This week a new research paper was published in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal:
“Psychological and Psychosocial Impairment in Preschoolers with selective eating”
I was asked to comment on it for a local radio station – Wave 105, you can listen to a snippet here:
The study ran from 2007-2010 and looked at over 900 picky eaters, aged 2-5 years of age. They found that children with severe fussy eating habits were more than twice as likely to have symptoms of depression or anxiety. Children with moderate fussy eating habits were more likely to suffer from ADHD and separation anxiety. Both groups of children were 1.7 times as likely to show symptoms of anxiety.
Now whilst this is an interesting study it is also one that could easily alarm parents. The key to note here is this study looked at children with moderate to severe fussy eating habits. All children go through fussy eating stages as part of their development. If you are concerned your child is not moving forward and is struggling long term with their eating patterns then think about approaching your health visitor, GP or seeing a dietitian.