Picky eating harmless but can signal child’s emotional woes

Researchers say a very small percentage of kids who are picky eaters may have emotional troubles that should be checked out.

Duke Medicine Researchers found that kids who were extremely restricted in their diets were more likely to be diagnosed with depression or social anxiety.

According to the study, published August 3 in the journal Pediatrics, more than 20 percent of children ages 2 to 6 are selective eaters. The goal of the team was to find out whether selective eating at either moderate or severe levels could predict the development of psychological impairment.

Children with both moderate and, moreover, severely selective eating patterns of behavior displayed symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.

Severe selective eating described in the study is akin to a condition called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, added in 2013 to the latest edition of a widely used psychiatric manual, the study authors said.

Chocolate, ice-cream, cupcakes, waffles… these are just probably some things children love to eat, as opposed to fruits and vegetables.

Those with highly selective eating habits were more than twice as likely as normal eaters to have a diagnosis of depression. “The child can feel like no one believes them, and parents can feel blamed for the problem”, Zucker explained. The “moderate selected eating” category involved children who only ate a narrow range of food products.

The study also showed that parents are consistently in conflict with their children over food, and this conflict, as well as poor nutrition and frustrated parents can all factor into a kid’s unwillingness to try different foods.

Dr. Nancy Zucker, steer investigators from University of Duke Center for Eating Disorders in america, researched the testimony that in fact…

This specific new study shows that those who consider food fussiness as a passing phase (i.e. parents and doctors) could be making a grave mistake. “But because these children are seeing impairment in their health and wellbeing now, we need to start developing ways to help these parents and doctors to know when and how to intervene”. It can occur in all ages; some of those affected are extra-sensitive to food tastes, smells and textures.

A bad experience with a certain food could lead to anxiety when a child is given something else that is new and “untrustworthy”.

Zucker also suggested children may benefit from therapy, but that conventional methods do not address children who may have the aforementioned sensory sensitivity.

The experts went to their homes and conducted interviews with their parents in order to assess what the kids’ eating habits are and to identify any potential mental health issues that they may have.