New research suggests that being picky about food is a trait that stems from genetics rather than upbringing and can last well into an individual's teenage years.

A study involving 2,400 pairs of twins found it is significantly more likely for both siblings to be fussy if they are identical than if they are not, suggesting that DNA plays a key role as non-identical pairs can be brought up the same way but eat differently.

Dr Zeynep Nas, lead author of the study at University College London, said: "Food fussiness is common among children and can be a major source of anxiety for parents. Parents often blame themselves or are blamed by others.

"We hope our finding may help to alleviate that blame. This behaviour is not a result of parenting.

"Our study also shows that fussy eating is not necessarily just a ‘phase’, but may follow a persistent trajectory."

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