Familial transmission of eating behaviors in preschool-aged children

To examine weight-related differences in eating behaviors and nutrition of preschool-aged children, the influence of maternal eating behavior on the child's eating behavior, and sex-related differences in the transmission of eating behaviors. A total of 142 mothers of children aged 3-6 years participated. Maternal and child's eating behaviors as well as child's food consumption were assessed using questionnaires completed by mothers. Maternal BMI and child's standardized BMI (BMI-SDS) were also calculated. More than half of the mothers were obese. Multiple regression analysis was used to predict eating behavior of the children by mothers' variables. Overweight children scored higher in external eating, food responsiveness, and speed of eating than normal-weight children, whereas children of overweight mothers showed higher amounts of emotional eating than children of normal-weight mothers. Maternal emotional eating (R(2) = 0.19, P < 0.001) and mother's BMI (R(2) = 0.07, P < 0.05) positively predicted emotional eating of sons. Maternal emotional eating (R(2) = 0.19, P < 0.01) completely mediated the relation between mother's BMI and emotional eating of sons. For mother-daughter dyads, no such relation was found. The tested model shows sex-related differences in the transmission of maternal eating behavior which is discussed as being related to the development and maintenance of obesity.     

Adiposity and eating behaviors in patients under second generation antipsychotics

Background: Second generation antipsychotics (SGA) induce substantial weight gain but the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon remain speculative. Objective: To explore eating behaviors among SGA‐treated patients and compare them with nonschizophrenic healthy sedentary individuals (controls). Methods and Procedures: Appetite sensations were recorded before and after a standardized breakfast using visual analog scales. Three hours after breakfast, a buffet‐type meal was offered to participants to document spontaneous food intake and food preferences. Satiety quotients (SQs) were calculated to determine the satiation of both meals and the Three‐Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) was used to document eating behaviors. Body composition and abdominal fat distribution were assessed. Results: Compared with controls (n = 20), SGA‐treated patients (n = 18) showed greater adiposity indices (P ≤ 0.04). Patients' degree of hunger was also higher following the standardized breakfast (P = 0.03). Moreover, patients had significantly higher cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition, and susceptibility to hunger scores than the reference group (P ≤ 0.05). Disinhibition in the reference group was positively associated with hunger triggered by external cues (r = 0.48, P = 0.03) whereas internal cues seem to mainly regulate emotional susceptibility to disinhibition in patients (r = 0.56, P = 0.02). Higher strategic restraint behavior in patients was associated with decreased satiation right after the buffet‐type meal (r = ?0.56, P = 0.02). Discussion: These exploratory findings suggest that patients under SGA seem to develop disordered eating behaviors in response to altered appetite sensations and increased susceptibility to hunger, a factor which may influence the extent of body weight gain triggered by these drugs.     

Impact of psychosocial factors on quality of life in overweight youth

Objective: The psychosocial functioning of overweight youth is a growing concern. Research has shown that overweight children report lower quality of life (QOL) than their non‐overweight peers. This study sought to extend the literature by examining the association between peer victimization, child depressive symptoms, parent distress, and health‐related QOL in overweight youth. Mediator models are used to assess the effect of child depressive symptoms on the relationship between psychosocial variables and QOL. Research Methods and Procedures: The sample consisted of 96 overweight and at‐risk‐for‐overweight children (mean age = 12.8 years) and their parents who were recruited from a Pediatric Endocrinology Obesity Clinic. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory–parent‐proxy version, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Children completed the Children's Depression Inventory–Short Form, the Schwartz Peer Victimization Scale, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Results: Increased parent distress, child depressive symptoms, and peer victimization were associated with lower QOL by both parent‐proxy and self‐report. Child depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between psychosocial variables (parent distress and peer victimization) for self‐reported QOL but not for parent‐proxy‐reported QOL. Discussion: This study documented the important impact of peer victimization and parental distress on the QOL of overweight children. Expanding our understanding of how overweight children experience and interact with their environment is critical. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms by which parent distress and peer victimization impact the development of depressive symptoms in overweight children, including coping and support strategies that may buffer these children against the development of depressive symptoms and ultimately lower QOL.     

Psychosocial and physical impairment in overweight adolescents at high risk for eating disorders

