Faddy eating: should you worry?
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For some children, faddy eating means refusing all types of fruit and vegetables. Others want the same food at every meal, or insist on food of a certain colour.
‘Most pre-school children will, at some time, experience some problems over eating,’ explains Claudine Fox, co-author of a Royal College of Psychiatrists publication aimed at helping parents, called Eating Problems in Children (Gaskell).
‘Some may only eat a small number of different foods or eat very little or sometimes refuse to eat altogether. But it will probably be a passing phase.’
Professor Marie Reid, clinical psychologist at Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, says selective eaters are often quite sensitive. A bad experience when eating – for example, choking when weaning – can also be a cause. Sibling rivalry and attention seeking can also be triggers.
Families living with a faddy eater often find themselves under additional stress when there’s a change in routine. Holidays abroad can be difficult and faddy ...
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