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Parents who worry that their children will never eat anything but glazed donuts, cheese pizza, and diet Coke, will find the results of a new study comforting. Researchers examined the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of twins, age 8 to 11 years, and found that children’s unwillingness to try new foods is actually inherited.

Now parents worldwide can now breath a sigh of relief—apparently it’s not their fault!

The article offers a variety of strategies for managing food aversions, including disguising the food. Although the majority of nutrition experts recommend patience on the part of parents, believing that with time, a child’s eating habits will improve.

The ability of the human body to accommodate even the most limited diet never ceases to amaze me. As for the boy who refused to eat anything but glazed donuts, cheese pizza, and diet coke until age 7 years—he started medical school in August. His parents are hoping to exact a measure of revenge—perhaps he’ll become a pediatrician (like his father) and parent a house full of picky eaters.