Genes May Be Reason Some Kids Are Picky About Food, University of North Carolina Study

Parents may plead, cajole or entice their children to try new foods, but some kids just won’t budge. Now, new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reveals that the reason these kids fear new foods has less to do with what’s on their plate and more to do with their genes. The work, led by Myles Faith, an associate professor of nutrition at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, adds to the growing body of knowledge that genes play a significant role in children’s eating behavior, including the tendency to avoid new foods.

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