A boy in China surprised his family by eagerly eating Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) during a doctor’s consultation, despite being underweight and reportedly having difficulty eating at home.
His grandmother had reportedly suspected that he was calcium-deficient, but the doctor instead began to wonder whether the problem lay with the food being served at home.
According to Chinese media, the boy in Henan province was noticeably thin, had little interest in eating at home, and appeared to struggle to swallow his meals.
Source: Shaoxing News via The Paper
An examination reportedly found that he was severely malnourished and had mild pectus carinatum, commonly known as pigeon chest.
However, the doctor learnt that the boy was sometimes able to eat normally when given food prepared outside the home.
The doctor then reportedly paid for a KFC meal and had it delivered during the consultation.
Rather than refusing the food, the boy immediately began eating the burger enthusiastically.
Source: 谢小总 on Weibou
Video of the consultation also showed him becoming emotional while eating and saying that he could finish the meal.
Seeing his reaction, the doctor said that the boy clearly had an appetite and suggested that the meals prepared at home simply might not suit his tastes.
The encounter subsequently went viral, with netizens joking that KFC had “cured” his poor appetite.
Reports accompanying the viral clip stressed that temporary picky eating is common among children and does not necessarily indicate an illness.
Source: 谢小总 on Weibou
Parents were advised to give children some say in what they eat, offer a wider variety of foods, and experiment with different preparation methods and textures.
For example, a vegetable that a child refuses to eat when stir-fried could instead be served in a soup.
Parents were also advised not to become overly anxious or force-feed children.
Persistent underweight, severe malnutrition, or swallowing difficulties require medical assessment rather than being dismissed as picky eating.
Also read: Woman in China gets hand stuck in boyfriend’s mouth, they go to hospital while ‘conjoined’
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Featured image adapted from Shaoxing News via The Paper and 谢小总 on Weibou.