As parents, worrying about your child’s eating habits, their relationship with food, and how they perceive their bodies is natural. But is this concern justified? When should worry transform into action? Let’s explore the scenarios when it might be necessary to seek professional support—and why it’s always preferable to address eating concerns early. I have also created a handy checklist to assess your current situation.

When to Seek Professional Support: The Red Flags
Clear signs that professional or medical support is needed for your child’s eating challenges:
Growth or weight changes: Slow growth, stalled weight gain, or sudden weight loss or gain.
Low energy or lethargy: Persistent fatigue or lack of energy.
Chronic gastrointestinal issues: Frequent stomach aches, nausea, reflux, constipation, diarrhoea or regular vomiting or gaging after eating certain foods.
Food intake restrictions or avoidance: Reducing (or dropping) food intake significantly or eating minimal foods (<10-15 foods).
Disordered behaviours or Eating Disorder diagnosis: Strict food rules; binging; emotional distress related to eating, body image or weight; compulsive or obsessive exercise; body checking; withdrawing from social activities or hiding eating habits.
Diagnosis of PFD (Pediatric Feeding Disorder) or ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder)*.
*ARFID became an official diagnosis in the DSM in 2013 (which is relatively new!). Still, the eating disorder has been around for far longer than that. It was previously misunderstood and mistakenly diagnosed as extreme picky eating, OSFED, among others. ARFID is characterised by an eating or feeding disturbance that manifests as a failure to meet nutritional or energy needs. ARFID is a complex mental health condition that requires professional support. While the condition may look like picky eating, ARFID can have long-term and dangerous complications on your child’s body if they are not able to consume the nutrients they need.
These are typical red flags. However, there can be grey areas where parents are unsure whether their child’s eating habits are “bad enough” to warrant help. If this resonates, read on.

Why Early Intervention Matters
Around 25% of children experience feeding difficulties at some point, with 10% developing significant challenges. These figures are even higher for children with medical, developmental, or learning differences. Feeding issues aren’t just a phase - many don’t resolve without support and can cause growth and development delays, physical discomfort, emotional distress, and family tension.
If you’re uncertain, remember that seeking a professional assessment doesn’t mean you have to commit to a long-term process. I offer a one-off session to clarify your situation and help you better understand your child. We will brainstorm actionable strategies, giving you the confidence to move forward. I work primarily directly with parents, so your child doesn’t need to be involved if you don’t want them to.
Growing children typically eat 5–6 times a day. That means over three months, that adds up to more than 500 feeding interactions—and over 15,000 in a year. That’s a lot of opportunities to make positive changes! Even small, consistent adjustments can have a meaningful impact on your child’s relationship with food and their overall development.

Understanding Child Feeding and Eating Problems and Differences
Feeding challenges often encompass four key areas: medical, nutritional, skill-based, and social/emotional. To help you understand, I’ve created a checklist to evaluate your child’s eating habits. Please note that this isn’t a diagnostic tool. A low score doesn’t necessarily indicate the absence of a problem. If any of these factors are causing distress, they should be discussed with a professional.
Checklist
Click on the drop-down menu and answer Yes or No to the following questions:
Medical, Nutritional and Developmental Background
Deficiency or lack of certain nutrients, e.g. iron.
Frequent gastrointestinal issues, e.g., reflux, constipation, tummy pain.
Neurodevelopmental diagnoses (e.g., ADHD, autism).
Motor-based conditions (e.g., dyspraxia, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome).
Developmental delays or not meeting age-appropriate milestones.
History of traumatic food or oral events, hospitalisation or choking incidents.
Complex medical history (e.g., cardiac, respiratory, or liver conditions).
Growth concerns (insufficient or too rapid of a change in weight and height).
Unable to eat or drink enough to grow or stay hydrated.
Sensory and Behavioural Concerns
Social and Emotional Patterns
Feeding and Skill Challenge
Child does not show signs of hunger of fullness.
Limited dietary diversity for age e.g. too few fruits and/or vegetables.
Avoids entire food groups or textures (e.g., no meat or meat alternatives, no soft or mushy (‘wet’) foods, only smooth purees).
Difficulty chewing, holding food in their mouth, or frequent choking, gagging, coughing or retching.
Requires distractions (e.g., screens) to eat.
Minimal interest in food exploration or self-feeding.
Not interested in any new food (only eats familiar foods).
Feeding challenges lasting more than a couple of months or years.
Will only eat infant food pouches.
Takes a long time to finish a meal (>30 minutes).
Eating very quickly or stuffing food (mealtimes < 5 minutes). Eating faster if asked to slow down.
Not eating at mealtimes, but asking for food after or eating secretly or alone.

