Credits: Social Media
Food has little effect on picky eaters – the cause is actually much closer to home
We all are picky about certain foods now and then unlike some people who make a fuss about most things offered to eat.
Its an instinct to blame parents for being terrible cooks when their child displays food fussiness, but the reason is deeper than just the ingredients or convenience with which each dish is prepared.
Picky eaters food fussiness is a genetic trait
What a relief it must be for those who cook to realize their loved one doesnt dislike their food because it’s bad; they are born with the tendency to be picky about what they eat.
This trait attributed to genetics is at its peak between the ages of 3 and 13 when children are also put off by fruit chunks in their food as explained by another study.
As for food fussiness, which is persistent at an older age as well, is barely influenced by environmental factors, claims a new study by the University College London.
The researchers compared survey results of parents with identical and non-identical twins aged between 16 months and 13 years to find that the average levels of food fussiness were relatively stable during this period, peaking somewhat around the age of seven and declining slightly after that, writes ScienceDaily.
They concluded that genetic differences mostly contributed to food fussiness across all ages. Meanwhile, factors such as the type of food served at home were significant only in toddlerhood.
Individual preferences for food among twins and interpersonal experiences such as having different friends influenced food fussiness at later ages.
Tendency to eat select food can last a lifetime
Unlike other genetic traits that can change with age, food fussiness can last a lifetime even if it reduces in intensity.
While the researchers hope that establishing fussy eating as largely innate can stop people from blaming parenting, they also outline it isnt a phase.
Our study also shows that fussy eating is not necessarily just a ‘phase’, but may follow a persistent trajectory, said lead author Dr. Zeynep Nas.
Fellow author Professor, Clare Llewellyn, said genetic factors mainly contribute to a picky eaters select food choices, but environmental factors add to it, too.
This suggests that interventions to help children eat a wider range of foods, such as repeatedly exposing children to the same foods regularly and offering a variety of fruits and vegetables, maybe most effective in the very early years, the author explained.
