Duke Center for Eating Disorders offers specialty programs and services for patients who are picky or selective eaters.

Children or adults who are picky or selective eaters consume an inadequate diet. In some cases, the amount of food eaten is insufficient to promote adequate growth. In other cases, the limited variety of food eaten does not provide sufficient vitamins and minerals needed for optimum health.

The rigid eating habits of picky or selective eaters can create problems within families can increase social isolation and may even limit life experiences.

Some individuals may fail to apply for jobs or promotions for which they have expertise as they fear the demands imposed by frequent company dinners or business lunches.

Picky or selective eating can be a complex problem stemming from a variety of factors that may include biological predispositions, learned experiences, social exposure, and/or personal sensitivities.

Read some preliminary results from our web-based survey of adult picky eaters.

Assessment

A thorough assessment will help the clinician determine:

• The nature of food and other sensory sensitivities
• The behaviors that may interfere with healthy eating at mealtimes
• The behaviors that are modeled within the family and by other relevant individuals
• The availability of different foods and related opportunities for practice
• The presence of sufficient assertiveness or experienced competence to be authentic in challenging social situations

Compassionate, Effective Treatment

Treatment helps individuals both acquire and practice needed skills or to modify problematic behaviors.

An essential aspect of treatment is educating individuals about their bodies: how their sensitivities make sense given their biological inheritance, learning histories, and natural tendencies.

In addition, skills can be taught to help manage fears of certain necessary foods.

Practice sessions are typically recommended, during which time new foods are tried in the therapy room, restaurants, or other common environments.

Clinicians often collaborate with faculty from the Duke Feeding Disorder Service to ensure that any medical causes for picky or selective eating are identified and addressed.

Immersive Family Program

We offer an immersive family program to provide intensive services to individuals who are trying to manage picky eating and their families. This program is designed for an average of five days and is intended both as an innovative treatment model and as a way to provide services to families around the country.

Appointments

To schedule an appointment at the Duke Center for Eating Disorders or to get a referral, call 919-668-0398 locally or 888-ASK-DUKE (888-275-3853) toll-free, or email DCED_Specialty@dm.duke.edu.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Kanfer, Meryl R.
  • Psychiatry
• Mauro, Christian F.
  • Psychiatry / Medical Psychology
• Merwin, Rhonda M.
  • Psychiatry / Medical Psychology
• Sangvai, Devdutta G.
  • Community and Family Medicine / STUDENT HEALTH
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Chairman Office
  • Psychiatry
• Spratt, Susan E.
  • Medicine / Medicine-Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Staples, Betty B.
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Primary Care
• Trost, Melanie K.
  • Community and Family Medicine / STUDENT HEALTH
• Wald, Marla F.
  • Psychiatry / Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Weisberg, Laura J.
  • Psychiatry / Medical Psychology
• Zucker, Nancy L.
  • Psychiatry / Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Center for Eating Disorders
  Pavilion East at Lakeview , 2608 Erwin Road, Suite 300, Durham, NC 27705
• Duke Child and Family Study Center
  Pavilion East at Lakeview, 2608 Erwin Road, Suite 300, Durham, NC 27705