If you find yourself raiding the snack cupboard as soon as the kids are out, then think again.
For the children of 'secret eaters' consume more treats than their friends whose parents don't.
Finnish researchers studied around 500 parents and 400 three-to six-year-olds to record their consumption of a dozen sugary foods and drinks.
For the children of 'secret eaters' consume more treats than their friends whose parents don't (stock image)
Sixty-eight per cent of parents reported 'secret eating' – defined as deliberately choosing to eat when the children were not present.
Almost three-quarters of mothers – 73 per cent – said they were 'secret eaters' compared to 55 per cent of fathers.
However, the children of secret-snacking mothers were found to eat sugary treats more frequently than other children, while no similar effect was found for fathers.
Almost three-quarters of mothers – 73 per cent – said they were 'secret eaters' compared to 55 per cent of fathers
Chocolate was the chief target for parents, followed by sweets, ice cream, biscuits and cake, according to the study published in the journal Appetite.
The researchers from Jyvaskyla and Helsinki said: 'Reasons for parental secretive eating were linked to social home food environment family food rules, avoiding child's request, and aspiration for healthy modelling.
'Additional research is needed to determine whether parents can indeed prevent their own eating habits influencing their child.'