Dealing with the Fussy or Picky Eater

My child is a very fussy eater, I keep having to chase him to eat. I am afraid he is not eating enough? Am I alone?

Many children have eating difficulties at some point between their second and sixth year. Although the fussy or picky eater is a real worry to parents, in most cases, the child doesn't truly even have an eating "problem." Instead, what often seems to the parent to be a problem may in fact be quite normal behavior for that child's age. Armed with the knowledge of what to look for and how to approach the difficult feeder, parents can relieve a lot of their worrying and mealtime tension.

The common types of feeding problems that children between two and six years old often have include:

• not eating enough or at all


• food jags in which the child becomes extremely picky, eating only certain foods and refusing most others


• snacking all day long, without really having "meals"


• often ending meals in tantrums without having eaten much

Young children tend to eat according to their own natural instincts about what, when, and how much they need to eat. Their appetite usually adjusts itself to the amount and type of food that provides the energy and nutrients they need to live and grow. And although parents tend to worry about their children's eating habits, their children's instincts are often correct. The fact that the child isn't eating according to the parents' expectations doesn't necessarily mean that there's a problem.

One of the most important indicators of whether there's a serious feeding problem is your child's overall growth pattern. Your child, like other healthy children, should follow a certain expected rate of growth in terms of length or stature and weight gain. If your child's growth rate is following the expected course, he/she is most likely in good health and does not have a serious feeding problem. But any change or interruption in the expected rate of growth may signal a more serious problem that needs medical attention.