Eating behavior currently has a central role in the prevention and treatment of illnesses. Eating patterns during childhood, while important for growth and development, also represent one of the main factors that can prevent diseases in adulthood. Such eating patterns are frequently influenced by family, social and environmental factors. The objective of this review was to approach the many environmental factors involved in the acquisition of eating habits during childhood. The selected articles dating from 1978 to 2007 were found in the Medline and SciELO databases. The following keywords were used in Portuguese and English: children's eating patterns, children's dietary quality and determinants of children's eating patterns. The results of some more relevant researches in this area are presented. Although some factors are innate and thus need a more rigorous control, the determinant role played by the family in forming healthy eating habits is emphasized since attempts to modify eating habits during adulthood usually fail. Additionally, other factors such as school, social network and cultural and socioeconomic conditions are potentially modifiable and influence the process of building the child's eating habits and so that of the adult.
Feeding behavior; Food and nutrition education; Children; Food habits