Is Your Child's Junk Food Habit Your Fault, Dad?

When we think about children's nutrition, the spotlight has traditionally focused on mothers. But a new study flips that narrative by revealing how fathers' eating habits, particularly during their teenage years, can shape their children's relationship with food. Presented at NUTRITION 2025, the flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, this groundbreaking research emphasizes that promoting good eating habits among adolescent boys could yield benefits across generations.

Study Overview: A Look into the Past to Understand the Present

The study draws on data from 669 men who were originally part of the Growing Up Today Study, a large cohort of children of nurses enrolled in the 1990s and 2000s. These men later participated in a sub-study called Fathers & Family. It explored how their adolescent diets related to their current attitudes and behaviors as fathers of young children (ages 1–6).

Participants filled out dietary questionnaires during adolescence and again in 2021–2022. Researchers collected data on:

·         Their own current dietary habits

·         Their child's diet

·         Their approach to monitoring and modeling healthy eating

Key Findings: How Teenage Eating Habits Echo in Parenthood

Dr. Mariane H. De Oliveira, postdoctoral researcher at Boston College and lead author of the study, highlighted two major outcomes:

1.       Fathers with healthier diets in adolescence were likelier to model and monitor healthy eating behaviors in their children.

2.       Their children were significantly more likely to meet daily fruit and vegetable recommendations.

Table 1: Influence of Fathers' Teen Diets on Parenting Behaviors

Diet Pattern in Adolescence	Likelihood to Model Healthy Eating	Likelihood to Monitor Child's Diet
Poor Diet	Baseline (reference)	Baseline
Declining Diet Quality	Slightly higher	Moderately higher
Improving Diet Quality	90% more likely	60% more likely

Kids Eat Better When Dad Ate Better as a Teen

Children whose fathers had improved diet quality during adolescence were also more likely to consume the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. These results held true even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors like income, race, and education.

Table 2: Children's Fruit & Vegetable Consumption Based on Father’s Teen Diet

Father’s Teen Diet Quality	Child Meets Dietary Recommendation?
Poor	Less likely
Declining	Moderately likely
Improving	Significantly more likely

Implications: Nutrition Is an Intergenerational Investment

De Oliveira and her colleagues argue that these findings have broad public health implications. With childhood obesity and poor nutrition rising globally, the study underscores the need to focus not just on current parents, but on young people who will become parents in the future, including boys.

“Healthy eating habits formed during adolescence not only benefit individuals but also shape future parenting behaviors.”
— Dr. Mariane H. De Oliveira

In other words, teaching teens to choose fruits over chips today could mean healthier families tomorrow.

What Didn’t Matter? Family Meals and Mom’s Diet (Surprisingly)

Interestingly, the researchers found that eating regular family meals during adolescence didn’t significantly influence healthier eating patterns later in life. Moreover, this particular study did not assess the mother’s dietary behavior, which has traditionally been a key area of focus in child nutrition research.

While the study's demographic skew—over 90% white and over 80% college-educated participants—may limit its broader applicability, the results remain an important stepping stone in recognizing the father's influence on childhood nutrition.

Conclusion: Rethinking Our Approach to Family Nutrition

This study challenges long-held assumptions about who influences children’s diets. While moms remain essential, it’s time to give dads their due credit and responsibility when it comes to food choices at home.

By investing in adolescent nutrition, especially for boys, we don’t just set up individuals for healthier futures. We lay the groundwork for entire generations to grow up with better eating habits, improved health outcomes, and a more balanced approach to family well-being.

References:

1.       De Oliveira, M.H. et al. (2025). Father's Adolescent Diet Linked to Child Nutrition Outcomes. Presented at NUTRITION 2025, American Society for Nutrition.

2.       Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

3.       American Society for Nutrition. www.nutrition.org