aus es ▁ ▁Gen et ics ▁seem ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁both ▁food ▁ne oph ob ia ▁and ▁general ▁ne oph ob ia . ▁Research ▁shows ▁that ▁about ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁variation ▁in ▁food ▁ne oph ob ia ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁gen et ics . ▁A ▁study ▁done ▁on ▁tw in ▁pairs ▁showed ▁an ▁even ▁higher ▁correlation , ▁indicating ▁that ▁gen et ics ▁do ▁play ▁a ▁factor ▁in ▁food ▁ne oph ob ia . ▁ ▁Psych oso cial ▁factors ▁can ▁also ▁increase ▁a ▁child ' s ▁ch ances ▁of ▁developing ▁food ▁ne oph ob ia . ▁Young ▁children ▁carefully ▁watch ▁parent al ▁food ▁prefer ences , ▁and ▁this ▁may ▁produce ▁ne oph ob ic ▁t endencies ▁with ▁regard ▁to ▁e ating ▁if ▁parents ▁tend ▁to ▁avoid ▁some ▁food s . ▁ ▁Another ▁cause ▁includes ▁being ▁more ▁sensitive ▁than ▁average ▁to ▁bitter ▁t ast es , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁associated ▁with ▁a ▁significant ▁history ▁of ▁middle ▁ear ▁in fection ▁or ▁an ▁increased ▁per ception ▁of ▁bitter ▁food s , ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁super t aster . ▁ ▁Sometimes ▁food ▁ne oph ob ia ▁is ▁more ▁directly ▁caused ▁by ▁an ▁environmental ▁occurrence . ▁For ▁example , ▁with ▁poison - indu ced ▁ne oph ob ia , ▁a ▁food - po ison ing ▁experience ▁can ▁lead ▁to ▁people ▁not ▁only ▁avoid ing ▁the ▁flav or ( s ) ▁they ▁associate ▁with ▁creating ▁their ▁ill ness ▁but ▁also ▁avoid ing ▁all ▁novel ▁flav ors ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁directly ▁following ▁the ▁poison ing ▁experience