FAQ: Kids and Picky Eating
A couple years later, the researchers re-assessed 180 of the children and found the distress was long-lasting. "Two years after the initial evaluation, the kids who were classified as moderate to severe for selective eating, overall, had higher levels of anxiety symptoms,'' Copeland says. This finding suggests picky eating is not a harmless phase for some children, the researchers say.
Both moderate and severe picky eating were linked with reduced growth, the researchers found. Children with severe picky eating sometimes even had problems swallowing food. Those who had the severe type were twice as likely to have behavior problems outside the home.
Aren't most children picky eaters, to some extent, at some point?
Yes, says William Muinos, MD, a director of the weight management program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. He was not involved in the study but reviewed the findings. "From 1 year to 6 years can be the highest incidence of picky eating," he says.
Often, he finds, it's just a phase and there's nothing to it. But, he says, the new study points to the need to intervene if the selective eating becomes moderate or severe, regardless of the child's age. Children who are severe picky eaters may have ritualistic eating patterns, such as needing to eat certain foods at the same time and agreeing to eat only about three to five different foods.
The Duke researchers say that picky eating is an outdated term. They prefer selective eating.Â
Selective eating that interferes with a child's daily life is called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID. That’s a type of eating disorder now included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Doctors use this manual to diagnose conditions.
Besides the anxiety and depression, are nutritional deficits a concern with moderate or severe picky eating?
Yes, Muinos says. Children who refuse to eat many foods over time might have low levels of iron, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium in their bodies.
"All of that is treatable by supplements," he says.
What should parents of severely picky eaters do?
FAQ: Kids and Picky Eating
A couple years later, the researchers re-assessed 180 of the children and found the distress was long-lasting. "Two years after the initial evaluation, the kids who were classified as moderate to severe for selective eating, overall, had higher levels of anxiety symptoms,'' Copeland says. This finding suggests picky eating is not a harmless phase for some children, the researchers say.
Both moderate and severe picky eating were linked with reduced growth, the researchers found. Children with severe picky eating sometimes even had problems swallowing food. Those who had the severe type were twice as likely to have behavior problems outside the home.
Aren't most children picky eaters, to some extent, at some point?
Yes, says William Muinos, MD, a director of the weight management program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. He was not involved in the study but reviewed the findings. "From 1 year to 6 years can be the highest incidence of picky eating," he says.
Often, he finds, it's just a phase and there's nothing to it. But, he says, the new study points to the need to intervene if the selective eating becomes moderate or severe, regardless of the child's age. Children who are severe picky eaters may have ritualistic eating patterns, such as needing to eat certain foods at the same time and agreeing to eat only about three to five different foods.
The Duke researchers say that picky eating is an outdated term. They prefer selective eating.Â
Selective eating that interferes with a child's daily life is called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID. That’s a type of eating disorder now included in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Doctors use this manual to diagnose conditions.
Besides the anxiety and depression, are nutritional deficits a concern with moderate or severe picky eating?
Yes, Muinos says. Children who refuse to eat many foods over time might have low levels of iron, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium in their bodies.
"All of that is treatable by supplements," he says.
What should parents of severely picky eaters do?
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