Picky Eating Behavior—What Role Does It Play?

Dear Colleagues, 

While most parents tend to perceive their children to be picky/fussy/selective/avoidant eaters at some point of the childhood, picky eating behaviors ranging from mild to severe and the ways they are handled are still an under-researched topic. Few studies have attempted to assess the etiology of picky eating, the consequences, as well as effectiveness of various prevention and treatment approaches in different settings. Further, it is yet to be examined what role picky eating plays in other diseases. Although picky eating is often a transient behavior, for some people, this eating behavior persists into adulthood. Thus, research on picky eating in adults with regard to influence on food preferences, eating habits, and psychosocial functioning is also needed. 

Definitions of picky eating behaviors vary widely across studies, and an operational definition does not yet exist. Therefore, we especially encourage papers which provide a clear definition of the behavior beyond relying exclusively on, e.g., parents defining picky eating (“Is your child a picky eater?”), since parents are likely to have very different perceptions about what is considered “picky”. 

In this Special Issue of Nutrients, we welcome the submission of manuscripts (both original research and review articles) related to picky eating behavior in both children and adults.

• Qualitative and quantitative;
• Prospective and longitudinal studies;
• Observational studies;
• Interventions;
• Reliability of measurements;
• Cross-cultural differences in food avoidant behaviors;
• Novel technologies.

Manuscripts not including some form of human measurement will not be considered.

Dr. Paulina Nowicka
Dr. Pernilla Sandvik
Guest Editors

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