My stepfather has been stealing food and we don't know what to do.
My stepfather (39M) has been secretly eating food from around the house, and my mother (40F) and I (16F) are at a loss for how to handle the situation.
This has been happening for quite some time. He has been following a diet for over a year, avoiding all forms of sugar, including fruit, candy, and fizzy drinks. He usually only makes exceptions during planned cheat meals, such as when we go out to dinner.
Recently, however, he has started searching the house for sugary foods whenever he is home alone. Sometimes he eats Nutella, other times he looks for candy. Because of this, my mother and I began hiding candy in my bedroom.
Today, I noticed that more food had disappeared. When I confronted him, he said, "What? I didn't know where the candy was. I don't go into your room."
I know this is not true. Yesterday, my mother and I had guests over while he was away. She bought cookies for everyone, and after our visitors left, there were some cookies remaining. I put the leftovers in my bedroom that evening. Today, some of those cookies are gone.
We are exhausted from having to hide food in our own home. Every time we try to discuss the issue with him, he denies taking anything, even when the evidence strongly suggests otherwise.
How should we handle this situation?