For parents, getting children to eat their greens — or anything other than chicken nuggets — can be tough work. But families shouldn’t fret. After studying more than 4,000 people, a group of researchers has come to a conclusion: A child’s picky eating largely comes down to genetics.
Scientists with the University College London, King’s College London and the University of Leeds completed a study on the nature of “fussy” eating for toddlers and early adolescents. The study featured thousands of identical and fraternal twins, allowing researchers to differentiate genetic influences on eating habits from other factors.
Parents answered questionnaires about their children’s eating behaviors from 16 months to 13 years old. The results showed that identical twins, with their identical genes, had more similar eating habits than fraternal twins.
That’s why the researchers said parents shouldn’t blame themselves for a child’s picky eating.
“First, children’s fussy eating is a major cause of concern for caregivers, who often blame themselves, or are blamed by others, for their child’s restricted diets or food rejection,” the study said. “This study indicates that FF (food fussiness) is under strong genetic influence, which can remain influential throughout childhood. This finding may help to alleviate parental blame and explain why siblings raised in the same environment often express very different selective eating behaviors.”
The study did discover that environmental factors can significantly influence the eating habits of toddlers, so the scientists advised parents to ensure their little ones are exposed to a variety of fruits and vegetables.
“These findings do not imply that FF cannot be changed in response to behavioral interventions; however, they suggest that it may be a more challenging behavior to modify in comparison to behaviors that are under predominantly environmental influence,” they added. “It is also worth noting that the unique environment is found to be stable and steadily increasing over time, implicating that interventions for FF could be implemented across childhood and into adolescence.”
Food pickiness peaks at around 7 years old, according to the findings, but it can last throughout childhood.
“Fussy eating behaviors are not necessarily just a ‘phase’, but potentially follow a persistent trajectory,” the report said. “These findings suggest that toddlers who present with higher FF are also more likely to experience greater increases in FF as they mature.”
According to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, around 30% to 50% of toddlers are picky eaters, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has some advice to help parents build healthy habits for their children.
“Offer a variety of foods right from the start,” the academy published in a picky eaters fact sheet. “Before 9 months, babies’ taste buds are still immature, so they are open to lots of foods. Take advantage of this and offer your baby different flavors and textures when he’s ready for solids.”
Waiting until the child is hungry to offer them foods they haven’t wanted in the past is another strategy it recommends. Let them feed themselves whenever possible to help them feel in control of their meals. Offer a variety of healthy options so they can have agency in choosing their food.
For more picky eater tips, visit cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/foods-and-drinks/picky-eaters.html.
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