Is overweight at 12 months associated with differences in eating behaviour or dietary intake among children selected...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Childhood Obesity Research
• Behavioral Pediatrics

Background:

• Bottle feeding beyond 12 months is a known risk factor for childhood obesity.
• Understanding feeding behaviors in at-risk populations is crucial for intervention.
• The Feeding Young Children Study (FYCS) focuses on low-income, multi-ethnic communities in the US.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe feeding behaviors and dietary intake in toddlers at high risk for obesity due to prolonged bottle use.
• To examine associations between overweight status and mealtime behaviors, bottle consumption, and dietary intake.
• To investigate the role of early-life feeding patterns in childhood obesity risk.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 12-13-month-olds from urban nutrition programs consuming ≥2 bottles daily.
• Collected baseline data on mealtime/feeding behaviors via parent report.
• Utilized 24-hour dietary recalls and recorded bottle intake (volume, calories).
• Categorized children by overweight status (≥85% weight-for-length).

Main Results:

• 35% of the multi-ethnic, low-income sample were overweight.
• Overweight status was not associated with mealtime behaviors, bottle use, or total caloric/nutrient intake.
• Median bottle consumption was 4 bottles/day, contributing 50% of total calories.
• Most children (90%) had adequate intake and positive mealtime behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Overweight toddlers in this high-risk group showed no significant differences in key obesity risk factors compared to non-overweight peers.
• Findings support the set-point theory, suggesting early-life weight and intake patterns influence later obesity risk.
• Further research is needed to identify specific intervention targets for prolonged bottle use and childhood obesity prevention.