Do remember that picky eating is often “developmentally normal.” Children across the globe go through a picky eating phase from about age 2 to about age 4.
Picky eating usually begins between 18 months and 2 years of age, when toddlers' cognitive development is becoming more sophisticated and they're better able to process characteristics like color, texture, and taste. So don't be surprised if they suddenly throw a food they once loved off the highchair tray in disgust!
All children are picky eaters at some point or in some way during childhood; it's part of how they assert their independence. But some children are pickier than others, stubbornly refusing to eat everything except a few chosen foods.
"Picky eating is common during childhood and parents often hear that their children will eventually 'grow out of it. ' But that's not always the case," says senior author Megan Pesch, M.D., a developmental behavioral pediatrician at Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
Often difficulty chewing, food sensitivities, reflux, or texture issues with food (aka sensory processing) make it extremely difficult for a child to eat new foods. For some teens and tweens, those challenges haven't been resolved and they continue to be picky eaters.
Lots of kids are picky eaters. Often, they grow out of it. But sometimes picky eating becomes a real problem. Kids can eat so little or so few different foods that it starts to affect their health or their daily lives.
Lack of hunger or not eating adequately can be due to many things, including stress, depression, trying to "make weight" for certain sports, or an eating disorder. Although eating disorders are much more common in females, they do occasionally occur in males.
It's always the parents' fault. Experts have previously suggested that extreme picky eating could be considered an eating disorder. Now, a new study has emerged that says children who are picky eaters are likely the result of overbearing parenting.
Research has linked picky eating in adulthood to parental feeding practices in childhood, particularly if parents put pressure on their kids to eat things they don't want to. So, keep offering different foods, but don't be dispirited if they say no.
Most children who are picky eaters are expected to grow out of it by adolescence. When those who don't grow out of their picky eating habits, also known as “selective eating disorder,” it could signal more serious mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, according to a new study from Duke University.
Picky eating and ADHD often go hand-in-hand.
In fact, researchers at Duke University found a high correlation between selective eating problems and ADHD. Additionally, many children with ADHD are more predisposed to crave sugar due to the surge of dopamine that sugar delivers to the brain.
The 5 P's of Picky Eating
They are palette, pain, processing, pressure, and power.
Learned behavior
Biology isn't the only culprit behind picky eating, however. Food preferences, even as early as childhood, can be a learned behavior. In many instances, parents will—intentionally or not—model eating patterns their child's diet. And children can be further influenced by their parents' “feeding style.”
Causes of picky eating include early feeding difficulties, late introduction of lumpy foods at weaning, pressure to eat and early choosiness, especially if the mother is worried by this; protective factors include the provision of fresh foods and eating the same meal as the child.
If you have a picky eater with autism, know that you're not alone. A recent review of scientific studies found that children with autism are five times more likely to have mealtime challenges such as extremely narrow food selections, ritualistic eating behaviors (e.g. no foods can touch) and meal-related tantrums.
Picky eating is one of the most common phases in young children, but for children with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), picky eating might be even more prevalent. Additionally, some kids with ADHD may go hours without eating.
In one study, parents of picky eaters cited personality traits that are common among them. These words include 'stubborn', 'moody', 'nervous' and 'easily distracted'. Around the age of 2, picky eating becomes a frustrating but normal stage of development.
Causes of Selective Eating Disorder (SED)
Some experts theorize that it may be caused by a traumatic childhood experience such as choking on food with a certain texture, while others suggest that it may come from a fear of the unknown.
Parenting styles such as authoritarian and neglectful parenting include practices that generally may not be supportive and can contribute to the likelihood of eating disorders.
This picky eater is the one who has developed picky eating habits as a way to exert control over the person who is feeding him. This picky eater is avoiding foods to show opposition to adults, not simply because he doesn't like the food or he has a sensory aversion to it.
Do Not Force Your Child to Eat. Forcing children to eat reinforces poor eating habits such as eating when they aren't hungry or cleaning the plate when they're already full. Rewarding your child for eating, punishing your child for not eating, or forcing your child to eat can reinforce poor behavior.