Genetic factors contribute to fussy eating in children and adolescents

Fussy eating is largely a matter of genes and is a stable trait that persists from infancy to early adolescence, according to a new study by researchers from University College London (UCL), King’s College London and the University of Leeds.

The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry and funded by the UK charity MQ Mental Health Research, compared results from a survey of parents of identical and non-identical twins aged 16 months to 13 years in England and Wales.

The research team found that the average level of fussy eating was relatively stable over this period, reaching a slight peak at age seven and declining slightly after that.

Environmental factors common to twins, such as the types of foods eaten at home, were found to be significant only in infancy, while environmental factors unique to each twin (i.e., not common to twins), such as individual personal experiences (e.g., having different friends), became more significant in later years.

Fussy eating describes a tendency to eat a limited number of foods because of selectivity about texture or flavor, and an unwillingness to try new foods. Food pickiness is common among children and can be a major source of concern for parents and caregivers, who often blame themselves for this behavior or blame others.

The finding by scientists that picky eating is largely innate will help alleviate parental guilt. The behavior is not the result of upbringing.

“This behavior is not necessarily just a phase, it can have a steady trajectory,” the researchers say.

Principal investigator Professor Clare Llewellyn of UCL Behavioural Science & Health said: “Although genetic factors are the dominant link in the formation of picky eating, the environment also plays a role. Common environmental factors, such as shared family meals together, may only be significant during childhood. This suggests that interventions that help children eat a wider range of foods, such as introducing children to the same foods on a regular basis and offering a variety of fruits and vegetables, may be most effective at a very early age.”

The research team analyzed data from the Gemini study, a UCLA-led study of the largest cohort of twins, involving 2,400 pairs of twins.

Parents filled out questionnaires about their children’s eating behavior when they were 16 months, three, five, seven and 13 years old.

To separate genetic from environmental influences, the researchers compared similarities in picky eating between pairs of non-identical twins, who share 50 percent of the same genes, and pairs of identical twins, who share 100 percent of the same genes.

They found that non-identical twin pairs were much less similar in their picky eating than identical twin pairs, indicating a large genetic influence.

The team also found that identical twin pairs became more different from each other in terms of fussy eating as they aged, indicating an increased role for unique environmental factors at older ages.

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Published: 02.10.2024

Updated: 02.10.2024

Medical author, Medical editor:

Stepan Yuk

Medical expert:

PhD. Olexandr Voznyak