Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 8/19/2008

Question
I have a one month old daughter who, according to her doctor, should be eating 2-3 oz milk every 3-4 hours.  She has been eating 4-6 oz every 5-6 hours when I let her signal to me that she is hungry and has began to eat until she pukes.  I, as does my mother, have always "put off" eating (my first meal of the day is around noon or later), then tend to binge eat.  Is it possible this trait is genetic? Or have I already taught my daughter my bad eating habits?   How much research is there on this topic?

Answer
Dear Emily,

Unfortunately, no one really yet knows how much of eating behavior is nature (genetic) and how much is nurture (environment/learning).  But I very much doubt that you have been able to instill bad eating habits in a baby who's only a month old.

There could be a genetic component to this behavior, and it's interesting that you see a "preview" of your daughter's unusual feeding habits in your own.  But I don't think there's any way to confirm a genetic link at this point.

Research in this area is ongoing, and the field is huge, since people are very interested in the genetics of human eating habits (and disorders).  Lots of money to be made there!  But whether research is being done in the specific area of binge eating, I cannot answer.

I would suggest that you consult with your pediatrician about your daughter's "pre-binge" tendency, and ask whether you should force more normal eating habits on her now, in an effort to prevent her from developing problematic eating habits later.

Hope this helps.

Dana