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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
PubMed

Insights

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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