New research suggests that picky eating is usually not a sign of a serious problem, although sometimes it can indicate that the youngster has emotional troubles that an expert should check out. Children who are extremely selective about or stay away from certain foods often suffer from anxiety or depression. However, it makes up only 3 percent of preschoolers.
"Moderate selecting eating," which is shown when a child eats a small range of food, is not serious eating pickiness. Around 18 percent of the kids in the study had it, according to The New York Times.
The study was conducted by Duke University's medical school. It was published August 3, Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
It focused on around 900 children between the ages of 2 and 5. They were recruited by primary care physicians linked to Duke's medical center.
Researchers interviewed parents to evaluate their children's eating habits and related mental health issues. They did follow-up evaluations two years later in nearly 200 children.
The children whose level of pickiness was moderate or high were nearly twice as likely as the other children to develop symptoms of anxiety. That was within two years.
Nancy Zucker, a eating disorders specialist, was the lead author. She said that a more common pickiness, a "normal dislike" involved children who refuse to eat the vegetables on their plates.
Symptoms most common in moderately choosey children were separation anxiety and attention deficit disorder. Meanwhile, the highly picky kids more often experienced social anxiety and depression. These rates were compared to non-fussy eaters.
Several factors cause children to be picky eaters. Some have highly sensitive senses that cause the smell, taste, and texture of certain foods to be overpowering, while others have had a bad experience eating particular foods, according to The Times of India.
Kids with moderate pickiness are more likely to grow out of the eating problem than the severe group. However, research has not confirmed it yet.
Parents can help moderately selective children by making them try new types of foods. This should be at random meal-times.
However, severely choosey children suffer from Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Parents should consider seeking help from mental health professionals.