Are ‘picky eaters’ likely to have weight and growth problems?

Recently I asked everyone who subscribes to my weekly newsletter what kind of posts they liked best.  (click here if you haven’t signed up, and be sure never to miss one of my articles). Many readers told me they like to be kept up to date with the latest child-feeding research, so I have decided to publish regular ‘what the research says’ articles, with a consideration of what that research means for parents.

This week, I’m looking at a recent study * from academics at the University of Bristol in the UK. It looks at health outcomes for children considered to be ‘picky eaters’ (I’m using inverted commas here, as I HATE this label!) compared to their non picky counterparts.

When we judge the rigour and importance of a quantitative study, we look at a few factors. One is the sample size: firmer conclusions can be drawn when researchers have data from 1000 participants as compared to 10. Another is the time scale the study was conducted over. Longitudinal studies are studies where data is gathered from the same participants at various points over time, sometimes over many years. Longitudinal research is really useful as it lets us know what happens over time, rather than just giving us a snap shot of a particular moment. This study is longitudinal and has a sample size of many thousands, so we can draw meaningful conclusions from it. 

What was this study trying to do?

It was trying to establish whether picky eaters are more at risk of having problems with their growth or of being over or underweight, than their non-picky peers. 

Why does this matter?

It matters because when a child only accepts a limited range of foods, many parents feel really anxious about their growth and/or weight. Not only is this distressing, it can also lead to lots of mealtime tension, battles and pressure, all of which make eating worse and can even create problems.

There is sometimes an assumption that children who are smaller or thinner than their peers are underweight and need lots of extra encouragement to eat, especially when they don’t eat a varied diet. This is not necessarily the case – just as some people are naturally larger, some people are naturally slim or petite and we all have different metabolisms. Studies like this help shift unhelpful assumptions, like the belief that a child who is slender is not getting enough to eat. 

Of course, this study can’t tell us if your child is growing properly, but it can tell you whether most children who are described as picky eaters, are growing properly. 

What did the study find?

The children were split into three groups, based on the parent’s assessment of their eating: very picky, not picky and somewhat picky. 

Of the children who were very picky, there were some differences in weight and height as compared to those in the not picky group. However, the average of their heights, weights and BMIs were all above the 50th centile on the standard growth charts. While some of the very picky children were thinner at various ages, this did not imply that they were necessarily underweight. The researchers felt that their findings should be reassuring to parents. 

What can you take from this research?

The chances are, you don’t need to worry about your child’s weight and growth if they are a picky eater. 

Your child may be naturally petite or slender but don’t assume that this means they are not thriving or that you need to persuade them to eat more. As always, if you are at all worried about your child’s health or well-being, seek appropriate medical advice.

 

* Taylor, C., Steer, C., Hays, N., & Emmett, P. (2019). Growth and body composition in children who are picky eaters: a longitudinal view. European journal of clinical nutrition, 73(6), 869.

** This study looked at the general population and did not look at children with a diagnosis of ARFID . It would be reasonable to assume that children with ARFID are more likely to have issues with weight and growth.