Developmental Trends in Eating Rates of Normal and Overweight Preschool Children

Abstract

Eating rates (bites per interval) and other meal behaviors (number of chews, sips, talks with a neighbor, and chews per bite) were observed for 30 normal and 30 overweight white preschool children in their school cafeterias. Children were classified according to weight (overweight or normal), age (1 1/2--2 years, 3--4 years, or 5--6 years) and sex. Analysis of variance revealed that overweight preschool children demonstrated a somewhat higher rate of distinctly fewer chews per bite. Boys showed increasing chew rates with increasing age. Talk rates also increased with age but were unrelated to sex or weight status. Sip rates were not significantly associated with age, sex, or weight status. These results support the hypothesis that overweight persons are characterized by an increased eating rate and show that it is apparent even around the time of first self-feeding.

A comparison of chewing rate between overweight and normal BMI individuals

“…3,[5][6][7][8][9]14,18,19,21,[25][26][27] Awareness of this kind of observation can lead participants to modify their food intake. 15 Additionally, all but a few have been conducted in a laboratory environment, whereas our study takes a step further and is able to assess both the laboratory and natural environments.…”

“…3,4 Interestingly, obesity has been associated with a specific 'eating style', which in turn promotes overeating. 5 Indeed, several studies provided evidence that overweight or obese participants chew differently from normal weight participants in terms of: fewer chews per gram food or per bite, [6][7][8][9] higher ingestion rate, [5][6][7][8][9] and a larger bite size. 5 Cross-sectional studies that used self-reported measures of eating rate have also shown a positive association between rate of eating and body mass index (BMI), after adjusting for potential confounders.…”

Relationships between the eating behaviors of parents and their 18-month-old children: A laboratory study

“…The higher the maternal bite frequency, a behavior that may reflect an obese eating style (Adams et al, 1978, Drabman et al, 1979Gaul et al, 1975;Marston et al, 1977), the longer father's meal duration, is likely to be, a behavior strongly associated with caloric intake (r = .73, p < .002), or vice versa. This association may be mediated by the number of bites taken by each member of the couple, since father's bite number is significantly correlated with both maternal caloric intake (r = .42, p < .05) and maternal bite frequency (r = .43, p < .05).…”

“…Such detailed measures of eating behavior suggest that there may be a difference in eating style between obese and nonobese children and adults. The obese tend to eat more rapidly than those of average weight or thin individuals (Adams, Ferguson, Stunkard, & Agras, 1978;Dodd, Birky, & Stalling, 1976;Drabman, Cordua, Hammer, Jarvie, & Horton, 1979;Gaul, Craighead, & Mahoney, 1975;Marston, London, Cohen, & Cooper, 1977). Overweight individuals also tend not to slow their eating behavior over the course of a meal, unlike those of normal weight (Adams et al, 1978;Meyer & Pudel, 1977).…”

“…It appears, however, that the relationship between eating style and adiposity is stronger in children than in adults. Thus Drabman et al, 1979, found that bite frequency was higher and the number of chews per bite lower in obese children as compared with the nonobese. These differences in eating style were apparent as early as 18 months of age.…”