Fat, sugar, caffeine, and sodium - when you have a child, there are plenty of health and nutritional issues to concern you. But beware of using food restriction to ensure your child eats a healthy diet. Researchers from Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, found that girls whose food intake was restricted by their mothers were more likely to overeat as they got older.

Participating in a study of eating habits and behaviors, 140 girls - starting at age 5 and continuing at 7 and 9 years of age - visited a clinic. At each visit to the clinic, the girls' heights and weights were measured, and their body mass indexes (BMI, a measure that can help identify weight problems) were calculated.

The first portion of the study assessed the influence of hunger on the girls' food intake. Each girl was provided with generous lunch portions, and after eating, each girl noted whether she was hungry, half-full, or full. Immediately after lunch, each girl was offered 10 sweet and salty foods and told she could play with toys or eat any of the foods she wanted. She was then left alone for 10 minutes and researchers observed whether and how much the girl ate during the adult's absence.

After returning, the researcher asked the girl whether her parents allowed her to have any of those foods and how she felt about her eating during the session. In addition, the girls' mothers completed questionnaires about the extent to which they controlled how much, when, and what their daughters ate. Each mother was also asked about her perceptions and concerns about her daughter's weight.

In general, older age was associated with the likelihood that a girl would eat even when she wasn't hungry. Nine-year-old girls were more likely to eat even though they weren't hungry, compared to 5-year-old girls. Food restriction at a young age was also related to a child's risk of eating in the absence of hunger. Five-year-old girls whose mothers were more restrictive with their food intake tended to eat more even when they weren't hungry by the time they were 7 and 9. Finally, weight status and food restriction influenced food intake at older ages. Girls who were overweight at 5 years of age and whose mothers restricted their food intake ate the most even when they weren't hungry at 9 years of age.

What This Means to You

Efforts to restrict a young child's food intake may encourage the child to ignore his or her own body's cues to stop eating and may actually promote overeating and excessive weight gain. Encourage your child to consume a diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, and whole grains while permitting occasional treats. If you have questions about your child's weight or nutrition, talk to your child's doctor or a registered dietitian.

Source: Leann L. Birch; Jennifer Orlet Fisher; Kirsten Krahnstoever Davison; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2003

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2003