Study shows that picky eating among children could mean serious concerns like depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. According to the Duke Medicine report in the journal Pediatrics, the eating behavior of children may be linked to bigger problems than just a typical lack of a well-balanced diet.
The study headed by Dr. Nancy Zucker includes more than 3,000 children aging from 2 to 6 years-old who were labeled according to their behavior. Children who refused some foods were labeled as 'selective'. Those who limit their range of preferred foods were labeled as 'moderately picky' while children who eat fewer range of foods were ranked as 'severe'.
In the study, 14% to 20% of the children were found to be selective, around 18% were rated as 'moderately picky and 3% of the kids were severe. Dr. Zucker clarified that picky eating does not only mean refusing to eat broccoli.
"The children we're talking about aren't just misbehaving kids who refuse to eat their broccoli. These are children whose eating has become so limited or selective it's starting to cause problems."
The researchers personally visited the children in their homes to assess their eating habits. Though most parents and caregivers believe that picky eating is a relatively common behaviour of growing kids, the team states that it does not mean it is not harmless. Parents insist that such behaviors will be changed as their kids grow.
Picky eating can affect the health, growth and social behavior of children. Researchers warn parents that they should deal their selective eater kids properly. The study revealed that selective eaters are likely to be diagnosed with depression. Compared to normal eaters, they were also 2.7 times prone to social anxiety.
Authors believe that the most significant part of the study was discovering that picky eating can pose future psychiatric problems to children.
