thirty percent of children are labeled by their parents as "picky eaters." Despite the high prevalence of picky eaters, until recently little was really known about these children, their eating habits, and their nutritional status.
To learn more about picky eaters, doctors in Finland followed nearly 500 children for over four years. They gathered a lot of data on these kids - height and weight at ages seven and 13 months and at two, three, four and five years old; energy and nutrient intake over many four day periods; and eating habits.
Thirty percent of these children were considered "poor eaters" by their parents. On average, these children were lighter and shorter than their "normal eating" peers, but still within the normal range for their age. Although the average gestational age was the same for the picky and normal eaters, at birth the picky eaters were lighter and shorter.
The absolute energy intake of the picky children was less than than of their normal eating peers. Yet, when their energy intake was adjusted for their smaller size, there was no difference between the two groups.
The picky eaters received a smaller amount of their daily energy intake at meals than the normal eating group, but a larger proportion of energy intake from snacks. Over a 24 hour period, the picky eaters, despite their erratic eating habits and parental displeasure, obtained a sufficient amount of energy intake.
How can a parent determine if their picky eater is getting enough food and energy intake? Here's a quick questionnaire that will help you answer this question.
Is your child as active as his/her peers?
Is your child happy?
Were one or both of his/her parents picky eaters at his/her age?
If most or all of the answers are "yes," then there's probably little reason for concern. Trying to change your child's eating habits will probably be an exercise in frustration. It's never wise to force children to finish a meal or clean their plates. Be sure there are healthy and nutritious snacks available when your picky eater is hungry.
Journal of Pediatrics, 3/04.
May not be reproduced in any format without written permission.
