Study Shows Genetics May Play Role in Children's Food Preferences

Parents of picky eaters, take heart: It is not your cooking. A new study of twins shows that children who turn up their noses at certain foods may simply be "programmed" to do so.

Myles Faith, PhD and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia evaluated the eating patterns of more 792 twins aged 7 years old. The researchers found that genetics mostly dictates a child's picky palate and cravings for items like peanut butter and jelly. The findings support earlier animal experiments and adult twin studies that linked eating behaviors to genetics....

Read the rest of the article at WebMD: New Genetic connection on food preferences