OK, let me be prefectly clear from the start: I don't believe in "food neophobia". At all. I think, the psychologists out there are bored and, to find something to do at the moment, they go around inventing phobias, for a variety of reasons:
1. so people can have a name for the behavior of their fussy-eating-habits children;
2. so children have a "blanket excuse" to tell their parents when they (children) don't want to eat something; and
3. so the doctors/psychologists/shrinks out there have a new thing to "treat", and made good income of.
Let me tell you this: every, and I repeat: every kid out there will be, or at least try to be, fussy with their food, at least once in their life. How do I know? I've raised two and, yes, they were fussy on occasion. Would I call it a phobia? Not a chance. Why? No, not because I'm unreasonable but because I'm a realist, and I tell it like it is, whether I'm making any friends, or not, by doing so. I simply do not care for all these "phobias" being invented by the medical profession, which they seem to do at will, to name any behavioral challenge they encounter.
I have googled many websites explaining this "food neophobia" concept. I have also looked at user forums, where some misguided and/or "misunderstood" souls claim they "had to live with this disorder their entire lives" (and with emphasis on "had to"). Well, boo f*ckin' hoo. Get a grip already. If your parents were not strict enough to tell you to stop acting up, start listening, and eat the damn food they served you, whom do you blame for being a fat adult who eats nothing but junk food? Yes, you should blame your parents; it was their job to make sure you eat stuff that is healthy and good for your body, and mind. If they, for the sake of you stopping your crying/tantrum, kept giving up and allowed you to eat fried garbage (like KFC chicken, fries, chips, candy, all washed down with copious amounts of sodas), yes, you should blame them. But understand this: if you are an adult, at least by your driver's license information, you must take responsibility for your own actions in the now. What was in the past, stays in the past, and you cannot undo it but you need to own up for what you do today. Nobody forces you to eat crap so don't go around looking for sympathy on forums filled with bunch of losers carrying the same attitude as yours. You know what Major Payne would tell you? This: "You'll get no sympathy from me. You want sympathy, look in the dictionary between shit and syphillis. That's where you'll find my sympathy. This ain't no walk in the park."
Word. This is real life, so get your shit together for a change, stop whining, get a grip on reality, and get your fat ass away from forums filled with people who would rather keep bitching about their, well, fat ass, than do something about it like: modify your eating habits and go outside and move a little.
To the "psychologists", and the likes, who go around inventing phobias: shame on you! You prey on schmucks who seem to be in the constant "baby me" state, and I'd imagine they pay you good money for that. If you tried to "help them" for free, I'd be far less critical of what you're doing.
As for you "helpless" parents of "fussy" kids out there: who is the adult in this relationship? You are. That means you are in charge, and what you say goes, not the other way around. Stand your ground a couple of times and your children will not only start listening, they will also develop respect for you. But, the trick is to start as early as possible, not wait til they are 7 and fully in control over you because you let it slide for this long.
Good luck. To all of you. I mean it.
