As children nearly all of us eat school dinners or a packed lunch at school. For many of us this can have a profound effect on our lives.
Anxiety is caused by a variety of factors, including genetics and environmental stressors, as well as life experiences. Food anxiety can cause someone to worry about eating certain foods, but it's not just the food itself; there are so many contributing factors like not knowing what a new food tastes like, being made to eat food we hate (and that could be because of smell, taste or texture), not being comfortable with the dining environment, not being able to eat in front of other people (this can be caused by neurological differences, active or previous eating disorders and so on) - reluctance of which can also be linked to the poverty divide.
These anxieties can lead to food phobias, eating disorders, bullying, and so many other problems. The emotional impact of school dinners can last for a lifetime. But what can we do about them? Recent research suggests that a huge factor in childhood obesity is psychological, not physical and those of us who tap know how these factors can be overcome.
