excessive chewing in 5 1/2 yo

My son has always been a very slow and painfully picky eater. But lately his eating habits have been really terrible. He will chew a bite of food for 5 minutes at a time unless we beg him to swallow and take another bite. He is a very obedient child so I don't think it's a behavior issue but I have no clue, I'm at a loss. I do know his tonsils are chronically swollen (but he says they never hurt).and he has an appointment with an ENT in two weeks to begin the process of removing them (they cause sleep apnea). I am just wondering if this sounds like a stress issue or what. Thank you in advance!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

No, this does not have the appearance of a stress-related or emotionally-based behavior. After the ENT procedure(s) are done, if the behavior continues, consult with a speech/language pathologist to determine if your son's swalllowing function is normal.

[kt1075]

Thank you! I will do just that.