A study published by Zeynep Nas, Moritz Herle, and fellow authors revealed a high possibility of genetic linkage to food fussiness in children. Their article, "Nature and nurture in fussy eating from toddlerhood to early adolescence: findings from the Gemini twin cohort," was published on September 19, 2024, discussing the researchers' study on twin toddlers and food pickiness.
Researchers studied sets of twin children, and parents were asked to answer a series of a questions about their childrens' eating habits, home environments, and health. These survey answers were filtered by identical twins, who had identical sets of DNA, and nonidentical twins, who shared less DNA. Researchers found that identical twins had a much higher rate of trait similarity, in terms of food pickiness, compared to nonidentical twins. Thus, it was concluded that food fussiness did in fact have genetic influence, in addition to environmental influence, which were more apparent and significant later in children's lives.
As a picky eater, I’ve always thought there might be an evolutionary reason for it. Back when our ancestors had to forage in the wild, being cautious about what they ate probably helped to avoid toxic foods. It’s fascinating to think that food aversions from our ancestors were likely passed down through generations as a survival trait and are now reflected in our genetics.
ReplyDeleteAlthough growing up a vegetarian, when choosing between certain foods, I typically choose the safer and more appealing option, compared to my sister, who prefers the more adventurous and, at times, the healthier option-- I always wondered why I was the picky eater, and why my sister was the one who rarely struggled to eat the more nutritious foods. I typically attributed it to the mother's diet during her pregnancy, which I thought affected the child's later food and diet preferences. [maybe my mom became more laid back during her second pregnancy, and ate the less healthy and nutritious foods, thus, here I am lol] Either way, the idea that food preference is a result of both genetic and environmental influences makes a lot of sense!
ReplyDelete