What is the source of picky eating in children? Are genetic factors important?

Experts who conducted research on why some children are picky eaters have revealed that the underlying cause is largely due to 'genetic factors'.

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What is the source of picky eating in children? Are genetic factors important?

A new study has revealed that picky eating in children is largely linked to genetic causes.

In the study, which was a joint effort by several universities in the UK, the eating habits of 2,400 identical and fraternal twins, ranging from 16-month-old babies to 13-year-old children, were examined.

Researchers determined that the influence of genetic factors on picky eating was 69 percent in 16-month-old babies and 74 percent in children between the ages of 3 and 13.

The researchers, who stated that the twins' picky eating habits were proportional to their shared gene ratios, also found that the foods they refused to eat were mostly the same.

THE HABIT OF EATING AS A FAMILY IS IMPORTANT

Stating that environmental and psychological factors are also effective in picky eating, the researchers drew attention to the importance of eating meals as a family and children observing the foods consumed by those around them.

The researchers emphasized that even though picky eating stems from genetic causes, it is not an unfixable problem.

The research was published in the journal Child Psychology and Psychiatry.