Child feeding practices and obesity

Article Outline

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It is obvious that the epidemic of obesity is related to changes in diet and physical activity. However, the specifics of these relationships are not clear and if there are different issues for different ethnic groups is not known. In this issue of The Journal, Spruijt-Metz et al examined ethnic differences in the relationship of the mother’s child feeding practices and subsequent fat mass. They found that concern for the child’s weight was negatively related to change in fat mass but only for white and not for African American families.

Although this is a longitudinal study, it is difficult to disentangle if concern for the child’s weight is a cause of or a reaction to abnormal weight gain. Future studies must include measures of diet intake, physical activity, and sedentary time to better understand these relationships. Attitudes about weight gain must also be evaluated to better understand ethnic differences in these relationships. Understanding these issues may ultimately allow a more individualized approach to prevention and treatment of obesity.