Overweight children overeat after exposure to food cues

Abstract

Overweight is becoming more common in children, but we know nearly nothing about the eating behavior of overweight children. Learning theory predicts that overeating follows from learned associations between the smell and taste of palatable food on the one hand and intake on the other hand. It was tested whether overweight children overeat after confrontation to these cues. They indeed failed to regulate food intake after both the exposure to the intense smell of tasty food (without eating it) and after eating a small preload of appetizing food, whereas normal-weight children decreased their intake after both cues. Overweight children are thus more vulnerable to triggers of overeating. Their overeating was not related to psychological factors like mood, body esteem, and a restrained eating style, but it was related to cue-elicited salivation flow. Apart from supporting the cue reactivity model of overeating, the data point to an interesting satiety phenomenon in normal eaters after prolonged and intense smelling palatable food without eating it.

‘I just can’t help myself’: effects of food-cue exposure in overweight and lean individuals

“…Jansen et al 9 propose that reactivity results from an association that forms between a food cue and subsequent eating behavior, and that these classically conditioned associations are stronger in overweight children because their parents encourage 'plate cleaning'. This prospect remains to be explored.…”

“…Recently, studies have focused on the effects of exposure to the sight and smell of food. [6][7][8][9] In humans, 'food-cue exposure' can have a profound effect on our motivation and physiological preparedness to eat. Indeed, even brief exposure to the sight and smell of food increases reported hunger 7,8,10,11 and initiates 'cephalic phase responses,' including release of insulin and changes in salivation, heart rate, gastric activity and blood pressure.…”

“…[6][7][8] Previous research has explored associations between obesity and salivary reactivity. For example, Jansen et al 9 reported differences between overweight and lean children regarding food intake and the correspondence between food intake and salivation, after food-cue exposure. Also, overweight children are slower to show salivary habituation after repeated exposure to a food cue.…”

Continuity and stability of eating behaviour traits in children

“…Hunger, external responsiveness, satiety sensitivity and emotional eating are aspects of appetite that have been shown to be associated with adiposity (Van Strien et al, 1985;Barkeling et al, 1992;Epstein et al, 1996;Braet and Van Strien, 1997;Jansen et al, 2003;Wardle, 2006;Wardle, 2007). Modest continuity in 'eating in the absence of hunger' (Fisher and Birch, 2002) and dietary restraint (Marchi and Cohen, 1990;Shunk and Birch, 2004) have been reported in childhood.…”

Perilaku makan berlebih dan hubungannya dengan kegemukan pada anak prasekolah

“…Pada anak yang gemuk kemampuan untuk mengenali rasa kenyang lebih rendah sehingga makan lebih banyak (8)(9)(10)(11). Beberapa penelitian melaporkan bahwa perilaku makan berlebih gizi normal (Z-score berat badan/tinggi badan -2 SD dan 2 SD).…”