Parental feeding control but not use of food-to-soothe at age 3.5 years is associated with later adiposity

Abstract Objective This study evaluated associations between parent–child connectedness and communication, parent feeding behaviors (restriction, pressure to eat, and monitoring), and age- and sex-standardized child body mass index (zBMI) in a sample of pre-adolescent children aged 8–12 years. Methods A community sample of three hundred and eight child–parent dyads completed measures of communication and connectedness. Parents completed a feeding behavior measure and children were weighed and their height was measured. We examined whether parental feeding behaviors and parent–child communication and connectedness predicted child zBMI and whether parental feeding behaviors moderated the association between parent–child communication and connectedness and child zBMI. Results Feeding restriction was positively associated with zBMI, while both pressure to eat and food monitoring exhibited negative associations with zBMI. Child-reported communication was inversely associated with zBMI and parental pressure to eat moderated this association such that lower pressure to eat predicted a stronger association between communication and zBMI. Conclusions These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that parent feeding strategies and parent–child communication are important contributors to child weight status. This study also provides preliminary evidence suggesting that adaptive parent–child communication is associated with lower body mass when parents avoid pressuring their child to eat. Our study provides an important extension of this body of research into middle childhood, a relatively understudied developmental stage.

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Possible Dietary Effects of Insect-Based Diets across Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Generations: A Multidisciplinary Study on the Larval Phase

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11030751 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 751

Author(s):

Matteo Zarantoniello ◽

Basilio Randazzo ◽

Gloriana Cardinaletti ◽

Cristina Truzzi ◽

Giulia Chemello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Meal ◽

Gut Health ◽

Larval Phase ◽

Nutritional Programming ◽

Hepatic Lipid Accumulation ◽

Zebrafish Larvae ◽

Multidisciplinary Study ◽

Substitution Level ◽

Parental Feeding ◽

Negative Side Effects

Insects represent a valuable and sustainable alternative ingredient for aquafeed formulation. However, insect-based diets have often highlighted controversial results in different fish species, especially when high inclusion levels were used. Several studies have demonstrated that nutritional programming through parental feeding may allow the production of fish better adapted to use sub-optimal aquafeed ingredients. To date, this approach has never been explored on insect-based diets. In the present study, five experimental diets characterized by increasing fish meal substitution levels with full-fat Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens; BSF) prepupae meal (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) were used to investigate the effects of programming via broodstock nutrition on F1 zebrafish larvae development. The responses of offspring were assayed through biometric, gas chromatographic, histological, and molecular analyses. The results evidenced that the same BSF-based diets provided to adults were able to affect F1 zebrafish larvae fatty acid composition without impairing growth performances, hepatic lipid accumulation and gut health. Groups challenged with higher BSF inclusion with respect to fish meal (50%, 75% and 100%) showed a significant downregulation of stress response markers and a positive modulation of inflammatory cytokines gene expression. The present study evidences that nutritional programming through parental feeding may make it possible to extend the fish meal substitution level with BSF prepupae meal in the diet up to almost 100% without incurring the well-known negative side effects of BSF-based diets.

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The Moderating Effects of the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Intervention and Parenting Factors on Family Mealtime in Overweight and Obese African American Adolescents

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13061745 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 1745

Author(s):

Dawn K. Wilson ◽

Allison M. Sweeney ◽

Mary Quattlebaum ◽

Haylee Loncar ◽

Colby Kipp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

African American ◽

Parenting Styles ◽

Positive Association ◽

African American Adolescents ◽

Motivational Strategies ◽

Moderating Effects ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Parental Concerns ◽

Parental Feeding

Few studies have integrated positive parenting and motivational strategies to address dietary outcomes such as frequency of family mealtime. The Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss trial was a randomized group cohort trial (n = 241 dyads) testing the efficacy of integrating a motivational plus family weight loss (M + FWL) intervention for healthy eating and weight loss in overweight and obese African American adolescents. The current study tested the interaction of parenting styles (responsiveness, demandingness) and parental feeding practices (restriction, concern about child’s weight, pressure to eat) and the FIT intervention on frequency of family mealtime over 16 weeks. Multilevel modeling demonstrated significant interactions between the group-based treatment and responsiveness (p = 0.018) and demandingness (p = 0.010) on family mealtime. For the group-based M + FWL intervention, increased responsiveness and reduced demandingness were associated with increased frequency of family mealtime from baseline to 16 weeks. There was also a negative association between parental restriction and frequency of family mealtime, but a positive association between parental concerns about their adolescent’s weight and frequency of mealtime. These findings are the first to demonstrate that an authoritative or nurturing parenting style moderated intervention effects for improving the frequency of family mealtime in overweight and obese African American adolescents.

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Child weight and parental feeding practices: a child-responsive model

Nutrition & Food Science ◽

10.1108/nfs-08-2014-0074 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 174-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Elisabeth Lind Melbye ◽

Håvard Hansen

Keyword(s):

Weight Status ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Mediating Effects ◽

Parental Concern ◽

Content Type ◽

Parental Feeding Practices ◽

Child Weight ◽

Parental Feeding ◽

Wide Range

Purpose – The majority of previous studies on parental feeding practices have focused on the effect of controlling feeding strategies on child eating and weight (i.e. parental influence on children). The present study turns the arrow in the opposite direction, and it aims to test a child-responsive model by exploring the process in which child weight status might influence parental feeding practices, addressing potential mediating effects of parental concern for child weight (i.e. child influence on parents). Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was performed among parents of 10- to 12-year olds (n = 963). The survey questionnaire included measures of parental feeding practices and parents’ reports of child weight and height. Stepwise regressions were performed to reveal potential mediating effects of parental concern for child weight status on the associations between child BMI and a wide range of parental feeding practices. Findings – Our results suggest a mediating effect of parental concern for child overweight on the associations between child body mass index and controlling feeding practices such as restriction for weight and health purposes and responsibility for determining child portion sizes. Originality/value – This study provides an extension of previous research on parental feeding–child weight relationship. It includes a wider spectrum of feeding variables, and integrates parental concern for both child who is overweight and child who is underweight as potential mediators of the associations between child weight and parental feeding practices. Moreover, it has its focus on preadolescent children, while previous studies have focused on infants and young children.

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