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If your kid plays a sport and is also a picky eater — this episode is
for you.

ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is showing up more
and more in young athletes, and the patterns almost always start years
before anyone names them. The 14-year-old recovering from her second
stress fracture? Her food restriction started at age three or four.

In this episode, I sit down with Katie Syvarth, RD, CSSD — a board-
certified sports dietitian based in Kentucky — to walk through what
ARFID actually looks like in young athletes, why under-fueling and
stress fractures so often travel with it, and what parents of young
picky kids should be paying attention to right now — long before
anyone is talking about diagnoses.

We trace Katie's case study of a teen athlete recovering from her
second stress fracture all the way back to age three. The signs were
there. They're often there for the kids in YOUR home too — they just
look small at the time.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- How ARFID is different from typical picky eating in athletes
- The "food funnel" — when the list of safe foods gets shorter, not longer
- Why under-fueling and stress fractures often travel together
- Why ~90% of young athletes are under-fueled (and what to do about it)
- How sensory issues, ADHD, autism, anxiety, and OCD overlap with ARFID
- What to do at the table TODAY with your young, picky athlete
- Why pressure tactics backfire (and what works instead)
- How to advocate for your young athlete if you're not being heard
- How to find an ARFID-informed dietitian or therapist

ABOUT KATIE SYVARTH, RD, CSSD:
Katie is a board-certified sports dietitian and the founder of Nutrition
at Play, based in Kentucky. She works with athletes of all levels — from
high school competitors to endurance athletes — on under-fueling,
disordered eating, body image, and ARFID. She blends performance nutrition
with an all-foods-fit, intuitive approach.

🔗 Connect with Katie:
Website: nutritionatplay.com
Instagram: @nutritionatplay

Get Katie's FREE Download!

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⭐ If this episode helped you, please leave a rating and review on Apple
Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other parents find the show.

Join the list for early bird pricing!

"Read the Pattern" A Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding 0-4 Months- Without the Spiral is going live Mother's Day 5/11/2026, and you can sign up here to hold your early bird price!

Join the list for early bird pricing!

"Read the Pattern" A Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding 0-4 Months- Without the Spiral is going live Mother's Day 5/11/2026, and you can sign up here to hold your early bird price!

NEW COURSE! "Read the Pattern: Feeding Your Baby 0–4 Months" — because a healthy relationship with food starts earlier than most people think. Course Link!

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If the idea of introducing peanut butter to your baby sends your heart rate up — this episode is for you.

As a pediatrician and registered dietitian, I've sat across from families who are genuinely terrified of allergen introduction. Their fear makes complete sense. But fear doesn't get the final vote. A plan does.

In this episode, I walk you through two real families from my practice, the landmark science that completely changed how we introduce allergens, and exactly what to do based on your baby's individual risk — so you can move forward with confidence instead of anxiety.

In this episode:
✔ Why the old "delay allergens" advice tripled peanut allergy rates — and how the science did a full 180
✔ The LEAP trial: what it found, why it matters, and what 86% risk reduction actually means for your family
✔ The dual allergen exposure hypothesis — why your baby's skin is the real risk factor (not family history alone)
✔ Eczema and food allergy: what the connection is and why I treat eczema aggressively from the very first weeks
✔ Exactly how and when to introduce peanut butter and egg at home — by risk category
✔ Myths I hear every week that have no evidence behind them — including breastfeeding, hypoallergenic formula, and pregnancy diet
✔ What to do if YOU have a food allergy and you're terrified of passing it to your baby

Risk categories covered:
→ No eczema / no family history: introduce at home around 6 months, no testing needed
→ Mild to moderate eczema: introduce early at 4–6 months, no testing needed, focus on skin care first
→ Severe eczema: consult your pediatrician and/or allergist before introducing; testing may come first

Roberts G, Bahnson HT, Du Toit G, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023;151(5):1329-1336.

Logan K, Bahnson HT, Ylescupidez A, et al. Allergy. 2023;78(5):1307-1318.

Greer FR, Sicherer SH, Burks AW. Pediatrics. 2019;143(4):e20190281.

Islam N, Chu AWL, Sheriff F, et al. JAMA Pediatrics. 2026 (published online Feb 9, 2026)

Wang HZ, Hayles EH, Fiander M, Sinn JK, Osborn DA. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;6:CD006475.

Du Toit G, et al. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015;372(9):803–813.

PreventAll Trial Horimukai K, Morita K, Narita M, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(4):824–830.

Dual Allergen Exposure Hypothesis Lack G. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012;129(5):1187–1197.

Early Skin Moisturization & Eczema Prevention Simpson EL, Chalmers JR, Hanifin JM, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(4):818–823.

For education purposes only- consult your medical care provider for personalized recommendations.

Join the list for early bird pricing!

"Read the Pattern" A Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding 0-4 Months- Without the Spiral is going live Mother's Day 5/11/2026, and you can sign up here to hold your early bird price!

Join the list for early bird pricing!

"Read the Pattern" A Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding 0-4 Months- Without the Spiral is going live Mother's Day 5/11/2026, and you can sign up here to hold your early bird price!

NEW COURSE! "Read the Pattern: Feeding Your Baby 0–4 Months" — because a healthy relationship with food starts earlier than most people think. Course Link!

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 17 | Body Image Issues Start at Age 5 — What Parents Can Do Right Now

Here's something that stops parents in their tracks when I say it in clinic: body image concerns can show up as early as age 5. Not 13. Not even 10. Five.

That means by the time most of us think we need to start "the conversation," our kids have already been building a relationship with their bodies for years — shaped by what they hear, what they see, and what happens around food at home.

This episode isn't about fear. It's about getting ahead of it — with science, not pressure.

I'm a pediatrician and dietitian with 30 years of asking questions about how kids relate to food and their bodies. Body image is not a topic I can leave to chance, and I don't think you should either. The good news? The research on prevention is actually really hopeful. Small, consistent shifts in language and environment make a meaningful difference — and you don't need to be a therapist to make them.

In this episode we cover:

• When body image awareness actually starts (the research will surprise you)
• What puts kids at higher risk — and it's not what most people assume
• Specific language shifts to make at the table and in front of the mirror
• How to talk about bodies, food, and movement in ways that build respect, not fear
• The signs that tell you it's time to ask your pediatrician for a referral

Book Recommendation:

Your Body is Awesome by Sigrun Danielsdottir, Illustrated by Bjork Bjarkadottir

→ Save this episode. Share it with the parents in your life who have kids under 10. This is the one to get to them before they need it.

Join the list for early bird pricing!

"Read the Pattern" A Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding 0-4 Months- Without the Spiral is going live Mother's Day 5/11/2026, and you can sign up here to hold your early bird price!

NEW COURSE! "Read the Pattern: Feeding Your Baby 0–4 Months" — because a healthy relationship with food starts earlier than most people think. Course Link!