Improve childhood eating habits? It may be up to Dad.

According to a study in the July issue of Journal of the American Dietetic Association, parental dietary intake, lifestyle behavior, and parenting style influence a child's weight status. Few studies have examined associations between parent–child dietary intake, or specific father–child associations. This study examined associations between father–child dietary intakes of fruit, vegetables, and selected energy-dense nutrient-poor foods. The study consisted of overweight fathers with dietary intakes of fathers and children assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires, with mothers reporting their child's food intake.

Fathers' median daily fruit and vegetable intakes were 0.9 and 2.2 servings/day, respectively, whereas children consumed 2.1 fruit and 2.9 vegetable servings/day. Moderately-strong positive correlations were found between father–child fruit intakes, cookies, and potato chips. Children's intakes of fruit and some energy-dense nutrient-poor foods but were related to their father's intakes. The targeting of fathers should be tested in experimental studies as a potential strategy to improve child and family eating habits.