I started ordering food and just eating to fill this damn empty space and I did that for a while, waking up for 20 to 30 days and feeling the same way.

“It just wasn’t right, it definitely didn’t feel right to be retired.”

Masvidal, 37, was soon back training and as luck would have it, he was approached about making the switch to boxing.

He said: “While that was happening, a lot of other things were happening and this big part fell into my lap to come back and be able to come back and box.

“I had to sort out a lot of things in my life on a personal level at the time, because that was the only way I could progress professionally.

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“I did those things and here I am, moving forward.”

Masivdal is still under contract with the UFC, but appears to have their blessing to make the transition to boxing.

And despite making amends with YouTuber-turned-8-1 boxer Jake Paul, 27, this won’t get in the way of a mega-fight between them.

Masvidal said, “Whether we’re friends with him or not, I mean, that has nothing to do with fighting.

“I respect him for all the things he does in his life in terms of changing his life, these personal conversations, that’s how I gained respect for him.

“How he told me how his life went and how boxing changed it and changed it because of the discipline that the sport requires and how he grew up in the media world and the Disney world, it was very different.

“I respect that and it’s very commendable, but it has nothing to do with us fighting. If the UFC allows me to, I don’t have all these permissions to call people up yet.

“But I would fight anyone, I have no friends in this sport. I didn’t start playing this sport to make friends, I started playing this sport to take care of myself and my family and to be number one.”

Masvidal looks to face a fellow crossover star as he prepares to swap the cage for the ring.

He said: “I would like to fight some MMA guys and some YouTube influencers and get my feet wet in the traditional boxing way.

“The same way boxers do, they get a gold medal and come out and fight ten guys who could never hurt them in the sport.

“And that’s the same thing I want to do, I want to push myself as much as possible, but within my MMA boxing experience.

“I’m not just going to fight any world champion, that’s what I’m saying.”

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Eating disorders are a mental health condition that is often misunderstood, and the associated shame and judgment can lead those affected to mainly hide their condition from others.

According to BEAT, an estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have some form of eating disorder, marking Eating Disorder Awareness Week – aimed at raising awareness and dispelling misconceptions.

Conditions such as anorexia and binge eating disorder can affect people of any age, but often develop in childhood and the teenage years.

And since hiddenness is a common factor, how can you know if your child belongs to the group that is struggling?

Former NHS consultant clinical psychologist with 20 years experience, Dr. Lynne Greene tells FEMAIl the signs to look out for if you’re worried about your child.

There are numerous signs that your child may be developing an unhealthy relationship with food, according to Dr. Lynne, lead psychologist for childhood eating disorders and adolescent inpatient care.

“It’s not always easy to determine if a child’s eating has become a problem,” she said.

‘There are many overlaps between diet culture and eating problems, so it can be difficult to spot the signs at an early stage.

“It’s important to remember that a child doesn’t have to be underweight to have an eating disorder.”

The former CAMHS clinical lead explained that eating disorders can occur at any weight:

“In fact, the false idea that a child must be underweight to have an eating disorder is harmful because it can prevent early diagnosis.”

‘It’s important to remember that early indicators of eating problems don’t necessarily just have to be behaviors around food and eating.

‘Eating problems can present themselves in different ways in different people.’

1. Becoming obsessive about food intake

One of the possible indicators that your child has an eating disorder is if he starts obsessively counting calories or making major changes to his diet.

According to Dr Lynne, this could mean cutting out entire food groups entirely, or even grouping them into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ categories.

Another behavior change you may notice is that your child may start skipping meals or avoiding eating around others, Kooth’s chief clinical officer added.

However, detecting eating disorders is not an exact science, and according to Dr. Lynne, some conditions can often be confused with others.

‘Children with gastrointestinal problems, food allergies or sensory processing issues may struggle with their relationship with food and may exhibit behaviors similar to those seen in eating disorders as a way of coping.’

She said: ‘Loss of appetite is also linked to other mental disorders, such as depression or severe anxiety.

