Why You Shouldn't Ignore Picky Eaters

A new study find moderate and severe cases of selective eating in children were associated with elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression in later years. Sumathi Reddy joins Lunch Break With Tanya Rivero. Photo: Getty

More from the Wall Street Journal:

[yarlodek]

I have a sister who is the complete opposite of me. Any food that is put on my plate I immediately devour it without question. My sister, on the other hand, will refuse to eat anything other than chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, spaghetti, and vanilla ice cream. She’s 11...

[moonaya]

you all talk about kids who are picky eaters, Im 16 years old, and i have been an intense picky eater since i was a baby. I only eat unhealthy food, like i cant eat vegetables, most meat, chicken, all fish, some fruits..etc. probably why im 16 and i way about 168 pounds

[smoresadventures]

I'm an extremely picky eater and i do like some vegs and fruit I can't stand ranch and I do have Anxiety and depression it's funny how my mom would always try to get me to eat something but I couldn't stand the smell so I couldn't eat it

[Rihardololz]

I was too until got obese on junk now slim down and willing eat healthy.

[rogeriopenna]

My daughter loves lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, brocolli, carrots, etc.

But she is really picky when eating meat. Fillet mignon is too soft. Other cuts are too hard. Or have grease. She is always imagining fibers or fat where there is none.

And she basically refuses cookies and she doesn´t any any cake. Candies and dessert? She will have none of that.

It looks all fine, except she is stuck at 19.5 kg for over a year... she is 6 and she should be gaining weight...

[NolanTheRod]

You guys are not a picky eater because YOU BUY THE THING YOU WANT AND FORCE YOUR CHILDREN TO EAT THEM!

[ihminen]

I'm a picky eater and i hope people would stop feeling entitled to become aggressive and insult me for choosing what i eat, it's none of their business it's my food not theirs. I'm not spoiled or anything like that, i can't pick what my body likes and what it doesn't. I've even thrown up for eating my number 1 opp food(peasoup)

[leraisonandtheseason]

I was a picky eater in my childhood and I'm extremelly healthy nowadays. Thin, without diseases, very active in sports, e.g. I think smart parents should respect the signs that their children give them about satiety or rejection to an indigested food to avoid creating more traumas. Ps they won''t gotta die not eating your food. Just take them to a specialist regularly.

[TinyIka]

I'm turning 16 in November and my picky eating habits are never treated. Well, it did, but very little and there's no progress because i (and my parents) was never consistent to treat my own picky eating habits. after 5 years, i finally passed 25kg - 29kg and got to 30kg weight. And my heights are 140cm. Been years since I've been stuck in 130 cm range.

When i was 7, my height was 99cm and my weight was literally 12kg. (I know, i was shocked too)

My family members and any relatives of mine would call me the most extreme version of picky eating 😂 because i not only, dont eat vegetables and fruits (i eat some fruits now). I dont even like certain sweets. I only eat ONE type of chocolate (cadbury diary milk and thats it 💀 nothing else), i eat donuts and i like them but i like donuts that are just with sugar. No fillings, no cream, no sprinkles, no chocolate on top. Just glazed sugar donuts. I dont eat any types of pizza, burgers (if i do, its probably just buns and chicken meat 😂), and i only eat cake and cupcakes that doesn't have any cream, sprinkles, icing on it. Just a plain chocolate cake (a bonus if its a sponge and soft chocolate cake, I'll eat it and never shares 😂). Its all about texture and simplicity of how i eat the food in my eyes and tongue honestly 😅. I dont like to mix foods together most of the time. I'll eat rice and chicken soup but not with the chicken. I'll eat rice with eggs but not with any "condiments" (i think that's what its called in English idk. In Malaysia we call it "Kicap"), I'll eat french fries and nuggets, but no dipping. No sauce or whatever just plain.

I'm trying to treat my own picky eating habits now by forming the food my mom/dad made in a "simple" form, or eat it with something i eat. (Like breads. I dont like to eat bananas just like that, so i eat it with breads. Still tweaking when i taste the bananas but the bread helps to trick my taste buds a bit 😂😂). Its a challenge for sure😂

[hellslayer]

It's already hard to see kids crying or getting angry about food, and on the other hand kids need food for growth, it's just too much commotion for parents

[Lol-vyph]

All I live off is bread... Chicken nuggets.. Waffles. Fries. Anything with loads of salt or calories... I really hate eating.. I have tried but I can't

Later on in life I became really sad and isolative...
By the age of 10 I was showing signs of depression...
And anxiety
My mom a suffers with Borderline disorder and MDD or MMD can't remember
I'm currently in councilling for Physical and emotional abuse and things I do to myself.. If anybody needs help please teach out to somebody.

[sophierichardson]

I have a phobia of sick which makes me really fussy

[TheBPMonk]

I used to be very picky I'm the complete opposite now.

[justisabelle]

I hate cakes, milk, pineapple, most candies, vegetables, etc

[elifilsantony]

Hi I am a picky eater . I only like those kind of food like
Egg
Fried
Chicken, fish
Burger, pizza
Macaroni, hotdogs, jam
Orange mango pineapple
Juice.pineapple, apple, lemonade, oranges
and I eat some vegetables
Can you imagine I eat only those foods
and I have social anxiety disorders, depression, social anxiety eater and I am a picky eater, and I am shy and I am so shy my parents doesn, t know if I have them. Because I am scared to say my feeling s .

[kevinbarr]

I am glad she said associations NOT
I was a picky eater... its all in the mind really it is possible to change

[yomomma]

i’m a very picky eater and i will not a touch a food i hate :) but i got over my fear of bananas 😋

[harrys]

I eat anything now lol because if i didn’t eating moms food well I wouldn’t be eating at all.

[ikea]

im very picky when i was born and like 3 i was getting some food to taste. my dad wanted to eat healthy so i can eat good stuff but my mom said “nah” and i had to eat junk when i became older enough like 7 i became picky and became more picky all because of my mom

[aalidas]

Once youre so hungry youll eat anything, you wont be picky anymore lol i learned that