Katja Rowell, M.D. joins us to discuss responsive feeding, picky eating, and how to parent without passing diet culture norms on to your kids.

We also explore the science behind a few common misperceptions from parents and doctors including: why playful or gamified tactics to change eating habits can be harmful and backfire, the problems with many “early interventions” around child BMI, and reasons to question growth charts in early childhood.

This episode is cross-posted from our other podcast, Rethinking Wellness.

Katja Rowell, M.D. is a family doctor, author, and feeding specialist. Described as “academic, but warm and down to earth,” Rowell believes that helping children grow up to have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies is preventive medicine. Her interest in the world of feeding was sparked by her own worries as a parent, ending up with a toddler preoccupied with food. Helping her family get onto a better path inspired Rowell to learn more. Rowell expanded her knowledge; learning from and collaborating with OTs, Speech Pathologists, dietitians, psychologists, and eating disorder experts.

Rowell has particular interests in avoidant, or “extreme picky eating” including ARFID, as well as food preoccupation. She supports adoptive and fostering parents through a trauma-informed lens. Learn more at thefeedingdoctor.com.