[XVI Jesús Culebras Lecture. Development of eating habits in children: sense and sensitivity]

The first years of a child's life are periods of rapid growth and significant neurocognitive development. Adequate energy and macro- and micronutrient intake are essential for proper growth and development. The development of feeding skills is a very sensitive stage that requires, on the one hand, exposure to new foods and different textures and, on the other, an appropriate response from parents to their children's demands and cues. This development of the foundations of eating habits occurs in utero and progresses throughout infancy and early childhood (3 to 5 years). A woman's diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding provides her offspring with their first exposure to flavors. The introduction of complementary foods in the second half of the first year of life is a relevant stage for the acceptance of new flavors and textures and is based on repeated exposure to them. It continues with a phase of incorporation into family meals and culminates in the ability to feed themselves. Disorders in both the lack of food supply or the parents' response can translate into overeating problems and later overweight/obesity, or into changes in eating behavior (rejection of certain foods, restrictive eating, etc.).