Is your kid a fussy eater?

Is your child getting the right nutrition? A study commissioned by Abbott Nutrition among toddlers to understand eating behaviour in India revealed that in Bangalore, of the 195 mothers surveyed, 76% of them have children who are fussy eaters.

"Fussy eating is largely prevalent in the developmental stage. It usually begins sometime in the toddler years when children develop selective eating habits and throw temper tantrums. Fussy eating hampers physical growth - both in terms of height and weight," said Rehan Khan, managing director, Abbott Nutrition, India.
Another study has revealed that watching television while having meals is the main reason for fussy eating habits among children.
The study was conducted by IPSOS, a private research group, along with Abbott Nutrition, in Mumbai.

Of the 206 mothers, the study has found that 86% have children they consider to be fussy eaters. While 37% of the mothers expressed that their children had cold and cough frequently, 41% believed that fussy eating impacted their children's overall performance in school. Watching television and eating junk food before meals as the major reasons behind fussy eating among children.

"It's TV and advertisements that are to be blamed for kids' fussy eating habits. Kids get hooked to eating junk food as they are able to identify items which appeal to them. Colourful candy wrappers and eye-catchingly packaged soft-drinks attract them," says paediatrician Dr Hiren Shah.
 

It is the responsibility of parents to educate their kids about right eating habits. If this is not done, kids may get addicted to wrong food habits, he asserts.

Consulting psychologist Dr Prashant Bhimani says the fault lies with parenting abilities. Parents, who are not able to spend quality time with their kids, try to make it up to them by surrendering to their demands.

He says, "We can't blame the kids entirely as their 'fussy eating' habit is deep rooted in their upbringing. It's parents' responsibility to teach virtues like patience and tolerance to their child. Fussiness is all about availability. If a kid knows a particular food item is available, s/he will try to get it by throwing a tantrum and creating a fuss."

Also, materialism has replaced human warmth today. Fussy eating can also be traced to the economic and social insecurities of people. Parents feel if they do not send trendy stuff in their kids' tiffin boxes, they might feel left out at school, said Dr Bhimani.  

Paediatrician Uma Asopa says, "Kids become picky about things around the age of three or four as it is the time when they begin developing their personalities. At times, a family's first child turns out to be a difficult eater as the parents are not equipped to manage their anxiety." Fussy eating could be an attention getting tactic too.   

Parents, according to Dr Asopa, should never force feed kids as it adds to the fussiness. Also over time, food trends have changed. While parents need to act firm and make kids who make a fuss go hungry for a while, they should not get too harsh with the child.
Dietician Sima Shah says parents should first educate themselves and then their child on the right eating habits. "At times parents have to strike a deal with kids in order to make them eat. She adds that kids can be made to eat food without any fuss by making their eating time 'a strict family time'. Observing parents eat healthy will automatically help kids eat healthy.
(With inputs from Bangalore and Mumbai)