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Aagaard KM, Barkin SL, Burant CF, Carnell S, Demerath E, Donovan SM, Eneli I, Francis LA, Gilbert-Diamond D, Hivert MF, LeBourgeois MK, Loos RJF, Lumeng JC, Miller AL, Okely AD, Osganian SK, Ramirez AG, Trasande L, Van Horn LV, Wake M, Wright RJ, Yanovski SZ. Understanding risk and causal mechanisms for developing obesity in infants and young children: A National Institutes of Health workshop. Obes Rev 2024; 25:e13690. [PMID: 38204366 DOI: 10.1111/obr.13690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Obesity in children remains a major public health problem, with the current prevalence in youth ages 2-19 years estimated to be 19.7%. Despite progress in identifying risk factors, current models do not accurately predict development of obesity in early childhood. There is also substantial individual variability in response to a given intervention that is not well understood. On April 29-30, 2021, the National Institutes of Health convened a virtual workshop on "Understanding Risk and Causal Mechanisms for Developing Obesity in Infants and Young Children." The workshop brought together scientists from diverse disciplines to discuss (1) what is known regarding epidemiology and underlying biological and behavioral mechanisms for rapid weight gain and development of obesity and (2) what new approaches can improve risk prediction and gain novel insights into causes of obesity in early life. Participants identified gaps and opportunities for future research to advance understanding of risk and underlying mechanisms for development of obesity in early life. It was emphasized that future studies will require multi-disciplinary efforts across basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences. An exposome framework is needed to elucidate how behavioral, biological, and environmental risk factors interact. Use of novel statistical methods may provide greater insights into causal mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kjersti M Aagaard
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Shari L Barkin
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Charles F Burant
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Susan Carnell
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ellen Demerath
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sharon M Donovan
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Ihuoma Eneli
- Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Center of Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Lori A Francis
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Diane Gilbert-Diamond
- Department of Epidemiology, Medicine and Pediatrics, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Marie-France Hivert
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse (CoRAL), Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Diabetes Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Monique K LeBourgeois
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Ruth J F Loos
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Alison L Miller
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Anthony D Okely
- School of Health and Society, Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- llawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Sport, Food, and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Stavroula K Osganian
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Amelie G Ramirez
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Department of Pediatrics, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Population Health, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Linda V Van Horn
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Melissa Wake
- Population Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Kravis Children's Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan Z Yanovski
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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McCaffery H, Zaituna J, Busch S, Kaciroti N, Miller AL, Lumeng JC, Rosenblum KL, Gearhardt A, Pesch MH. Developmental trajectories of eating behaviors and cross-lagged associations with weight across infancy. Appetite 2023; 188:106978. [PMID: 37495177 PMCID: PMC10844930 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Examining typical developmental trajectories of infant eating behaviors, correlates of those trajectories, and cross-lagged associations between eating behaviors and anthropometry, is important to understand the etiology of these behaviors and their relevance to growth early in the lifespan. Mothers (N = 276) completed the Baby Eating Behavior Questionnaire (BEBQ) and infant anthropometrics were measured at ages 1, 2, 4, 6, and 10 months. Infant and maternal characteristics were collected by maternal report. Trajectories of eating behaviors were identified using latent class growth modeling and bivariate analyses examined associations of infant eating behavior trajectory membership with infant and maternal characteristics. Cross-lagged analyses examined associations between BEBQ subscales and infant weight-for-length z-score. Infant eating behavior trajectories included: Consistently High (62%) and Consistently Moderate (38%) Enjoyment of Food; Consistently High (9%), Moderate & Decreasing (43%), and Low & Decreasing (48%) Food Responsiveness; and Consistently High (62%) and Moderate & Decreasing (38%) General Appetite. Trajectory group membership was not associated with infant sex, gestational age, birthweight, or having been exclusively fed breastmilk at 2 months. Consistently High trajectories for Enjoyment of Food, Food Responsiveness, and General Appetite were associated with maternal demographic markers of psychosocial risk (e.g., lower maternal age and educational attainment). Food Responsiveness and General Appetite tracked strongly across infancy within individuals. Cross-lagged associations of Enjoyment of Food, Food Responsiveness, and General Appetite with weight-for-length z-score across infancy were generally null. Much additional work is needed to understand eating behaviors in infancy, their development, and their etiology. Further understanding of infant eating behaviors will provide the basis for future interventions to improve life course nutrition, growth, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harlan McCaffery
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julie Zaituna
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sophie Busch
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Niko Kaciroti
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alison L Miller
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julie C Lumeng
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
| | | | - Ashley Gearhardt
- Department of Psychology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Megan H Pesch
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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