New Survey Shows Eighty-Three Percent of UK Parents Have Children Who are Fussy Eaters
· Sixty-Nine Percent of Parents With Fussy Eaters Worry Their Child Is Not Getting The Nutrition They Need
· Abbott Launches New Solutions to Help Parents Tackle the Issue; Parents Can Find Practical Tips to Help Get Their Fussy Eaters Back on Track at www.fussyeaters.co.uk
MAIDENHEAD, 16 January 2014. The results of an online survey1 of more than 1000 parents, commissioned by the global healthcare company Abbott, reveal that fussy eating habits affect more than eight in ten families across the UK, bringing with it a significant emotional burden on family life. Sixty percent of parents said fussy eating was a cause of frustration, one third said it made them worry and 27 percent reported the situation led to feelings of anxiety and powerlessness.
According to the survey, London has the fussiest children in the UK with 89 percent of parents reporting that they have experienced fussy eating with their child - 10 percent higher than the UK’s least fussy regions, Wales and the Midlands. Parents in Northern Ireland and London worry the most about their child not getting the nutrition they need and are also the most likely to feel guilty.
Fussy eating behaviour affects family mealtimes:
· Thirty-nine percent of parents with fussy eaters said that their child’s behaviour had turned mealtimes into a time of conflict and created tension with their partner
· Over one-third (34 percent) of parents admitted that their child’s fussy eating phase had limited the range and variety of foods for the whole family
· Almost 10 percent of parents said they can spend between 40 minutes and an hour every mealtime encouraging their child to eat
In response to the issue, Abbott is today launching a new website www.fussyeaters.co.uk offering practical guidance to parents to help them get their fussy eaters back on track with healthy eating and PaediaSure Shake, a specially formulated food supplement for children aged 1-10 years.
The website for parents of fussy eaters has been developed in partnership with nutrition and psychology experts, with input from mothers with first-hand experience of the challenges that parents face. The site hosts a unique 12-week “back on track” eating plan, which provides week-by-week practical guidance and helpful tips to help support parents and children on their journey to enjoying healthy foods and to developing healthy eating habits. The plan helps parents to:
· Identify and understand their child’s individual habits and hunger signals
· Follow a set meal and snack routine
· Introduce new foods and textures gradually and regularly
· Make mealtimes a positive experience for everyone
· Let their child take some of the control
In addition, the website features dietitian-designed Six Sure Steps to raise a child who eats well, which include modifying textures of foods based on the child’s feeding skills (soft textures, soft finger foods, crunchy foods); putting a small amount of a new food on the child’s plate; trusting the child to eat as much as he or she needs; eating with the child to model good eating.
To support parents during this journey, Abbott is also launching PaediaSure Shake, a food supplement designed for fussy eaters. It contains protein, vitamin D and calcium for strong bones, as well as iron to support brain development. PaediaSure Shake is not a substitute for healthy eating; rather it provides a short-term solution and peace of mind for parents concerned about their child’s nutritional intake, while they work towards establishing healthy eating habits.
Mike Smith, General Manager at Abbott Nutrition UK and Ireland, notes: “Fussy eating among children is a widespread issue that has a significant social and emotional impact on families. PaediaSure Shake and fussyeaters.co.uk provide practical solutions and support for parents during this challenging time.”
Lucy Jones, Registered Dietitian, comments: “Fussy eating is a real concern for parents. While most children will grow and thrive without significant impact on their health and development, for others the behaviour becomes persistent leading to real anxiety for parents. The key is to ignore the behaviour, not the problem.”
For more information about PaediaSure Shake, please visit www.fussyeaters.co.uk. Parents can purchase PaediaSure Shake online from www.boots.com and the vanilla flavour will be available exclusively in selected Boots stores from February 2014.
References
1. Data on file. Abbott Laboratories Ltd., 2013 (Parent survey: fussy eaters).
2. Data on file. Abbott Laboratories Ltd., 2013 (PediaSure EU DTC study).
Notes to Editors
PaediaSure Shake
Abbott Nutrition’s PaediaSure Shake is a specially formulated food supplement for children who are fussy eaters. It contains a balance of 26 vitamins and minerals. Especially designed for children, it contains protein, vitamin D and calcium for strong bones, as well as iron to support brain development - all essential nutrients that every child needs to grow and develop.
PaediaSure Shake is a specially formulated food supplement for children aged 1-10 years. It can be a regular part of a child’s daily diet during their fussy eating phase, while parents work to establish healthy eating habits. It can be used to supplement a child’s nutritional intake in-between meals during this phase.
PaediaSure Shake is available in three flavours – vanilla, strawberry and chocolate – and children love the great taste2 which means less fuss, less stress and less worry for parents.
N.B. PaediaSure Shake is for children who are generally well. It is not intended for children with feeding difficulties or faltering growth due to underlying medical conditions. PaediaSure Shake is not a substitute for seeking medical advice.
About Abbott Nutrition
For more than 85 years, Abbott Nutrition has been developing and marketing science-based nutritional products to support the growth, health and wellness of people of all ages. Internationally recognised brands include the PaediaSure® brand of complete and balanced nutrition for children and the Ensure® brand of complete and balanced nutrition for adults.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 70,000 people.
In the UK, Abbott employs some 1,500 people with operations in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Cheshire, Hampshire and Kent. Abbott has been operating in the UK since 1937.
Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.
FOLLOW ABBOTT