Follow-up of selective eaters from childhood to adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and course of selective eating, the stability of its behavioral profile over time, and the presence of eating disorder psychopathology among selective eaters in a non-treatment seeking cohort of young adults followed longitudinally from birth to age 23.

METHOD: A prospective design tracking a subset of the original participants from the Stanford Infant Growth Study (n=216) who had been followed since birth. At age 11, 120 participants had completed all assessments. The current study included a subset of the original participants who, at age 11, had completed all assessments (n=120) and, at age 23, had current contact information available (n=62) and agreed to participate (n=61).

RESULTS: Of the 61 young adults, 17 (28%) were identified as selective eaters at age 23. The selective eating-related behaviors reported during adulthood were similar to those endorsed during childhood. New onset selective eating cases were reported during adolescence or young adulthood by 35% of the selective eating sample. Participants who were selective eaters for >6years prior to age 11 remained selective at age 23. There was no evidence of increased eating disorder psychopathology, excessive thinness, or obesity in selective eaters compared with non-selective eaters.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a proportion of selective eaters continue from childhood into adulthood with similar eating patterns; new onset selective eating occurs in adolescence or young adulthood; and selective and non-selective eaters at age 23 do not differ with regard to weight or eating psychopathology.