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Influences on child eating and weight development from a behavioral genetics perspective
Tanja V E Kral1, Myles S Faith
1University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. tkral@mail.med.upenn.edu
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|April 15, 2008
Summary
Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern. This review highlights how parental weight, eating habits, and feeding practices contribute to familial obesity transmission through genetic and environmental factors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue with increasing incidence.
- Obesity in youth is linked to serious comorbidities like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding familial influences is crucial for addressing the obesity epidemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on the familial association of weight status, eating behaviors, and food preferences.
- To explore the role of environmental factors, including parent feeding practices, in child eating behaviors.
- To elucidate the genetic and nongenetic contributions to the familial transmission of obesity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing existing research on childhood obesity and familial factors.
- Examination of eating behaviors, specifically "eating in the absence of hunger," as a model trait.
- Analysis of genetic and environmental influences on obesity transmission within families.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports a familial link between parental and child weight status, eating behaviors, and food preferences.
- Parental feeding practices significantly influence the development of children's eating behaviors.
- Both genetic and nongenetic factors play a role in the familial transmission of obesity.
Conclusions:
- Familial factors, encompassing genetics and environment, are key drivers of childhood obesity.
- Targeting parental influences and understanding eating behaviors like "eating in the absence of hunger" may offer intervention strategies.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex interplay of factors contributing to familial obesity.
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