Picky Eating In Children

The children appetite tends to become unpredictable with the transition of growth to early childhood. They eat well at one meal and barely touch their food at the next meal. These troublesome eating habits and limited food preferences are among the most distinguishing characteristics of picky eating among children. Picky eating is more common among girls than boys (Rydell & Dahl, 2005; Marchi & Cohen, 1990). Food blogger Clara Atwell said that picky eating can vary from refusal to eat foods of a certain colour especially greens to a dislike of specific meals. Among the most common of picky eating behaviours include refusing food especially meat, fruits and vegetables, throwing tantrums at mealtimes by pushing, hiding or throwing meals, preferring sweets, snacks and drinks instead of complete meals and many other behaviour. These typical developmental patterns are, in part of societal norms and expectations which some parents do not worry about because they think that it is just a phase of growth development. However, if their selectiveness on food is too extreme, there is several negative effect of picky eating on children which affect their …show more content…
Poor nutrition on children impacts a child’s ability to develop properly and adapt normally to certain situations. A study in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry in 2008 noted a link between iron deficiency and hyperactivity disorders in children. Iodine deficiency has also been linked to some development impairments. Certain nutritional habits that children may be prone to, such as skipping meals or overindulging in sugary foods, have also been linked to depression. Additionally, these mental and emotional health problems in children are often reinforced by obesity and low self-esteem which may lead to social problem among the