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Health

Finicky about food? Book aims to help kids eat right

child
Johnny McTighe, like many toddlers, is picky about what he will eat.  

From Parenting Correspondent Pat Etheridge

January 20, 1999
Web posted at: 9:34 a.m. EDT (1334 GMT)

Atlanta (CNN) -- When it comes to mealtime, soon-to-be 3-year-old Johnny McTighe is a typical toddler.

"He used to throw the plate on the ground and throw it upside-down," said his mother Donna McTighe. "That's when I used to loose my cool and just scream."

A new book by the American Academy of Pediatrics aims to help parents stressed by fussy eaters. "Guide to Your Child's Nutrition" is a resource for making peace at the table and building healthy eating habits.

"If a child refused to eat, the instinct of most parents is to worry because they're concerned the child will be hungry," said co-author Dr. William Dietz. "What we would suggest is that it's OK for children to be hungry.

"In fact, it's very important for children to be hungry so that they can learn to eat new foods. And they learn if they don't eat new foods, they're going to be hungry."

The guide offers advice for every age and stage, beginning at birth:

  • Breast milk is best -- Doctors stress that feeding an infant breast milk is better than formula

  • Don't skip breakfast -- Breakfast is key in getting the day off to a good nutritional start.

  • Limit television -- Too much television encourages unhealthy snacking and a sedentary lifestyle.

  • Offer healthy choices -- Teenagers need healthy choices at home because peer pressure often rules when they're eating out.

"Parents should not assume the role of a short-order cook," Dietz said. "That is, if a child chooses not to eat what's offered, it's not up to the parent to offer them something else."

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