A 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 & 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.
Dr Mukesh Sanklecha, consultant paediatrics at the Bombay hospital, said: “Not the crux of the problem but part of the problem is meal. Fussy eating is more about parental upbringing. Parents try to force feed their child and a sustained force feeding develops negative attitude towards food in children. Wrong food habits incorporated by parents are another reason of fussy eating habits. Bringing discipline in food habits is very necessary. It also depends on what the parents eat as they set an example for their children. If the children see their parents eating pizza and burger, they too will ask for the same.”
Dr Sanklecha said, “I have been treating a three-and-half-year-old girl with fussy eating habit. She was healthy and had no problem. I found that her grandparents force feed her. I counseled the parents and grandparents and asked them not to force feed her. After 8-10 weeks, she is now not at all fussy while eating.”
Dr Archana Kher, consultant paediatrician at the Seven Hills Hospital, said: “Out of the 20 patients, we get at least 10 of them have fussy eating habits. The problem is more among children living in a nuclear family and city like Mumbai.”
Explaining the nuclear family connection with fussy eating of a child, Dr Kher said, “In a nuclear family with both the parents working, a child tries to seek attention by fussy eating. While in joint family, the child adjusts. Fussy eating is many times related to attention seeking behaviour and over pampering.”
Dr Kher said these days there is too much variety of food shown on television. “Children ask for same kind of food they see on television. The fussy eating behaviour is seen majorly in children of age group 3-5,” added Dr Kher.
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 & 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.
Dr Mukesh Sanklecha, consultant paediatrics at the Bombay hospital, said: “Not the crux of the problem but part of the problem is meal. Fussy eating is more about parental upbringing. Parents try to force feed their child and a sustained force feeding develops negative attitude towards food in children. Wrong food habits incorporated by parents are another reason of fussy eating habits. Bringing discipline in food habits is very necessary. It also depends on what the parents eat as they set an example for their children. If the children see their parents eating pizza and burger, they too will ask for the same.”
Dr Sanklecha said, “I have been treating a three-and-half-year-old girl with fussy eating habit. She was healthy and had no problem. I found that her grandparents force feed her. I counseled the parents and grandparents and asked them not to force feed her. After 8-10 weeks, she is now not at all fussy while eating.”
Dr Archana Kher, consultant paediatrician at the Seven Hills Hospital, said: “Out of the 20 patients, we get at least 10 of them have fussy eating habits. The problem is more among children living in a nuclear family and city like Mumbai.”
Explaining the nuclear family connection with fussy eating of a child, Dr Kher said, “In a nuclear family with both the parents working, a child tries to seek attention by fussy eating. While in joint family, the child adjusts. Fussy eating is many times related to attention seeking behaviour and over pampering.”
Dr Kher said these days there is too much variety of food shown on television. “Children ask for same kind of food they see on television. The fussy eating behaviour is seen majorly in children of age group 3-5,” added Dr Kher.
