Is your child a fussy eater? (1)

Fourty-five percent (45%) of worried mothers seek doctors’ advice on the childrens’ eating problems. This is not surprising as studies has shown that 52% of toddlers are not hungry at meal times; 42% end meals very quickly; 35% are picky eaters; and 33% have evidence of food selectivity1.

Getting your child to eat healthily amid all the temptations and increasingly competitive society even at childhood can be rather daunting. Infections with various pestilences are on the rise – JE virus, Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bird flu (H5N1 virus), dengue - and threatening our children.

There is also increasing awareness that certain nutrients like DHA and taurine can affect the child’s mental progress and helping him to be ahead of his peers. Thus the need to give him enough omega-3 foods besides making sure he eats 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day.

Food is essential for life; it provides the fuel the child needs for energy, the micronutrients to keep the body functioning; proteins for growth and to make antibodies; and brain lipids for mental development. So a well balanced diet is crucial for a child’s growth and development and has implications for the child in the future, physically, biologically and socially.


1.1. WHAT IS AN EATING PROBLEM?

Eating problems can seriously affect a child’s growth and development. The definition of ‘eating problems’ is the inability or refusal to eat certain foods due to medical, behavioral, psychological or environmental factors1, 2.

The main types of eating problems include3:

Poor appetite
Food refusal
Inappropriate food for age
Extreme or limited food choices



1.2. HOW DOES AN EATING PROBLEM AFFECT THE CHILD?

Whatever the type of problem, the underlying issue is that there is not enough of the essential nutrients being eaten to maximize the developmental potential of the child. If the child’s diet is limited and results in him missing out entire food groups, there could be health implications. Refusal to drink milk and dairy products could result in weak bones and teeth; not eating fruits and vegetables increases the risk of asthma and iron deficiency in childhood can increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers in the long term.