Emotional eating is learned not inherited in children, regardless of obesity risk

Abstract

Background: Emotional over-eating (EOE) and emotional under-eating (EUE) are common behaviours that develop in early childhood and are hypothesised to play a role in weight status. Data from a British twin cohort demonstrated that environmental, rather than genetic, factors shape individual differences in both behaviours in early childhood. Objective: The aim of this current study was to replicate this finding in a subsample (n = 398) of 4-year-old twins selected for high or low risk of obesity from another population-based cohort of British twins (the Twins Early Development Study). Methods: Parental ratings of child EOE and EUE were analysed using genetic model fitting. Results: Genetic influence was not significant, while shared environmental factors explained 71% (52–79%) of the variance in EOE and 77% (62–85%) in EUE. The two behaviours correlated positively (r = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.61), and about two-thirds of the shared environmental factors influencing EOE and EUE were the same (r C  = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.85). Conclusions: Emotional eating in childhood is shaped by the home family environment; parents are therefore promising intervention targets.