TV documentary offers child advice

Manchester,England -- Parents of children with troubling eating habits have to be careful when trying to adjust their kids' behaviors, a new British TV documentary says.

Dr. Gillian Harris, a child psychologist, says in the new ITV1 documentary "My Child Won't Eat" that parents who engage in behaviors such as forcing new foods on children are engaging in fruitless behaviors, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

"Once you're into making carrots into funny shapes you've lost the plot," she said. "You're prompting, encouraging but never forcing."

Harris has a successful track record of offering advice to parents of children with poor eating behaviors, the Telegraph said.

The newspaper said 12-year-old Rebecca Scowcroft is featured in the documentary, which airs Monday, regarding her unhealthy obsession with chocolate.

The child, who had been able to adjust her diet to healthier pursuits, says she was unable to make such changes without help.

"I don't just choose to eat that kind of stuff," she said. "It's not because I'm being awkward. Whenever I try any food I always get scared."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.