"You’re not leaving the table until you’re finished": Problem Eating Behaviours and Mother-Child Conflict during Early and Middle Childhood

Abstract

In Australia, there is increasing concern about the prevalence of childhood obesity and adolescent eating disorders. Despite evidence that maladaptive eating behaviours may have their roots in the early years of childhood, there appears to be no comprehensive research from non-clinical samples about the range of young children’s eating behaviours and the ways in which parents typically deal with issues related to children’s eating. The present study investigated eating behaviour in normative samples of children aged 2-4 years (n = 304) and 7-9 years (n = 319). Mothers completed a questionnaire about their child’s eating behaviour (e.g., amount and range of foods eaten, enjoyment of eating, pickiness, food fads) and described their own approach to various issues such as dealing with food refusal and using food as rewards. The results demonstrated developmental trends in many aspects of children’s eating behaviour. A notable proportion of children in both age groups displayed eating behaviours that caused considerable concern for their mothers. The implications for intervention are discussed in relation both to dealing with current mother-child eating conflicts and also to preventing the development of later eating disorders.