Meal frequency and childhood obesity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Previous research indicated an inverse relationship between meal frequency and adult obesity.
• Childhood obesity remains a significant public health concern globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between daily meal frequency and the prevalence of obesity in young children.
• To determine if meal frequency is an independent risk factor for childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 4,370 German children aged 5-6 years.
• Obesity was determined using sex- and age-specific BMI cut-off points (International Obesity Task Force).
• Parental questionnaires collected data on risk factors, with daily meal frequency as the primary exposure.

Main Results:

• Obesity prevalence decreased with increased meal frequency: 4.2% (≤3 meals), 2.8% (4 meals), and 1.7% (≥5 meals).
• Adjusted odds ratios for obesity were 0.73 for 4 meals and 0.51 for 5+ meals, indicating a protective effect.
• Higher energy intake was observed in 'nibblers' (more frequent, smaller meals) compared to 'gorgers' (less frequent, larger meals).

Conclusions:

• Increased daily meal frequency demonstrates a protective effect against childhood obesity.
• This association appears independent of common confounding factors like socioeconomic status and lifestyle.
• Hormonal mechanisms, potentially involving insulin response modulation, may underlie this protective effect.