Selective or picky eating is excluding specific foods or groups from your diet for a variety of reasons. It is found usually in children and can cause lack of nutrients, and thus health problems associated with that, but also social and psychological difficulties.
What can cause selective eating?
- Sensory characteristics
The most common example is the avoidance of soft or mucilaginous foods, such as boiled vegetables, or seafood due to smell and taste. Also, lots of food items usually change their characteristics based on their source or freshness, like fruits. That can explain why picky eaters choose processed items and fast food, that have the same characteristics every time, and thus the element of surprise does not exist, adding a sense of stability and safety.
- Negative experiences
Negative experiences regarding food can be be the result of digestive problems, accidents or spoiled food, or even pressure to consume food. That can cause a bad relationship with specific food groups.
- Childhood
Our childhood can impact a huge part of our behaviour. Kids that try a variety of food as babies have less chances of developing selective eating. The parents' behaviour around food is also very imporant, like what they choose to eat, their own relationship with food and how careful they are with their child's diet.
- Pathological factors
Reasons such as digestive and developmental issues can also impact a person's relationship with food.
Usually, selective eating goes away with age, but if it insists, and causes issues in the physical, mental and social health, it is better to get help from a specialist, who will give personalized instructions for both nutrition and behaviour. That is how the person suffering for selective eating can improve their relationship with food, and thus improve their everyday life.