‘It may be useful to seek support from professionals who specialize in helping people with eating problems, as they are best placed to carry out a thorough assessment.’

2. Excessive exercise

Excessive exercise is a warning sign that a young person in your care may be developing an eating disorder, but it can be difficult to recognize, the psychologist explained.

Key indicators of excessive exercise include continuing with activity even when you are unwell or injured, Dr Lynne revealed.

Dr. Lynne explained how to approach your child about a potential health problem and stated that it is essential to keep the lines of communication open.

“If you’re worried, trust your instincts. Whatever change you notice, it is always important to have an open and honest conversation about it.’

She added: ‘Parents should try to approach their child openly and without judgement.

‘Keep in mind that your child may not have recognized to themselves that there is a problem, so they may be resistant at first.

‘Conversely, they may be aware that something is wrong and feel very anxious, so just knowing that you have noticed and are there to support them is likely to be reassuring in itself.’

3. Obsessively checking their bodies

According to Dr. Lynne, a telltale sign of an eating disorder is obsessively weighing oneself or constantly checking one’s body.

While it may be normal to weigh yourself every now and then, stepping on the scale daily can not only be a sign of a growing problem and also affect mood, she said.

The Chief Clinical Officer explained that developing a distorted view of your child’s appearance can also be an early sign of an eating disorder.

This includes your child thinking he is overweight, not being able to see that he has lost weight, or even thinking that he can visibly see the food he just ate.

However, as parents, preventive measures can be taken to promote a healthy relationship with food and a healthy body image at home.

‘Parents and primary caregivers play a crucial role in protecting their children from external factors that can lead to the development of eating disorders,’ said Dr Lynne.

‘One way to promote a healthy relationship with food, our emotions and our bodies is to create a safe and non-judgmental space where children can talk about their feelings and concerns.

‘These could include conversations about food, self-perception, body image and how they view themselves and others.’

She added: ‘Children learn through modelling, therefore parents can model healthy behaviors related to diet and body image.

‘It may be helpful to encourage balanced eating habits, be mindful of the language used around food and avoid dieting behaviors or derogatory comments about their bodies.’

4. Rapid behavioral changes

Signs of a developing problem with food will manifest not only in their relationship with food, but also in their emotional behavior.

Irritability, becoming withdrawn or feeling more tired are indicators that the body may be lacking nourishment, according to Dr. Lynne.

Other signs may be that your child lacks motivation or desire to socialize.

They may also become overly preoccupied with their appearance and avoid having photos taken or even mirrors and surfaces where they can see their reflection, the psychologist explained.

However, the former clinical psychologist urged parents to teach their children to “appreciate their bodies.”

‘It can be helpful to teach children to appreciate their bodies and celebrate their uniqueness, while at the same time recognizing the challenges that arise from images seen on social media and other sources.

She added: ‘By participating in such discussions, children can begin to understand how to distinguish between fact and fiction and develop the ability to evaluate information and form their own opinions, especially when exposed to content which may be misleading or inappropriate.”

5. Changes in their physical appearance

Although Dr. Lynne emphasizes that people with eating disorders do not look one particular way, changes in your child’s physical appearance may indicate an underlying problem.

According to the clinical psychologist, signs to look out for include weight loss or fluctuations, dental problems, changes in the menstrual cycle and hair loss or thinning hair.

‘Eating problems can be very worrying, but they are treatable,’ says Dr Lynne.

‘We know that early intervention means the best possible outcomes and that the support of friends and family is crucial to recovery.’

Dr. Lynne explains that the first GP appointment can be daunting and encourages parents to attend with their child, adding that even a small gesture can make a ‘big difference’.

She added: ‘In addition to providing emotional support, you’ll likely gain insights into your child’s behavior that they don’t have. This can help the GP get a more complete picture of what happened.’

Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, has a range of support available and also has leaflets available for parents on how to prepare and make the first GP appointment.