Is Fussy Eating A Cause For Concern?
Early childhood is an exciting time of change. It is a phase where the children grow, learn and master many new skills. At the same time, they strive for independence and form their own food preferences.
Who are Fussy Eaters? Why are They Called So?
Young children are famous for being picky eaters—so much that nearly every parent has struggled with their toddler during a meal at one time or another. Once children reach the age of 1 or 2 years, their willingness to try new and different foods drops remarkably. This food aversion is called neophobia, which is the fear of anything new (a new food) and is common in both boys and girls. It is also known as ‘picky’/‘fussy’ eating.
Fussy eating is best defined as an unwillingness to eat familiar foods or try new foods that is severe enough to interfere with daily routines and cause problems for the parent or child or disrupt the parent–child relationship. Fussy eaters show a strong fondness for sweet and salty foods and often refuse to eat anything that tastes sour or bitter.
Half of toddlers are described as not always hungry at mealtime; many do not enjoy meals and some have strong food preferences. One in four often refuses to eat, one in five requests specific foods and then refuses them and one in two tries to end a meal after a few bites. Vegetables are the foods most often rejected by preschoolers.
Reasons for Fussy Eating
Children can become fussy eaters for a number of reasons—sensitive to taste, smell and texture and imitating parents’ fussy eating habits. Fussy eating habits are more likely to develop when parents punish, bribe or reward their children’s eating behaviors. Another important reason for this peculiar behavior is their preference to playing rather than eating.
Consequences of fussy eating
Fussy eaters eat a low-quality diet due to their limited choice of foods. The nutrients that are generally lacking in a fussy eater’s diet are vitamins and mineral groups. Fussy eating may result in growth failure and increases the chance of infections and may also be warning signs of the development of an eating disorder later in life.
v Poor growth of the child: Low food intake makes the child to grow slower and makes the bones and muscles weaker. Children should be encouraged to eat foods rich in calcium, vitamin D and iron (e.g. milk and milk products, spinach, peas, etc.) that are needed for proper growth and to avoid weak bones and muscles.
v Frequent infections: The child’s reluctance to eat foods that protect the body (beans, nuts, certain seafoods, milk products, whole grains, palak, carrot, etc.) can make them weak and increases the frequency of infections like fever, diarrhea and worm infections. Repeated infections will also result in the child losing weight.
v Poor brain growth: Reduced intake of food by a fussy eater can make his/her body deprived of nutrients, which can affect the functioning of the brain. Increased intake of ‘wrong’ type of fats (in fried foods) will replace the ‘right’ type of fat in the brain (docosahexaenoic acid in the brain’s gray matter) and changes the brain structure, which leads to poor concentration and poor memory.
v Other health problems: As the diet of a child showing fussy eating habits is generally low in fiber (vegetables), this leads to discomfort in the stomach and constipation. Lack of iron rich foods (green leafy vegetables) can lead to anemia and increased infections, whereas lack of vitamin A (fruits, vegetables, milk products and vegetable oil) leads to eye and skin disorders.
How to Make Fussy Eaters Healthier?
Most often, fussy eating behaviors will disappear as children grow older. As children are exposed to more and more new things, they become less afraid of what they do not know. In cases where picky eating becomes extreme, additional intake of nutrients, especially that of vitamins and minerals, may be necessary.
The best way of assuring proper growth and health in a fussy eater is by ensuring the consumption of a diet that is adequate in every nutrient. As the family environment has a tremendous influence on the eating pattern of a child, it is important for the parents to act as role models for their children. Sticking to mealtime and snack routines and offering children a variety of food choices and encouraging to eat vegetables and fruits will also help children establish healthier eating habits.
Another way of ensuring that the child has a good nutrient intake is by supplementing the nutrients. Supplementation of nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals, increases the nutritional status of preschoolers making them free from the complications of low food intake. Supplementation can be through nutrient-enriched biscuits, candy bars, beverages, or spreads that are acceptable by children. Supplementation of multiple nutrients (i.e. with all the nutrients) is more effective than single-nutrient supplementation as the diet of children with fussy behaviors tend to be deficient in different nutrients. Supplementation is also a potentially inexpensive means of reducing infectious disease in children.
As preschool is the time of the development of bones, muscles, brain and blood, supplementation of nutrients to support these processes is essential. Children with fussy eating behavior who experience delayed physical and mental growth may be able to gain their nutritional status by increasing their intake of all nutrients.
More abstracts about the Fussy Eating in Toddlers