Dealing with picky children — and adults

In one study of kids 3-11, 13 percent to 22 percent of the kids were picky eaters. And according to a new study published in Pediatrics, the behavior can get ingrained by age 4 and persist throughout adulthood.

Research shows that picky eating can stem from everything from parental pressure to inherent personality traits and specific biological responses to tastes and smells. Fortunately, you can help your child overcome it — and adults can overcome it too. Here are some strategies:

Kids respond to positive messages about food (that’s why fast food ads get their attention — “Happy Meals!”). Instead of “Don’t eat that,” say, “Let’s try this.”

Repeated mini tastes may make a food acceptable.

Be enthusiastic about the choices you present.

Kids want to make their own decisions, even when very young, so give them options.

Also, involve your child in cooking. Kids like to eat what they cook!

For adults who are food adverse, cooking also can help make foods more appealing. Talk therapy to ease anxiety may also be effective. A study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that anxiety and disgust at food tastes and smells often go together.

Slow down eating

According to several studies, if you bolt down your food, you’re at a big risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Japanese researchers followed more than 1,000 men and women, average age 51, for five years and found that 12 percent of fast eaters developed metabolic syndrome. In contrast, only 2.3 percent of slow eaters did. A study in the journal Appetite found that guys who were fast eaters gained twice as much weight over eight years as average or slow eaters did. Another study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics demonstrated that normal-weight, slow eaters consumed significantly fewer calories, while feeling well-fed.

If you’re a fast eater, use these techniques to give your body’s “I’m full” hormone, leptin, time to signal you to stop eating: Drink a sip of water between bites. Count how many times you chew each bite — aiming for 20 to 35 chews. Put down your utensil between bites. Then think mindfully about the flavors, smells and textures you are eating, allowing yourself to savor them.

That’ll slow down your risk of overeating, weight gain and serious health problems.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.