Children eat according to the size of the serving -study-

[HuckleB]

Children eat according to the size of the serving

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=26209

"Contrary to what many people believe, preschool children do not adjust how much they eat in response to how much they ate at their last meal or in the past 24 hours or how calorie-rich their meal is. By far, the most powerful predictor for how much children eat is how much food is put on their plate, concludes a new study by Cornell University researchers.

"We examined all the predictors we could of how much a child eats at a meal," said David Levitsky, professor of nutritional sciences and of psychology at Cornell. "We found that portion size is, by far, the most important factor in predicting how much a child will eat. These findings suggest that both the onus of controlling children's weight -- both in causing overweight in children as well as in its prevention -- must rest squarely in the hands of parents and other caregivers."

Levitsky and Gordana Mrdjenovic, Cornell Ph.D. '00, monitored the food intake of 16 preschool children, ages 4-6, for five to seven consecutive days in day-care centers, and parents kept a food diary of what their children ate in the evenings and weekends.

"We found that the more food children are served, the more they eat, regardless of what they've eaten previously in the day, including how big their breakfast was," said Levitsky. "We also found that the more snacks children are offered, the greater their total daily food and calorie intake."

..."



I know that this shouldn't be shocking. However, this research is very necessary in order to promote positive changes in the food and beverage industry, as well as in many parenting styles, IMHO.

[mark11727]

1. "No TV or desert until you finish everything on that plate...!"

"Children are starving in Europe...!"

"Just be thankful your father has a decent job so we can put dinner on the table..."

--------------- fast forward forty years --------------

"Look how heavy you've gotten, what have you been eating...?"

(sigh)

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. It's an awfully hard habit to break.

I've taken to putting leftovers in the fridge as soon as I fill my plate, so I won't go back for seconds, (bachelor, cooking for myself) and I almost never eat out because the servings are so large and its so hard to walk away from a half-full plate.

I hope to be down to only 30lbs overweight by the end of the summer.

[rock]

2. So you're saying

Children don't eat food that doesn't exist? Duh.

[HuckleB]

3. ?

:shrug:

[Sugarbleus]

5. My grandson eats only what's available...but if there are any

left-overs, he's on it like a fly on you know what. He will hide food too. He sneaks into the kitchen at night to drink up sodas, juices, milk etc, and find "snacks" of any sort to munch on. His mother is the same. That's an eating disorder in my view.

I hate to cook. I am careful in how much food I bring into the house because we cannot afford to waste any but when we have a full meal..this kid pounces on it (without regard to the rest of us being hungry). He is overweight but only by a little bit. He loves sports so we encourage him to "work it out baby". That's probably why he's not a blimp.

A friend of ours has two boys who are skinny as rails. They have no craving to eat all the time. They eat a lot of junk food too because their mother doesn't cook all that much...she can afford expensive foods too. Weird

My mother in law is as thin as a rail also. She has a sweet tooth and doens't like to eat wholesome food. Her son, my S.O., can simply stop eating and lose weight. I stop eating and nothing happens.

I think a lot of these fat issues, especially in children, are a combination of genes AND environment. Does anyone remember the studies on FAT CELLS? I thought that study pretty much nailed it down.

[Warpy]

6. The dirty secret about fat is that there is no known way to take it off

and keep it off. 90% of dieters who successfully lose weight will gain it all back within five years, plus a little extra. Gastric surgery isn't a cure, either, since people simply adapt to eating smaller amounts more frequently and start gaining their weight back.

We're simply getting signals from our bodies that all the Calvinist will power in the world won't be able to override. Fat is not a moral issue, no more than having brown or blue eyes is.

[Sugarbleus]

7. You got that right..!

I can only speak for women (being one myself). All of us grew up in a slender family; we had zero fat issues when we went to school and throughout early adulthood. My mother started to gain weight later in life.

As I understand and have experienced it, the metabolism begins to slow down around 30 years old for females. There ya are, eating and doing what ya always did and all of a sudden Pounds turn up on your hips. Time to change the way we eat and our activities if we want to remain slim. Then in the 40's the damn system slows down AGAIN! For women, menopause is another mile post for weight gain. :(

Some people keep on top of this stuff right along the way; other's, like me, don't realize what's happening and wake up one morning pretty tight in their clothes. THEN there are THE SKINNY ONES..the one's who practically NEVER gain an ounce all of their lives and/or have to put in little effort to balance their shape again. (Boy, they make me sick) LOL

I was thin until I got into an unhappy relationship...then I quit smoking and BAM!! It was like someone had pumped me up with an air hose. Geez.. Then I started walking and doing the Weight Watcher's program. I lost the pounds alright but guess what? Yep, it came back almost double. Tried again some years later and again..it came back like a roaring freight train..bigger and more stubborn.

It's like the "fat cells" are just lying in wait for something to fill them up with. They don't seem to go away and my metabolism is shot.

I don't like being heavy. It hurts. I can't find clothing. I can't do a lot of things I once did. I stopped walking when my Osteo Arthritis got serious. My MD gave me some strong pain killers so I can at least get out in my yard and pull weeds, plant etc. I do work up a sweat like that but...it's slow going. I don't eat as much as even the doc says I should--lost my appetite. He tells me I SHOULD be eating breakfast and smaller meals while I engage in movement. I'm also considering trying the WW's again but from home..can't walk much.

For me, it's not about vanity anymore--I'm way past the bikini stage (though being able to paint my toenails again would be nice ;) ), it's about the pain in my poor muscles and joints and the breathlessness. I'll never be "thin" again no matter what weight I may lose.

In the meantime, I'd sure like folks to give we heavy types a break. Loosing a huge amount of weight, while keeping up with normal life--like working, fighting with spouse or kids, coping with disabilities or depression, and/or cooking for family members, is an unspeakably difficult. It takes a very long time and most people never make it.

Good post Warpy.. :hug:

[HuckleB]

8. Doctors urge action on child 'diabesity'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1512462,00.html

[HuckleB]

9. Do Fad Diets Increase the Odds of Children Developing Eating Disorders?

Is Your Fad Diet Increasing the Odds of Your Child Developing an Eating Disorder?
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050523/phm028.html?.v=11

[HuckleB]

10. Childhood food experiences moderate later binge eating risk

http://www.psychiatrysource.com/psychsource/News/article1632.htm