As a outcome children who show severe selective-eating tendencies could be diagnosed with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) which is a newly recognized eating disorder which is also listed in the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
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According to lead author Nancy Zucker, the impairment may affect the health of kids as well as their growth, social functioning and also parent-child relationship as well. The child, for instance, can feel that no one believes him and parents may blame themselves for the problem.
The study also stated that children with either severe or moderate levels of picky eating were found to be more likely to develop anxiety issues within two years.
It was discovered that many of these children may have heightened awareness of sense, including increased awareness of texture, which can make certain foods hard to chew and swallow. “These are children who are profoundly sensitive to their internal and external world – so things smell stronger and they may have more intense feelings”. But a new study has found that certain picky eaters may be vulnerable to developing mental conditions such as depression, anxiety and attention deficit disorder (ADHD).
These picky-eating habits are often discounted by today’s pediatricians who advise parents to ignore the behavior. When, however, this “finicky” phase persists, turning mealtime into a nightmarish tug-of-war over what your child should eat and what he or she wants to eat, deeper issues may be at play. What we do know is, picky eating has something to do with the at-times freaky complexities of childhood development, when the brain is growing and changing very fast, and with it sensory perceptions and behavior.
Zucker suggests introducing children to new and exciting foods, and focusing on family at dinnertime, rather than food.
It is recommended for parents to bring their children to required doctor soonest to address the problem of picky eating so that their children could undergo a therapy that would eventually eradicate the fear for food and bad memories related to it. “It is the parents’ job to help the children take small steps to confront the issue”. The children who have the sensitivities are the group that are more likely to be depressed and anxious, and also the children will be more likely to carry this into adulthood. The important point is that not all of those kids have problems and go onto have problems with anxiety or depression. However, more research is needed to confirm that. In this context, a picky eater isn’t just a kid who hates spinach or broccoli – it’s someone who severely restricts what he will eat.
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“It’s not necessarily something that goes away for all kids”, says William Copeland, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine.
