Common genetic architecture underlying young children's food fussiness and liking for vegetables and fruit

Abstract

Background: Food fussiness (FF) is common in early childhood and is often associated with the rejection of nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and fruit. FF and liking for vegetables and fruit are likely all heritable phenotypes; the genetic influence underlying FF may explain the observed genetic influence on liking for vegetables and fruit. Twin analyses make it possible to get a broad-based estimate of the extent of the shared genetic influence that underlies these traits.

Objective: We quantified the extent of the shared genetic influence that underlies FF and liking for vegetables and fruit in early childhood with the use of a twin design.

Design: Data were from the Gemini cohort, which is a population-based sample of twins born in England and Wales in 2007. Parents of 3-y-old twins (n= 1330 pairs) completed questionnaire measures of their children's food preferences (liking for vegetables and fruit) and the FF scale from the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Multivariate quantitative genetic modeling was used to estimate common genetic influences that underlie FF and liking for vegetables and fruit.

Results: Genetic correlations were significant and moderate to large in size between FF and liking for both vegetables (-0.65) and fruit (-0.43), which indicated that a substantial proportion of the genes that influence FF also influence liking. Common genes that underlie FF and liking for vegetables and fruit largely explained the observed phenotypic correlations between them (68-70%).

Conclusions: FF and liking for fruit and vegetables in young children share a large proportion of common genetic factors. The genetic influence on FF may determine why fussy children typically reject fruit and vegetables.

Keywords: child; eating; food; fussiness; genetic; heritability; infant; liking; preferences.

FIGURE 1

Full ACE-correlated factors model showing the genetic and environmental influences on children’s vegetable liking, fruit liking, and food fussiness. The path diagram shows the genetic and environmental influences on fruit and vegetable liking and food fussiness for one child with the use of a correlated factors model. Data were analyzed with the use of multivariate maximum-likelihood structural equation modeling. Each rectangular box represents the measured phenotype (food liking or food fussiness). Circles indicate latent influences on the measured phenotype, which included A, C, and E. Straight single-headed arrows show causal paths, and squared path coefficients on each causal path indicate the total variance explained in each trait by A, C, and E. The curved double-headed arrows show the genetic, shared environment and unique environment correlations between the traits. n = 2660 children. A, additive genetic effects; C, shared environmental effects; E, unique environmental effects and error.