Pickiness ‘not down to parenting’ and peaks at seven years old, according to study
Parents who find themselves exasperated by their child’s fussy eating, take heart: the refusal to tuck into a broader range of foods is largely down to genes rather than parenting, according to scientists.
The finding suggests that eating only a narrow range of foods and grimacing at the prospect of trying something new are more down to nature than nurture. It also points to windows of opportunity when interventions to encourage a more varied diet might be more effective. To work out how much genetics contributes to fussy eating and how much is down to environmental factors, the researchers compared the eating habits of identical twins and non-identical twins. While identical twins share 100% of their genes, non-identical twins share only half., the researchers describe how fussy eating habits were more similar among identical twins than non-identical twins, evidence that genetics largely underpinned differences in pickiness.
While genetics is clearly important in fussy eating, it should not leave parents feeling disempowered, the researchers add. As Nas puts it: “Genetics isn’t destiny.”
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