1,720,992 research outputs found
Engaging Primary Care Clinicians in Early Obesity Prevention Research
No full textAddressing the childhood obesity epidemic continues to be a challenge. Given that once obesity develops it is likely to persist, there has been an increasing focus on prevention at earlier stages of the life course. Research to develop and implement effective prevention and intervention strategies in the first 2 years after birth has been limited. In fall 2013, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases convened a multidisciplinary workshop to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the prevention of infant and early childhood obesity and to identify research gaps and opportunities. The questions addressed included (1) “What is known regarding risk for excess weight gain in infancy and early childhood?” (2) “What is known regarding interventions that are promising or have been shown to be efficacious?” and (3) “What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing and evaluating behavioral interventions for parents and other caregivers and their young children?
Babies with big appetites: do genes influence infant food reward?
No full textMany parents report, anecdotally, that their child came into the world with a big appetite. They claim this drive to eat was there since birth, as if it were nature’s hand at play. Indeed, questions from caregivers on this topic come up routinely in primary care pediatrics. So why do infants vary so greatly in their motivation to eat? Are they really “born that way”? In fact, there are a host of variables that could be influential: maternal prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, delivery type (vaginal vs. cesarean), infant feeding type (breast vs. bottle), and parental feeding styles (e.g., more vs. less restrictive). Might these be influential
Genetics of eating and its relation to obesity
No full textHumans show remarkable variability in their eating styles. Reasons for this variability are poorly understood, but carry important implications for the onset of obesity and its comorbidities. Although it is well established that genes influence obesity, genetic influences on human eating patterns have received less attention. Dramatic increases in the prevalence of obesity justify additional research into the genetics of eating style. This review highlights what is known about the genetics of food preferences and selection in humans. Data from family and twin studies suggest a moderate genetic contribution to eating style, with clear environmental effects emerging as well. Select studies show support for gene-environment interactions and common genetic bases for certain dietary patterns, obesity, and/or metabolic complications. Genetically informative designs that infuse innovative behavioral measures may help explain individual differences in eating styles and hopefully promote more effective obesity treatments
Parental feeding practices and associations with child weight status. Swedish validation of the Child Feeding Questionnaire finds parents of 4-year-olds less restrictive
Full text linkAbstractThe Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) assesses parental feeding attitudes, beliefs and practices concerned with child feeding and obesity proneness. The questionnaire has been developed in the U.S., and validation studies in other countries are limited. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the CFQ in Sweden and the associations between parenting practices and children's weight status. Based on records from the Swedish population register, all mothers of 4-year-olds (n = 3007) from the third largest city in Sweden, Malmö, were contacted by mail. Those who returned the CFQ together with a background questionnaire (n = 876) received the CFQ again to enable test-retest evaluation; 564 mothers completed the CFQ twice. We used confirmatory factor analysis to test whether the original 7-factor model was supported. Good fit (CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.04, SRMR = 0.05) was obtained after minor modifications such as dropping 2 items on restriction and adding 3 error covariances. The internal reliability and the 2-week test-retest reliability were good. The scores on restriction were the lowest ever reported. When the influence of parenting practices on child BMI (dependent variable) was examined in a structural equation model (SEM), child BMI had a positive association with restriction and a negative association with pressure to eat. Restriction was positively influenced by concern about child weight. The second SEM treated parenting practices as dependent variables. Parental foreign origin and child BMI had direct effects on restriction, while pressure to eat was also influenced by parental education. While the results of the study support the usefulness of the CFQ in Sweden, carefully designed cross-cultural comparisons are needed to explain why the levels of restrictive feeding in Swedish families are the lowest reported
Associations between maternal sense of coherence and controlling feeding practices : The importance of resilience and support in families of preschoolers
