Interoceptive sensitivity, body weight and eating behavior in children: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Physiology

Background:

• Interindividual differences in interoceptive sensitivity (IS) are linked to disordered eating and weight issues.
• Limited prospective data exists on IS and eating behaviors in children.
• The precise nature of the association between IS and eating behaviors in childhood remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prospective association between interoceptive sensitivity (IS) and eating behaviors in children.
• To examine whether IS predicts later eating behaviors or vice versa in a child cohort.
• To explore the relationship between IS, eating behaviors, and weight status in middle childhood.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 1657 children aged 6-11 years with two measurement points one year apart.
• Interoceptive sensitivity assessed via heartbeat perception ability.
• Food approach behaviors measured using parent questionnaires (Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire, Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire).
• Structural equation modeling used to analyze stability and prospective associations.

Main Results:

• In overweight children, external and emotional eating behaviors predicted later IS.
• No significant predictive relationship was found between IS and eating behaviors in normal-weight children.
• No direct association was observed between IS and body mass index.
• Eating behavior and IS in middle childhood were prospectively related.

Conclusions:

• Altered interoceptive processes appear to follow, rather than precede, non-adaptive eating behaviors in overweight children.
• Faulty learning mechanisms in early eating behavior may undermine confidence in bodily signals.
• Findings highlight the complex, bidirectional relationship between interoception and eating behaviors in childhood, particularly in overweight youth.