Picky eating could be foretell bigger problems than just a lack of options

[Guest guest]

When fussy goes too far

Picky eating could be foretell bigger problems than just a lack of options

By MARILYN LINTON, Special to QMI Agency

Last Updated: September 13, 2010 2:00am

K., a 35 year old office manager, has always been a picky eater. As a

child, her parents despaired because she ate only pizza, breaded fish sticks and

apples – not much different from what she now eats as an adult, she confesses.

“But I do have the occasional glass of wine and I now eat pears, plus pasta with

plain tomato sauce,” she says, so embarrassed at her narrow food choices that

she won’t allow her last name to be used.

is of average weight and in good health. She takes a daily vitamin to

offset any nutritional imbalances. But her restrictive eating (pizza with cheese

only; pasta with smooth, not chunky, tomato sauce) makes socializing unbearable.

She fears certain foods and cringes at the thought of business lunches, parties,

or restaurant dates.

Picky eating is something you’re supposed to outgrow. But more and more adults

like are admitting they restrict their diets to certain foods, or reject

whole categories like fruit or meat.

Today, adults who drastically restrict their menu choices are said to be

suffering from SED or selective eating disorder, defined as eating a very narrow

range of foods for a number of years. According to the University College at

London’s Institute of Child Health up to 20 percent of children below the age of

five years are picky eaters and some of them grow up to be SED adults --

restricting, avoiding, even fearing certain foods. Some psychologists say that

SED is a combination eating disorder, phobia and addiction problem – but not a

lot is known about it.

To find out more, the first ever public registry of picky eating was recently

launched by researchers at Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh; its

purpose is to record picky eaters’ habits to help researchers better understand

how SED differs from bulimia or anorexia, the two most common eating disorders.

Adult picky eaters will also be included in the eating disorders category of the

new 2013 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,

the psychiatric reference bible traditionally used by doctors to diagnose and

treat.

“If you are an adult picky eater, there is a good chance you may not be getting

balanced nutrition,” says Fran Berkoff, a registered dietitian and Sun Media

nutrition columnist. “If you are specifically leaving out something like

protein, say, and you don’t know how to get it other than from the meat you’ve

chosen not to eat, your diet could be problematic.”

When meeting an adult client who restricts foods, Berkoff would first do a

nutritional analysis to determine what might be missing. “I would then see if

they might consider a soy beverage instead of the milk or cheese that they’re

not eating for calcium. If they won’t try alternatives, they might have to

consider taking a supplement.”

Toronto’s Notto says that sometimes picky eaters are in denial when what

they are really doing is restricting their food intake. As program manager at

Sheena’s Place (a Toronto centre providing hope and support to those with eating

disorders), Notto recalls a mom and dad who came to see her because they

wondered if their daughter’s picky eating was really a red flag for something

else. “She wasn’t eating carbs, only certain meats and veggies, and now she only

eats vegetables and fruit. My concern is that her picky eating is really a mask

for restrictive eating. It’s the slippery slope to an eating disorder.”

Notto says that picky eating is a form of disordered eating which is rampant in

our society. “It’s a maladaptive coping mechanism around food. Some people are

smokers, or drinkers. At what point does picky eating impact your quality of

life, your ability to function with family and friends is what you have to ask.

But you know someone is in trouble when they can’t come to dinner because they

have to do 15 minutes more of Stairmaster, or they can’t go to a restaurant

because they can’t eat anything on the menu.”

Do you have SED?

Every one of us has foods we dislike or won’t eat, but according to the Duke

Center for Eating Disorders, adults who are selective or picky eaters consume an

inadequate diet. In some cases, the amount of food eaten is insufficient to

promote adequate growth. In other cases, the limited variety of foods eaten does

not provide sufficient nutrition for optimum health. For more info on Duke’s

Finicky Eating in Adults study, go to eatingdisorders.mc.duke.edu.

Is SED an eating disorder?

An eating disorder almost always happens when someone is in transition, says

Anne Elliott, program director at Sheena’s Place (www.sheenasplace.org). “It

could be going from high school to university, or some life catastrophe like

one’s parents breaking up. In situations like that, kids have no control over

what’s happening. One place you can control your life, however, is what you eat

and don’t eat.”

If someone is a picky eater because they want to lose weight or feel they look

fat or have a body image distortion, then this is in the realm of traditional

eating disorders, says Elliott. “But if they are eating properly according to

Canada’s Food Guide but are picky, then that to us is not an eating disorder.

They are just picky.”

Polite company

Eating is so much a part of our culture, that people with SED have a difficult

time fitting in. They dread family dinners, fear business lunches, and avoid

celebrations. “If you start restricting certain foods, you begin to get socially

isolated,” says Anne Elliott.

The best approach is to be honest and tell people that you don’t eat certain

foods but will do the best you can in social situations. One way to help a

family member who has SED is not to force food on them, says Elliott. “We tell

parents who have kids with food issues not to suggest lunch out. Instead, engage

your child in things she feels it safe to enjoy. You are just pushing the

envelope by inviting them to go out to a restaurant.”