Why Parents Wait - and Why You Shouldn’t
It’s common for parents to “wait it out,” hoping their child will grow out of feeding challenges. I get it. We want to accept our children as they are and respect their autonomy. And in some cases, it just feels better to “not make a fuss” about it.
However, this approach can unintentionally prolong the issue. Without support, children may remain stuck in their patterns, negatively affecting their relationship with food and their bodies. In addition, parents may unknowingly reinforce negative mealtime dynamics (I don’t ever blame parents for eating challenges, but parents play an influential role). Many parents also experience shame around their children’s eating (or body size), which affects their identity as parents and their relationships with their children.
Seeking professional help early can:
Address nutritional deficiencies early and optimise your child's nutritional status.
Ensure growth is maintained or recovered quickly.
Alleviate stress for both you and your child.
Provide tools to create a positive mealtime environment.
Help you understand and connect with your child.
Regain confidence as a parent that impacts numerous other parenting struggles.
Prevent feeding issues from affecting your child’s relationship with food and their body.
I practice a responsive feeding approach based on autonomy, relationship, competence, intrinsic motivation, and holism. This approach facilitates the (re)discovery of internal cues, curiosity, and motivation while building skills and confidence. It is flexible, prioritises the feeding relationship, and respects and develops autonomy.

The Pros and Cons of Getting 1:1 Professional Support
The Upsides
Give you step-wise, individualised strategies to make a difference.
Gentle nutrition interventions to give you peace of mind that your child is meeting their nutritional needs so they can grow optimally.
It can help reduce anxiety and improve family dynamics.
Advocate for your child’s needs (e.g. contact schools and other therapists).
Better understand the accommodations needed to make the eating environment feel safe and comfortable.
Help identify foods that fit sensory preferences.
Make safe and preferred foods more accessible and available.
Promote strategies for simplifying eating, meal planning and food preparation that work for you as a family.
The Downsides
There is a cost, but it can be considered a short-term investment. Many parents spend more on supplements a month based on guesswork than on one consultation.
Scheduling and attending appointments requires both mental capacity and time.
We will discuss a few matters that could necessitate a change on your part. For some individuals, now may not be the ideal moment. Many families I encounter are managing multiple interventions. There is a hierarchy of priorities; as a parent, you are well-equipped to determine what should take precedence. If you are uncertain, you can arrange a discovery call to discuss it first.
The Cost of "Waiting it Out"
Feeding challenges may worsen (or not change) over time, leading to more stress and anxiety.
Nutrition deficiencies can cause long-term health effects, such as iron.
Unaddressed issues can harm your child’s relationship with food and their body.
Family dynamics and confidence in parenting may be negatively impacted.

Who Can Help?
A dietitian trained in responsive feeding therapy can:
Assess your child’s nutritional intake and identify deficiencies.
Develop strategies tailored to your child’s unique needs, including exploring new foods and textures.
Support transitions from oral supplements or tube feeding to a more diverse diet.
Do you want to talk? You can schedule a free, no-obligation discovery call to determine whether support is right for your family.
Final Thoughts
Nutrition is foundational for your child’s physical, emotional, and developmental well-being. And it makes up a big part of parenting and the routine of a household.
If you have concerns about your child’s eating, trust your instincts. Early support can make a big difference - not just for your child, but for your entire family.
References:
Goday, P.S., Huh, S.Y., Silverman, A., Lukens, C.T., Dodrill, P., Cohen, S.S., Delaney, A.L., Feuling, M.B., Noel, R.J., Gisel, E., Kenzer, A., Kessler, D.B., Kraus de Camargo, O., Browne, J. and Phalen, J.A. (2019), Pediatric Feeding Disorder. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 68: 124-129. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000002188
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