A dad’s eating habits may influence his child’s diet long before that child even arrives, according to a new study.
Researchers found that men who ate well as teenagers were more likely to pass those habits on to their kids, keeping a close eye on what their children eat and modeling healthy choices themselves. The findings were shared Saturday at a meeting of the American Society for Nutrition
in Orlando, Florida.
“Our study found that fathers who ate healthier as teenagers were more likely to encourage positive food habits in their children,” said Mariane De Oliveira, a postdoctoral research fellow at Boston College, in a news release.
“These fathers were better at modeling healthy eating — actively demonstrating good dietary habits — and monitoring their child’s intake of unhealthy foods, such as certain sweets and snack foods,” she added.
To reach these conclusions, researchers analyzed responses from 669 men who had completed surveys about their eating habits as teenagers. Years later, these same men answered questions about their own children’s diets.
The men, whose mothers were nurses, initially joined the study in the 1990s and 2000s, completing at least two diet questionnaires during their teen years. By the time researchers followed up in 2021 and 2022, these men had children ages 1 to 6.
Researchers used the Healthy Eating Index to measure diet quality. Scores increase when diets include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean proteins, and decrease when diets are high in refined grains, sodium, added sugars, or saturated fats.
The study found that about 44% of the men had a poor diet as teens, 40% saw their diet quality decline during adolescence, and 16% improved their diet over those years.
Men whose diets improved as teenagers were 90% more likely to model healthy eating as fathers and 60% more likely to monitor their children’s food choices. As a result, their kids were significantly more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables compared to children whose dads had unhealthy teen diets.
“Healthy eating habits formed during adolescence not only benefit individuals but also shape future parenting behaviors, contributing to better nutrition for the next generation,” De Oliveira said.
She added, “This is especially significant given the growing concerns around childhood obesity and poor dietary habits. Investing in adolescent nutrition, including for boys, can have lasting, intergenerational benefits.”
It’s important to note that findings presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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