Objective: Many overweight adolescents display elevated risk for the development of eating disorders, as seen in higher rates of weight/shape concerns and disordered eating behaviors, but the extent of impairment in this subset of high‐risk adolescents has not been explored. Research Methods and Procedures: Eighty‐one overweight adolescents (63% girls) presenting for an Internet‐based weight loss program were assessed at baseline using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the Pediatric Quality of Life questionnaire. Adolescents who earned elevated scores on both the Weight Concern and Shape Concern subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire were considered at high risk for the development of eating disorders (56.8%). Results: Comparisons of high‐ and normal‐risk groups revealed that high‐risk adolescents reported higher levels of depression [F(3,76) = 5.75, p = 0.019], anxiety [F(3,76) = 5.67, p = 0.020], and stress [F(3,75) = 8.50, p = 0.005], and greater impairments in physical health [F(3,77) = 10.7, p = 0.002], emotional functioning [F(3,77) = 5.3, p = 0.024], and social functioning [F(3,77) = 10.0, p = 0.002]. There were no differences in school functioning [F(3,77) = 1.5, p = 0.219]. Among the high‐risk adolescents, over half (52.2%) reported binge eating at least once in the past month. Discussion: Results suggest that overweight adolescents at high risk for the development of eating disorders also experience elevated levels of negative affect, impairment in health‐related quality of life, and eating disturbances, although prospective data are needed to determine the directionality between eating disorder pathology and general psychopathology. Further research is warranted to evaluate whether behavioral weight loss interventions should be enhanced for this high‐risk subset.     

Birth weight and body composition in overweight Latino youth: a longitudinal analysis

To examine the associations between birth weight and BMI, and total body composition, in overweight Latino adolescents. Two hundred and forty-two overweight Latino children (baseline age = 11.1 +/- 1.7 years; BMI >or= 85th percentile) were measured annually for up to 6 years (2.6 +/- 1.4 observations/child, total 848 visits). Birth weight and history of gestational diabetes were obtained by parental interview. Visceral fat and subcutaneous abdominal fat were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, while total body fat, total lean tissue mass (LTM), trunk fat, and lean tissue trunk mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. BMI and BMI percentile were calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention age appropriate cutoffs. Longitudinal linear mixed effects (LME) modeling was used to evaluate the influence of birth weight on subsequent changes in body composition and distribution of fat across puberty. Birth weight significantly predicted BMI (P < 0.001), total trunk fat (P < 0.001), total trunk LTM (P < 0.001), total fat mass (FM) (P < 0.001), and total LTM (P < 0.001), but not subcutaneous (P = 0.534) or visceral fat (P = 0.593) at age 11 years. Longitudinally, as participants transitioned into puberty, birth weight did not significantly predict any of the body composition or fat distribution measures (P > 0.05). Birth weight is significantly associated with increased adiposity and LTM and negatively associated with trunk fat mass and trunk lean mass at baseline; however these relationships did not predict rate of change of any of the variables as the children progress through adolescence.     

Study of eating attitudes and body image perception in the preadolescent age

Eating attitudes and body image have been studied in a group of 109 girls, pupils of the fifth primary school grade (average age 10 years and 8 months). The Children's Eating Attitude Test (ChEAT) has been used in the study of eating attitudes. The mean questionnaire score is 11.38 +/- 8 with a range of 0 to 45. Fourteen girls (12.8%) had a total score higher than 20, making them an eating disorder risk group. A set of seven schematic figures showing silhouettes of girls ranging from very thin to very heavy has been used in the study of body image perception. The girls were supposed to indicate the figure having the highest resemblance to their own figure (self figure), and the figure they would like to have (ideal self figure). The mean value of the current figure was 4.28, and that of the ideal figure 3.95. Satisfaction with their figure was expressed by 46.79% of the girls; 39.45% wanted to be thinner, and 13.45% to be heavier. When these data were compared with BMI, 27.52% (of the total) of the girls wanting to be thinner were found to have a normal BMI, and 11.93% a > 95 centile BMI. Among the girls satisfied with their figure 2 had a low and 2 a high BMI, while 43.12% were within the normal BMI range. Out of the 13.45% of girls wanting to be heavier, 6.42% (of the total) had a low BMI, 6.42% a normal BMI, and 0.92% (one girl) a > 95 centile BMI. The girls were divided into two groups in terms of the ChEAT score: ChEAT+ (anorexia risk) and ChEAT-. The groups differed in terms of body weight and BMI (the ChEAT+ group was heavier); ChEAT+ girls tended to prefer a thinner figure and experienced themselves as being heavier.     

Binge eating behavior among a national sample of overweight and obese veterans

Objective:

Despite the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US military veterans, binge eating has not been examined in this population.

Design and Methods:

Using a secondary data analysis approach, the prevalence and correlates of self‐reported binge eating among 45,477 overweight or obese veterans receiving care in Veterans Health Administration facilities were examined. Participants completed a 23‐item survey that assessed demographics, weight history, physical and mental health comorbidities, and eating habits during routine medical clinic visits. χ² and logistic regression were used to examine the relationships among binge eating and demographic variables and medical and psychiatric comorbidities.

Results:

Nearly, three‐quarters of the sample reported clinically meaningful binge eating (i.e., two or more times per week). Binge‐eaters were more likely to report higher body mass index, depression, anxiety, and type 2 diabetes (P <0.0001). After controlling for potentially confounding variables, male veterans were significantly more likely to report clinically meaningful binge eating than female veterans (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

These results have important implications for modifying weight management programs and highlight the need for the assessment and treatment to address binge eating, particularly among men and patients with type 2 diabetes.     

