Why do so many children not eat properly? The most common reason is that many parents want their children to eat well so badly! Some children gobble up food from birth, even when they are upset or sick, and their appetite does not diminish at all. Some children have smaller appetites and are easily influenced by their emotions or physical condition. But one thing is for sure, children’s natural appetite is enough to keep them healthy and to allow them to gain weight normally. Wang Xiaoming, Department of Pediatrics, Zhejiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine The problem is that children are born with a natural tendency to resist persecution and an instinct to resent foods that have caused them discomfort. A child’s appetite can change from time to time. For example, one month he’ll eat a lot of pumpkin, and the next month he’ll have an aversion to pumpkin. Once you understand this, you will know that anorexia can occur in children at all stages of growth. In the first few months of life, if a parent is always trying to get the baby to drink more milk, he will be resistant. Likewise, when you first start feeding solid foods, if your child is not used to it and you make him eat a lot, or force him to eat when he is in a bad mood, he will refuse to eat. Many children become more fussy after 18 months of age, perhaps because they have more ideas, and possibly because they are teething. Pushing your child to eat can further damage their appetite and make it difficult to recover for a long time. Of course, forcing children to eat is not the only cause of anorexia; it may also be the result of some kind of anxiety. However, regardless of the initial cause, parental prodding and anxiety generally make the problem worse so that the child’s appetite does not return. Parents are also stressed when their children don’t eat properly. The most obvious is apprehension – they worry that their child will be malnourished or will lose resistance to illness in general. Despite doctors’ repeated assurances to parents that children with eating problems will not have weaker resistance than other children, it is still hard to convince parents. Children who do not eat well are not at risk, and it is important to remember that children are born with extraordinary survival instincts and know how much food they need for normal growth and development, as well as what food they need. Rarely do we see a child with severe malnutrition, or frequent illnesses, etc. due to picky eating. Of course, when you give your child a physical exam, you should ask your physician about your child’s diet. If you can work together with your doctor, you can relieve the stress and worry that comes from your child being a picky eater.