Is My Child a Fussy Eater?
As all parents and carers know, toddlers and pre-schoolers can be fussy pretty much about everything, and food is just a part of it all. So, some fuss is to be expected at mealtimes. But this behaviour, if not dealt with properly, can last throughout childhood and even endure through to adult life.
So, in this instance, addressing fussy eating in the early years appropriately is crucial to avoid more substantial issues later on.
“Eating habits and food preferences are much more difficult to change after the age of three.”
- Rebecca Thomas, feeding expert
How common is it?
It’s very hard to put a number on the prevalence of fussy eating behaviour in children. That’s because research shows very different results in different parts of the world, in different age brackets. For example, 5.6% of 4 year-olds in the Netherlands are believed to be fussy eaters, whilst the prevalence in the USA is a staggering 50% of 2 year-olds. Although these figures might make you think that 4 year-olds might have being growing out of fussy eating, another study in China found that 59% of 7–12 year-olds were fussy eaters.
Definition of fussy eating
There isn’t a widespread consensus about how to define this behaviour*. That’s is another complicating factor for understanding how prevalent fussy eating is. How can researchers find out how many fussy eaters there are in a population if they have trouble defining what makes a child to be characterised as a fussy eater in the first place? For example, from the 7-12 year-olds Chinese I mentioned above, 59% were found to be characterised as such, but the category was inflated by the inclusion of children who were ‘somewhat fussy’ as well as those who were ‘always fussy’.^
Anyways, many definitions published in research share the same terms in this one:
A fussy eater often refuses new foods and only accepts a limited range of foods.
It is important to highlight the word OFTEN here. For many experts, for it to be defined as fussy eating, it has to be a behaviour that is consistent, and not one that comes and goes.
*Interventions for Picky Eaters among Typically Developed Children—A Scoping Review. (Study, 2023, Malaysia)
^Picky/fussy eating in children: Review of definitions, assessment, prevalence and dietary intakes. (Study, 2015, UK)
But nothing of the above matters if you are the one faced with struggle, often or not, and feel like you need help.
Highly prevalent or not, if fussy eating feels too real day-in-day-out, it’s reason enough for you to make a move to address it. You deserve peace at the table and in your mind.
So, you’re welcome to browse around this website, to use our contact channels (contact form, socials, free consult), subscribe to our free newsletter. Inform yourself (check our blog post about fussy eating) and get the help you need to learn how to manage this fussy stage of your child’s life. And ultimately enjoy mealtimes with your little one once again or for the first time.