Associations between the home food environment and obesity-promoting eating behaviors in adolescence

Objective: This study examines relationships between multiple aspects of the home food environment and obesity‐promoting characteristics of 12‐ to 13‐year‐old adolescents' diets, specifically frequency of consumption of high‐energy fluids, sweet snacks, savory snacks, and take‐out foods. Research Methods: This was a cross‐sectional study including 347 adolescents 12 to 13 years of age and their parents. Data were collected via self‐completed surveys. The adolescents' diets were assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire derived from existing age‐appropriate National Nutrition Survey data. An extensive range of domains within the home food environment were assessed. Bivariate linear regression analyses were run split by gender. Forced entry multiple linear regression analyses (adjusting for all variables significant in bivariate analyses as well as for maternal education) were also performed, stratified by the sex of the child. Results: The influence of mothers, either as models for eating behaviors or as the providers of food, was pervasive. Mothers' intake of high‐energy fluids (p = 0.003), sweet snacks (p = 0.010), savory snacks (p = 0.008), and take‐out food (p = 0.007) was positively associated with boys' intake of all these foods. In addition, mothers' intake of high‐energy fluids was positively associated with daughters' consumption of these drinks (p = 0.025). Furthermore, availability of unhealthy foods at home was positively associated with girls' sweet snack (p = 0.001), girls' savory snack (p < 0.001), boys' savory snack (p = 0.002), and, in the bivariate analyses, girls' high‐energy fluid consumption (p = 0.002). Discussion: This study of home food environment influences on adolescent diet highlights the pervasive influence of mothers in determining adolescents' obesity‐promoting eating, providing direction for obesity prevention strategies and future research.     

Cultural implications of attitudes and evaluative reactions toward dialect variation in Croatian youth

As a consequence of political changes and war, during the last decade the migration processes have been intensified and in comers from other parts of Croatia and neighbouring countries have moved to the town of Zagreb and have changed it considerably. These demographic changes have also had an influence on the language used in the area and on language attitudes towards the Standard Croatian, local vernacular and other dialectal varieties. The aim of this study is to explore the awareness that speakers, Croatian adolescents resident in Zagreb, have of their own language variety and their attitudes toward different other dialect varieties. The data were collected using the speech guise method and a questionnaire in order to assess both conscious and unconscious components of these linguistic evaluations. The results obtained once again confirmed the expected prestige of the Standard variety in terms of its speaker's alleged highest competence, but also its low standing as far as social attractiveness is concerned. Non-standard local varieties showed the exactly opposite trend, although the evaluation of native and immigrant adolescents differed considerably.     

A review of family and environmental correlates of health behaviors in high-risk youth

Disparities in the prevalence of obesity in youth place minority and low socioeconomic status youth at increased risk for the development of chronic disease, such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Contributing factors to the increases in obesity include a decline in positive health behaviors, such as making healthy dietary choices, engaging in physical activity, and limiting sedentary behaviors. Family and physical environmental contextual factors related to health behaviors are increasingly the focus of health behavior interventions in line with the bioecological model that encourages a system-focused perspective on understanding health behavior influences. Physical environmental characteristics, such as home and neighborhood characteristics and resources, provide the tangible means to support health behaviors and are important contextual variables to consider that may increase intervention effectiveness. Therefore, the current review seeks to highlight the importance of investigating influences of behavior beyond individual characteristics in understanding factors related to the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in youth at high risk for developing chronic disease. The current study reviews the non-intervention literature on family and physical environmental factors related to health behaviors (i.e., diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior) in youth who are considered to be at-risk for developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Results on 38 published articles of diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors showed support for the role of parenting and physical environmental factors, particularly parental monitoring and neighborhood context, such as social cohesion, as they relate to health behaviors in high-risk youth. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Comparisons of energy intake and energy expenditure in overweight and obese women with and without binge eating disorder

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in energy intake or energy expenditure that distinguish overweight/obese women with and without binge eating disorder (BED). Seventeen overweight/obese women with BED and 17 overweight/obese controls completed random 24-h dietary recall interviews, and had total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) assessed by the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique with concurrent food log data collection. Participants received two baseline dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans and had basal metabolic rate (BMR) and thermic effect of food (TEF) measured using indirect calorimetry. Results indicated no between group differences in TDEE, BMR, and TEF. As in our previous work, according to dietary recall data, the BED group had significantly higher caloric intake on days when they had binge eating episodes than on days when they did not (3,255 vs. 2,343 kcal). There was no difference between BED nonbinge day intake and control group intake (2,233 vs. 2,140 kcal). Similar results were found for food log data. Dietary recall data indicated a trend toward higher average daily intake in the BED group (2,587 vs. 2,140 kcal). Furthermore, when comparing TDEE to dietary recall and food log data, both groups displayed significant under-reporting of caloric intake of similar magnitudes ranging from 20 to 33%. Predicted energy requirements estimated via the Harris-Benedict equation (HBE) underestimated measured TDEE by 23-24%. Our data suggest that increased energy intake reported by BED individuals is due to increased food consumption and not metabolic or under-reporting differences.