The Associations between Caregivers' Emotional and Instrumental Feeding, Children's Emotional Eating, and Children's Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in China

Nutritional epigenetics education improves diet and attitude of parents of children with autism or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND

Unhealthy maternal diet leads to heavy metal exposures from the consumption of ultra-processed foods that may impact gene behavior across generations, creating conditions for the neurodevelopmental disorders known as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with these disorders have difficulty metabolizing and excreting heavy metals from their bloodstream, and the severity of their symptoms correlates with the heavy metal levels measured in their blood. Psychiatrists may play a key role in helping parents reduce their ultra-processed food and dietary heavy metal intake by providing access to effective nutritional epigenetics education.

AIM

To test the efficacy of nutritional epigenetics instruction in reducing parental ultra-processed food intake.

METHODS

The study utilized a semi-randomized test and control group pretest-posttest pilot study design with participants recruited from parents having a learning-disabled child with autism or ADHD. Twenty-two parents who met the inclusion criteria were randomly selected to serve in the test (n = 11) or control (n = 11) group. The test group participated in the six-week online nutritional epigenetics tutorial, while the control group did not. The efficacy of the nutritional epigenetics instruction was determined by measuring changes in parent diet and attitude using data derived from an online diet survey administered to the participants during the pre and post intervention periods. Diet intake scores were derived for both ultra-processed and whole/organic foods. Paired sample t-tests were conducted to determine any differences in mean diet scores within each group.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in the diet scores of the test group between the pre- and post-intervention periods. The parents in the test group significantly reduced their intake of ultra-processed foods with a pre-intervention diet score of 70 (mean = 5.385, SD = 2.534) and a post-intervention diet score of 113 (mean = 8.692, SD = 1.750) and the paired t-test analysis showing a significance of P < 0.001. The test group also significantly increased their consumption of whole and/or organic foods with a pre-intervention diet score of 100 (mean = 5.882, SD = 2.472) and post-intervention diet score of 121 (mean = 7.118, SD = 2.390) and the paired t-test analysis showing a significance of P < 0.05.

CONCLUSION

Here we show nutritional epigenetics education can be used to reduce ultra-processed food intake and improve attitude among parents having learning-disabled children with autism or ADHD.

Ultra-Processed Food as Mediator of the Association between Birthweight and Childhood Body Weight Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Previous studies have shown conflicting findings regarding the association between birthweight and childhood adiposity. We aimed to explore the interaction between ultra-processed food (UPF) and birthweight and its associations with bodyweight markers. The retrospective analysis of data from a Multicity Cohort Study across eastern China was conducted. UPF was computed as percentage of the energy intake and categorized into quartiles. Birthweight was categorized into low (LBW), normal (NBW) and high (HBW). The BMI z-score was calculated using the lambda-mu-sigma method. The sex- and age-specific BMI cutoff points were used to define weight status. Generalized linear models were used to examine modification effects and were performed after adjustment for covariates. The mean percentage of energy intake from UPF was 27.7% among 1370 children. Of all children, 2.3% and 21.4% were born with LBW and HBW, respectively. HBW was a permanent risk for high BMI measures, while LBW was associated with increased BMI measurements only by the addition of the interaction term. The subgroup analysis revealed that HBW and LBW were positively associated with BMI measurements in the lowest UPF intake (Q1), while HBW was related to high BMI measures in Q4. Our findings support efforts to recommend limiting UPF intake, especially for LBW children.

Eating Behaviours, Oral Hygiene, and Caries in a Population of Spanish Children with Divorced Parents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dental caries are a public health problem that is influenced by dietary habits. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the feeding and hygiene habits that divorced parents exercise over their children compared to non-divorced parents, and how this may influence the rate of caries in their children. The data of participants (n = 174) with an average age of 12.17 ± 2.04 years were examined to assess the mean decayed/missing/filled teeth (DMFT) index, and they were asked questions about their oral hygiene habits. At the same time, their parents answered the parental feeding style questionnaire. A moderation analysis was conducted with family control of oral hygiene habit levels as an independent variable, decayed teeth as a dependent variable, and feeding control as a moderating variable. Results showed that divorced parents were found to have more problems in controlling their children's hygiene and dietary habits, have less control over their children's feeding, and make more use of instrumental feeding, which led to children of divorced parents having more caries. Despite the limitations linked to the cross-sectional design of the study and considering both the convenience sample and the impossibility of controlling for all aetiological factors linked to the development of caries, it can be concluded that children of divorced parents have an increased risk of tooth decay. However, parental controlled feeding interferes with the effect of family controlled oral hygiene habits on the decayed tooth, decreasing the rate of caries.

Are Complementary Feeding Practices Aligned with Current Recommendations? A Narrative Review

The complementary feeding introduction period (introduction of solid foods alongside breastmilk or formula) is defining in children's health; however, it appears that many parents do not follow complementary feeding guidelines. Our aim was to describe current parental feeding practices during complementary feeding in relation to current recommendations and explore determinants of adherence to guidelines. We included any relevant studies published within the last decade in French or English and summarized findings by recommendation category. The timing of complementary food introduction varied widely across and within continents (earlier in North America and often delayed in Asia). The introduction of allergenic foods tended to be delayed globally. Although some parents now begin complementary feeding with solid foods (i.e., baby-led weaning), delayed introduction of lumpy textures was still prevalent in the United States and in Europe. The consumption of iron-rich foods was predominantly low in Africa. Added sugars were globally introduced early, especially in America. Evidence for the prevalence of responsive feeding practices among parents is unclear due to the small number of studies. Determinants of complementary feeding practices included parental characteristics, such as age, education, socio-economic status, and race/ethnicity. Interventions aiming to increase adherence to complementary feeding guidelines must account for parental characteristics.

Ultra-processed foods and health: a comprehensive review

Dramatically increasing trends in consumption of ultra-processed foods have been reported across the globe. Public concern about the health consequences of ultra-processed foods is high. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of trends in global consumption of ultra-processed foods, dietary nutrient profile of ultra-processed foods, demographic, socioeconomic, psychological, and behavioral characteristics of ultra-processed food consumers, current evidence from longitudinal studies at the population level on the association between ultra-processed foods consumption and major health outcomes (including all-cause and cause-specific mortality, cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, body composition and fat deposition, diabetes, cancer, and gastrointestinal and other diseases), potential mechanisms linking ultra-processed foods with these outcomes (nutrient displacement, factors that influence adiposity, and processing), and challenges and future research directions. The global trends in consumption of ultra-processed foods, the generally unfavorable nutrient profile of ultra-processed foods, the characteristics of ultra-processed food consumers, the accumulating longitudinal studies associating ultra-processed foods with major health outcomes, and the uncertainties and complexities in putative mechanisms all highlight the need for future high-quality epidemiologic and mechanistic investigations on this topic. It is critical to interpret findings in the light of the totality of evidence.