Body weight status, eating behavior, sensitivity to reward/punishment, and gender: relationships and interdependencies

Screen time (ST) not only affects physical activity but can also be associated with dietary behaviors. Both of these factors determine the health and development of adolescents. The aims of the study were: 1. to analyze the relationship between ST and nutritional behaviors among adolescents; 2. to examine this association in relation to body weight status. Data on the ST duration and nutritional behaviors were collected using a questionnaire. Body mass status was assessed based on weight and height measurements. A total of 14,044 students aged 13–19 years old from 207 schools participated in the study. A significant relationship between ST and gender, age and type of school was observed, but not body weight status. The average ST duration increased with age (from 2.6 h among 13 years old to 3.2 h among 19 years old), and was significantly higher among boys in all age categories (2.7 h vs. 2.5 h in the youngest age group, and 3.5 h vs. 3.0 h in the oldest age group, respectively). The chance for meeting the recommendation for ST in a group of girls (regardless of age) was almost 50% higher compared to boys. Meeting ST recommendation (≤2 h) was associated with a greater odds ratio for favorable nutritional behaviors in the whole group, with exception of drinking milk or milk beverages, and significantly reduced the odds ratio of adverse dietary behaviors (drinking sweet beverages, consumption of sweets and fast food) in the whole group and by gender. More research is needed to clarify the possible cause-and-effect relationships between ST and dietary behaviors.

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Cartoon Characters in Children’s Series: Gender Disparities in Body Weight and Food Consumption

Sexes ◽

10.3390/sexes2010007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 79-87

Author(s):

Milia Tzoutzou ◽

Eirini Bathrellou ◽

Antonia-Leda Matalas

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Weight Status ◽

Normal Weight ◽

External Appearance ◽

Body Weight Status ◽

Female Figures ◽

And Gender ◽

Cartoon Characters

(1) Background: Media play a significant role in forming audience perceptions about physical external appearance and food consumption patterns. It has been reported that children’s cartoons project slimness, and concomitantly consumption of poor nutritional quality food. However, data on the role of gender in this respect are lacking; thus, this was the aim of the present study. (2) Methods: 100 episodes of the 10 most popular cartoon series were analyzed. Characters’ body weight status was classified into underweight, normal weight and overweight, and foods consumed as core (e.g., fruit, vegetables) and non-core (e.g., sweets, snacks). Messages about characters’ attractiveness were recorded and classified according to their body weight status and gender. (3) Results: Out of 37 protagonists, 12 were female figures (32%), while out of the 10 thin protagonists, 7 were females (70%) and only 3 males (30%). Thin heroines were the recipients of the majority of the messages connotative to physical attractiveness (36 out of 58 messages). However, consumption of core and non-core foods did not differ within genders (core: z = −1.526, p = 0.127, non-core: z = −0.417, p = 0.667). (4) Conclusions: Females seem to be underrepresented in cartoon series but receive the majority of the comments related to physical appearance, with most of them addressing the attractiveness of a thin figure.

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PROP taster status interacts with the built environment to influence children's food acceptance and body weight status

Obesity ◽

10.1002/oby.20059 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 786-794 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Carlye Burd ◽

Araliya Senerat ◽

Earle Chambers ◽

Kathleen L. Keller

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Built Environment ◽

Weight Status ◽

Food Acceptance ◽

Body Weight Status

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Is overweight/obesity a risk factor for atopic allergic disease in prepubertal children? A case–control study

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism ◽

10.1515/jpem-2021-0051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Aysel Vehapoglu ◽

Zeynep Ebru Cakın ◽

Feyza Ustabas Kahraman ◽

Mustafa Atilla Nursoy ◽

Ali Toprak

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Allergic Disease ◽

Weight Status ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

University Hospital ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Prepubertal Children ◽

Body Weight Status ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Objectives It is unclear whether body weight status (underweight/normal weight/overweight/obese) is associated with allergic disease. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between body weight status (body mass index; BMI) and atopic allergic disease in prepubertal children, and to compare children with atopic allergic diseases with non atopic healthy children. Methods A prospective cross sectional study of 707 prepubertal children aged 3–10 years was performed; the participants were 278 atopic children with physician-diagnosed allergic disease (allergic rhinitis and asthma) (serum total IgE level >100 kU/l and eosinophilia >4%, or positivity to at least one allergen in skin test) and 429 non atopic healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Data were collected between December 2019 and November 2020 at the Pediatric General and Pediatric Allergy Outpatient Clinics of Bezmialem Vakıf University Hospital. Results Underweight was observed in 11.6% of all participants (10.8% of atopic children, 12.2% of healthy controls), and obesity in 14.9% of all participants (18.0% of atopic children, 12.8% of controls). Obese (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 1.08–2.71, p=0.021), and overweight status (OR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06–2.50, p=0.026) were associated with an increased risk of atopic allergic disease compared to normal weight in pre-pubertal children. This association did not differ by gender. There was no relationship between underweight status and atopic allergic disease (OR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.63–1.68, p=0.894). Conclusions Overweight and obesity were associated with an increased risk of atopic allergic disease compared to normal weight among middle-income and high-income pre pubertal children living in Istanbul.

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