Overview

• The longitudinal analysis tracked 2,014 children in Quebec from early childhood to age 15 using caregiver-reported eating behaviors and adolescent mental-health assessments.
• Three overeating trajectories were identified in early childhood—61.6% never, 14.1% early-onset, and 24.3% late-onset—with girls in the overeating groups reporting higher anxiety, impulsivity, and hyperactivity at 15.
• The study found no comparable association in boys within the same cohort.
• Picky eating was common and relatively stable in early childhood yet showed no link to adolescent mental-health symptoms.
• Authors emphasize the results show associations rather than causation and, in findings published in BMC Pediatrics, advise against restrictive feeding while noting possible sociocultural influences on the sex differences.