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Parents’ drinking habits really do rub off on their children, a new study suggests.

Specific parenting interventions can break the cycle of generational substance use, even if the parents don’t stop drinking themselves, according to researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo.

The study analyzed data from more than 4,200 Brazilian teens and their guardians, finding that parents’ drinking habits are a leading predictor of whether their teenagers will partake in alcohol or drugs.

COMMON DRINKING HABIT MAY QUIETLY TRIPLE RISK OF ADVANCED LIVER CONDITION

A parent’s alcohol consumption is associated with a 24% probability of their child drinking — and that risk escalates when multiple substances are involved, according to the study’s press release. 

When guardians use both alcohol and tobacco or vapes, the likelihood of their children following suit jumps to 28%. The findings were published in the scientific journal Addictive Behaviors.

The data was collected from 2023 to 2024 in four towns in Brazil. The average age of the adolescents was 14.7 years, and the group included an even mix of boys and girls.

“With this study, we reinforce the fact that parents’ patterns of alcohol and other drug use influence their children’s,” said lead author Zila Sanchez, a professor at the university, in the release.

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The most effective form of prevention appears to be lead-by-example abstinence. 

When guardians opt not to drink, 89% of adolescents refrain from using alcohol or other drugs.

Home environment also played a role in adolescent substance use, as the researchers analyzed the effects of the following four parenting styles.

• Authoritative: High affection mixed with clear rules (most effective)
• Authoritarian: Strict rules but low affection (reduced drug use, but was less effective against alcohol)
• Permissive: High affection but no rules (offered no protective effect)
• Neglectful: Low affection and no rules (offered no protective effect)

“If they set rules and limits at home and show affection, these protective factors greatly minimize the risk they themselves pose when they consume these substances,” Sanchez said.

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However, the researchers warned that affection isn’t a cure-all, and that if alcohol is framed as a universal coping mechanism, a teenager is far more likely to adopt that behavior.

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“When consumption is frequent and treated as something trivial, it translates into greater risk, regardless of the existing emotional bond,” Sanchez said.

The researchers noted some limitations of the study.

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Because it analyzed a snapshot of data from one point in time, it shows a connection but cannot prove that parents’ drinking caused the teens’ choices.

The data also relied on surveys from teenagers, who may have underreported their own use or misremembered their parents’ habits.

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Additionally, because the study focused only on four towns in Brazil, the results may not reflect drinking cultures or family dynamics in other parts of the world.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to expand the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into hospitals, integrating federal nutrition standards into patient care.

On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, sent a memo directing hospitals to align their meals with the guidelines by reducing ultraprocessed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined carbohydrates and added sugars.

Kennedy reportedly shared that Oz’s memo effectively acts like a federal mandate, as hospitals may need to follow the dietary guidelines to maintain funding.

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Most hospital menus rely heavily on convenience foods, according to Dr. Hamid Khan, chief medical officer of Jorie AI, a healthcare revenue service.

“Patients are often served items such as pasta, processed deli meats, packaged snacks with artificial components, sugary desserts, cereals, juice and soda,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“Although many hospitals have begun the implementation of ‘healthier options,’ the average menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition.”

Larger concerns include high sugar and sodium levels, processed ingredients and refined carbohydrates in hospital foods, Khan said. “There seems to be a lack of high-quality protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats,” he added.

“The average hospital menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition.”

Khan said he has seen patients order their meals from Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats because they felt the hospital menu options were not healthy enough.

“Most of the hospital meals do not provide adequate nutrients … to properly support healing, muscle maintenance, immunity or overall recovery,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Poor nutrition only makes things worse for this patient pool,” Khan went on. “Ultimately, poor nutrition is very harmful for elderly patients and people with chronic illnesses. They are at a higher risk for muscle loss, weakness, delayed healing, infection and re-infection.”

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is partnering with Tampa General Hospital in Florida to transform hospital dining, introducing Mediterranean diet–inspired meals for patients.

Zakarian told Fox News Digital that hospital food is often a mix of “high desire, low-value and low-nutrition food,” typically priced to meet a strict per-plate cost that hospitals cannot exceed.

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“[There is] very little emphasis on original, pasture-raised proteins and fats like eggs, whole dairy grass-fed beef and poultry, and unprocessed vegetables,” he said.

In Tampa, Zakarian has been working since 2023 to eliminate all processed foods — removing items containing hormones, added sugars, seed oils and anything prepackaged.

“All the food originates from farms and gardens in and around Tampa,” he said, calling the mission “Farm to Gurney.”

Sec. Kennedy and CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a similar initiative at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Vani Hari, known as the “Food Babe,” told Fox News Digital that this is the first time leaders in Washington are openly acknowledging that food is medicine.

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“The fact that they had to send a memo reminding hospitals of that tells you everything about how broken the system is,” said Hari, who is based in North Carolina. “People are at their most vulnerable in a hospital bed – and for decades, nobody in charge seemed to care what they were eating.”

Medicare and Medicaid fund the majority of inpatient services, including at least half of inpatient days at 96% of hospitals and two-thirds or more at 80% of hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

An AHA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that hospitals recognize nutritious food is an essential part of healing and recovery. 

“They are deeply committed to providing patients with high‑quality, nutritious meals that meet clinical standards, individual dietary needs and federal guidance,” said the spokesperson. 

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Hospital teams collaborate with registered dietitians and clinical staff to make sure each patient receives meals tailored to their medical needs and recovery plan, according to the AHA.

The spokesperson also said the organization regularly evaluates current evidence-based nutrition recommendations and integrates them into meal programs.

“Beyond the hospital walls, we partner with community organizations to expand access to nutritious food, provide education on healthy eating, and support initiatives that promote long‑term wellness,” they added.