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Recent research indicates that the family environment is the strongest determinant of dietary behaviour, mediated thorough parental food preferences and beliefs, children's food exposure, role model effects, media exposure, and child-parent interactions over food . The primary agent of socialisation, including learning dietary habits, physical activity levels and overall approach to good health, is the family . Parental likes and dislikes of food dictate to a large extent what is available in the home for children to taste . This has a significant impact on the development of taste preferences for young children.

The family food environment must be viewed within the context of our modern lives, of long working hours, professional mothers, increasing numbers of single-parent homes, reducing numbers of meals eaten together and the growing trend to eat outside the home. Contemporary family habits are fundamentally different from those of 25 years ago. The decision-making structure in families has changed from a hierarchical model towards a 'democratic unit'. Eating patterns and food marketing reflect this change.

These factors, and the interaction between them, have impacted on the family food environment and young people's approach to diet , and have contributed to the fundamental shift in society's relationship with food. Today, research demonstrates that not only is nutrition a concern but also time, preparation methods, budget, taste, and perceived value for money drive food choice.

More on this topic

• Role of advertising on diet
• What specific research projects have shown

More briefing papers

• Advertising to children
• The role of the advertising industry
• International comparison on advertising food to children
• The Regulatory Framework for children's advertising
• What parents and adults think about advertising to children

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