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Cross-sectional and prospective associations between children's eating behavior and visceral fat area and trunk fat

Youxin Wang1,2, Fangjing Shen1, Pingping Zhang3

  • 1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|December 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Childhood eating behaviors like emotional overeating and food responsiveness are linked to increased abdominal fat. Addressing these behaviors may help reduce obesity risks in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Obesity Research
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern, with eating behaviors playing a key role in its development.
  • The specific links between children's eating habits and abdominal fat accumulation require further investigation.
  • Understanding these associations is vital for developing effective obesity prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between various eating behaviors and abdominal fat accumulation in primary school children.
  • To identify specific eating behaviors that are significantly associated with visceral fat area (VFA) and trunk fat mass (TrFM).

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 1,475 primary school children (aged 8-10 years) in Ningbo, China, was studied over 9 months.
  • Children's body composition (VFA and TrFM) was measured at baseline and follow-up.
  • Caregivers completed the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ), and data were analyzed using mixed-effects linear models.

Main Results:

  • Increased VFA was associated with slowness in eating, food responsiveness, emotional undereating, and emotional overeating.
  • Higher TrFM correlated with food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, emotional undereating, and emotional overeating.
  • Prospectively, VFA and TrFM showed positive associations with several eating behaviors, including food responsiveness and emotional eating patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Eating behaviors are significantly associated with abdominal fat accumulation in primary school children.
  • Specific behaviors such as food responsiveness and emotional eating patterns are linked to increased VFA and TrFM.
  • Targeting these eating behaviors could be a key strategy in managing childhood abdominal obesity and related health issues.
Abstract

Keywords:
abdominal fatchildreneating behaviorsobesityoverweight

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