Eating Behaviors Among Weight-Discordant Siblings

The purpose of this study was to compare weight-discordant siblings in eating in the absence of hunger, caloric compensation, and the quality of their habitual diet. The investigator hypothesized that, within families and controlling for age differences, overweight and obese siblings would show greater eating in the absence of hunger, poorer caloric compensation, and poorer diet quality (e.g., increased percent of energy from fat and caloric beverages) compared to normal-weight siblings.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Feeding study

Detailed Description

The study used a discordant sibling design to compare putative obesity-promoting eating traits among siblings, 5-12 years, who were raised in the same household, but were discordant for weight status (normal-weight: BMI-for-age between 5 and less than the 85th percentile; overweight/obese: BMI-for-age greater or equal to the 85th percentile). Forty-seven pairs of same-sex siblings (boys and girls) were recruited from the greater Philadelphia area to participate in a 4-week study during which their eating behaviors and body composition were assessed. The study tested the hypotheses that overweight/obese, compared to normal-weight, siblings exhibit 1) a weaker ability to compensate for calories, 2) a greater susceptibility towards eating in the absence of hunger, and 3) habitual dietary intakes that favor increased dietary energy density (kcal/g) and increased %energy derived from fat and caloric beverages. The use of a behavioral genetics design to study eating phenotypes among siblings is a unique approach to elucidate shared and non-shared environmental influences that can contribute to variations in weight status during childhood.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 94
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
      • University of Pennsylvania

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 12 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• same-sex;
• weight discordant (normal-weight vs. overweight/obese);
• meet age criteria;
• like most foods that were served in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• serious medical conditions or medication use known to affect appetite, food intake and body weight;
• developmental or psychiatric conditions;
• food allergies or nutrient intolerances (including lactose intolerance).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Low energy-dense preload	Other: Feeding study; In a crossover design, siblings were served dinner once a week for 3 weeks. Across conditions, siblings were served the same dinner, but, 25 minutes before dinner, they either consumed in full or did not consume one of two preloads that varied in energy density. On the day when no preload was consumed, eating in the absence of hunger was assessed after dinner and defined as the number of calories consumed from snacks. Habitual dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls.
Experimental: High energy-dense preload	Other: Feeding study; In a crossover design, siblings were served dinner once a week for 3 weeks. Across conditions, siblings were served the same dinner, but, 25 minutes before dinner, they either consumed in full or did not consume one of two preloads that varied in energy density. On the day when no preload was consumed, eating in the absence of hunger was assessed after dinner and defined as the number of calories consumed from snacks. Habitual dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls.
Experimental: No preload	Other: Feeding study; In a crossover design, siblings were served dinner once a week for 3 weeks. Across conditions, siblings were served the same dinner, but, 25 minutes before dinner, they either consumed in full or did not consume one of two preloads that varied in energy density. On the day when no preload was consumed, eating in the absence of hunger was assessed after dinner and defined as the number of calories consumed from snacks. Habitual dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recalls.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Energy intake	%COMPX, EAH, dietary intake variables	Up to 4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body composition	Weight status (BMI-for-age percentile), BMI z-score, total body fat (%), waist circumference (cm), skinfold thickness (mm)	Single assessment at Week 4

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tanja V.E. Kral, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kral TV, Allison DB, Birch LL, Stallings VA, Moore RH, Faith MS. Caloric compensation and eating in the absence of hunger in 5- to 12-y-old weight-discordant siblings. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Sep;96(3):574-83. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.037952. Epub 2012 Aug 1.

Helpful Links

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 8, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): May 15, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 15, 2012
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2012
• Last Verified: May 1, 2012

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: K01DK078601 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)