Full text linkSense of Coherence (SOC) measures an individual's positive, or salutogenic, orientation toward her/his capacities, environment, future, and life. SOC comprises three factors: comprehensibility (the sense of one's own life as ordered and understandable); manageability (the perception of available resources and skills to manage stressors); and meaningfulness (the overall sense that life is filled with meaning and purpose). In numerous studies, SOC has been associated with resilience to stress. However, associations between parental SOC and controlling feeding practices have yet to be studied. This study examines the validity of the SOC 13-item, 3-factor questionnaire, associations between SOC and maternal and child characteristics, and associations between SOC and use of pressuring or restrictive feeding, among mothers of 4-year-olds. 565 mothers (23.5% of foreign origin, 30.3% with overweight/obesity) recruited via the Swedish population registry (response rate: 65%), completed the SOC-13, the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), and a background questionnaire. The validity of SOC-13 was examined using confirmatory factor analysis; associations with background characteristics and feeding practices were tested with structural equation modeling. SOC-13 validity testing showed acceptable fit (TLI = 0.93, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.04) after allowing one pair of error terms to correlate. The Cronbach's alpha for meaningfulness was 0.73, comprehensibility 0.76, and manageability 0.75. SOC increased with mothers' Swedish background and education, and decreased with higher BMI. Child gender, age, and BMI, were not associated with SOC. Lower SOC was associated with controlling practices and with concern about child weight and eating. The associations between SOC and feeding suggest that SOC-related parameters could inform childhood obesity research, and that prevention should address the socioeconomic barriers that parents face in building resilience to stress
Percentage of body fat cutoffs by sex, age, and race-ethnicity in the US adult population from NHANES 1999-2004
No full textTo date, there is no consensus regarding adult cutoffs of percentage of body fat or estimated cutoffs on the basis of nationally representative samples with rigorous body-composition measurements.Background: To date, there is no consensus regarding adult cutoffs of percentage of body fat or estimated cutoffs on the basis of nationally representative samples with rigorous body-composition measurements. Objective: We developed cutoffs of percentage of body fat on the basis of the relation between dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-measured fat mass and BMI (in kg/m(2)) stratified by sex, age, and race-ethnicity by using 1999-2004 NHANES data. Design: A simple regression (percentage of body fat = beta(0) + beta(1) x 1 divided by BMI) was fit for each combination of sex (men and women), 3 age groups (18-29, 30-49, and 50-84 y of age), and 3 race-ethnicity groups (non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans). Model fitting included a consideration of complex survey design and multiple imputations. Cutoffs of percentage of body fat were computed that corresponded to BMI cutoffs of 18.5, 25, 30, 35, and 40 on the basis of estimated prediction equations. Results: R-2 ranged from 0.54 to 0.72 for men (n = 6544) and 0.58 to 0.79 for women (n = 6362). In men, the percentage of body fat that corresponded to a BMI of 18.5, 25, 30, 35, and 40 across age and racial-ethnic groups ranged from 12.2% to 19.0%, 22.6% to 28.0%, 27.5% to 32.3%, 31.0% to 35.3%, and 33.6% to 37.6%, respectively; the corresponding ranges in women were from 24.6% to 32.3%, 35.0% to 40.2%, 39.9% to 44.1%, 43.4% to 47.1%, and 46.1% to 49.4%, respectively. The oldest age group had the highest cutoffs of percentage of body fat. Non-Hispanic blacks had the lowest cutoffs of percentage of body fat. Cutoffs of percentage of body fat were higher in women than in men. Conclusions: Cutoffs of percentage of body fat that correspond to the current US BMI cutoffs are a function of sex, age, and race-ethnicity. These factors should be taken into account when considering the appropriateness of levels of percentage of body fat
Child food neophobia is heritable, associated with less compliant eating, and moderates familial resemblance for BMI
No full textThe heritability of food neophobia, the tendency to avoid new foods, was tested in 4-7-year-old twins. We also examined whether food neophobia is associated with parent-child feeding relations or child body fat
Weight criticism during physical activity, coping skills, and reported physical activity in children
No full textNational health guidelines advocate increased physical activity in children and adolescents, but specific goals are not being achieved. Data are needed on variables that influence children's decision to be active or sedentary
Association of lean tissue and fat mass with bone mineral content in children and adolescents
No full textThere has been uncertainty in the adult body composition literature about whether fat mass (FM) or fat free mass is a better predictor of bone mineral content and bone mineral density. This issue has recently also been raised in the pediatric literature. Based on suggested skeletal muscle-bone relationships, this study tested the hypothesis that in children and adolescents lean tissue mass (LTM) is a better predictor of total bone mineral content (TBMC) than is FM
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