A new study suggests that "fussy eating" in children is largely down to genetics rather than parenting styles, offering relief to parents who often feel blamed for their child’s picky eating habits.
The UK-based research, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, found that genetic factors play a significant role in how adventurous or selective children are with food, with fussy eating tendencies persisting into early adolescence.
The study, conducted by researchers from UCL, King’s College London, and the University of Leeds, compared the eating habits of over 2,400 identical and non-identical twins between the ages of 16 months and 13 years. Identical twins, who share all of their genetic material, were far more similar in their eating behaviours than non-identical twins, who share only 50% of their genetics.
This indicates that genetics play a stronger role than environment, accounting for 60% of the variation in food fussiness at 16 months, rising to 74% between ages three and 13.
Professor Clare Llewellyn, senior author of the study, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The reason why some children are quite 'finicky' with trying certain sorts of food and others are more adventurous... is largely down to genetic differences between children rather than parenting styles."
While genetics have a major influence, the study also highlights the importance of family eating habits, particularly in toddlers. Lead author Dr Zeynep Nas said the findings should "help to alleviate parental blame", recognising that fussy eating is a common source of anxiety for many parents.
Despite the genetic basis, strategies to help children expand their food choices can still be effective, especially in early childhood. These include offering a variety of foods and providing calm, stress-free eating environments.
The researchers also point out that extreme selective eating could be a sign of avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), a condition that may require specialist support. Olly, a father from Colchester, shared his experience of his son being diagnosed with ARFID, describing how his son’s food refusal was far beyond typical fussiness. “You can put half a million pounds cash in front of my son, and he wouldn’t touch it,” Olly said.
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