Fathers who adopt healthy diets during their teenage years may help lay the foundation for their children’s positive eating habits, according to new research presented at NUTRITION 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
The study, led by Mariane H. De Oliveira, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Boston College, found that young children were more likely to meet recommended fruit and vegetable intake if their fathers had followed healthier dietary patterns during adolescence.
“Our study found that fathers who ate healthier as teenagers were more likely to encourage positive food habits in their children,” De Oliveira said. “These fathers modeled healthy eating and were more engaged in monitoring their child’s intake of sweets and snacks.”
About the study
The research analyzed data from 669 men enrolled in the Growing Up Today Study – Fathers & Families (GUTS-F&F), part of a long-term study that began in the 1990s. The participants had at least two dietary assessments during adolescence (ages 10–18) and at least one child aged 1–6 years as of 2021–2022.
Using the Healthy Eating Index 2020 (HEI-2020), the researchers identified three patterns in adolescent diet quality:
- Low adherence to dietary guidelines (44.1% of participants)
- Declining adherence (39.8%)
- Increasing adherence (16.1%)
Fathers in the increasing adherence group—those who improved their diets during adolescence—were significantly more likely to later:
- Model healthy eating (90% higher odds, OR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.23–2.95])
- Monitor their child’s intake of unhealthy foods (60% higher odds, OR = 1.60, 95% CI [1.05–2.45])
Impact on children’s diets
Children of fathers with improved adolescent diets fared better:
- 62% met fruit intake recommendations
- 38% met vegetable intake recommendations
This compares with:
- 54% and 29% respectively among children of fathers in the low adherence group
- 53% and 23% in the declining adherence group
Implications
“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 highlighted the relevance of the findings given concerns about childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.
The study controlled for sociodemographic factors such as age, education, and ethnicity. However, researchers noted that the largely white and highly educated sample may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Interestingly, eating family meals during adolescence did not significantly predict healthier dietary behaviors later in life, and maternal eating habits were not examined in this study.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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