AAP identifies health problems associated with picky eaters. Having a child who was a selective eater used to be brushed off on trips to the pediatrician. Now, picky eaters should be getting more attention from pediatricians according to a new study from the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics).
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The study, titled “Psychological and Psychosocial Impairments in Preschoolers With Selective Eating,” is available in the September 2015 issue of Pediatrics.
Health Problems Associated With Picky Eaters
According to the study, health problems associated with picky eaters include: significantly elevated symptoms of social anxiety, anxiety and depression, separation anxiety, and ADHD. The problems of picky eaters may carry into adulthood and are often associated with the parents feeling blamed for failing to introduce their children to different foods.
I’m glad the AAP are taking steps to raise awareness with their peers about the problems associated with picky eaters. I know MANY parents of picky eaters who are often brushed off by pediatricians when the subject of selective eating is brought up. Parents of picky eaters are often told that the kids will “eat when they’re hungry” or “grow out of it eventually” only to have the symptoms and stresses mount and multiply.
The challenge of a picky eater go far beyond a child who won’t eat their vegetables because they don’t like them. On a social level, I hope pediatricians take the AAP findings to heart when it comes to working with parents to identify problems and solutions. Having picky eaters problems brushed off at appointments only adds to the anxieties of the parents – and the children subsequently.
For parent-friendly health information from the AAP, visit www.HealthyChildren.org. This award-winning site offers more than 3,000 articles that can serve as links to include in your stories on children’s
health and safety.
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Visit AAP for or www.HealthyChildren.org for more info on health problems associated with picky eaters.
