Such an eating style can be hypothesized to explain an increased calorie intake in obese children, promoting a positive energy balance in the long term. The data support a learning model of obesity in childhood, which also has implications for family treatment.

OBJECTIVE:To determine parental influence on obesity, eating behavior of 80 obese and normal weight children (aged 8 -12 y) was investigated in the laboratory. DESIGN: A controlled repeated measurement design was used. The mother was either present or absent while the child was eating in the laboratory. MEASUREMENTS: The eating style was measured by recording cumulative eating curves with a universal eating monitor, using yoghurt as a standardized experimental meal. RESULTS: The eating behavior of obese children differed significantly from normal weight children only when the mother was present in the laboratory. Overweight children ate faster with larger bites and showed an acceleration of their eating rate towards the end of the meal. CONCLUSION: Such an eating style can be hypothesized to explain an increased calorie intake in obese children, promoting a positive energy balance in the long-term. The data support a learning model of obesity in childhood, which also has implications for family treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether children at high risk of obesity have a reduced resting metabolic rate (RMR). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: 93 healthy girls (age: 8 ± 12 y) were allocated to one of four groups, according to the subjects' and their parents' weight status: group 1, overweight children with both parents overweight (OBaOB 2 ; n 17); group 2, normal weight children with both parents overweight (NaOB 2 ; n 28); group 3, overweight children of discordant parents (OBaOB 1 ; n 21) and group 4, normal weight children with both parents normal weight (NaOB 0 ; n 27). MEASUREMENTS: Weight, height, fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), RMR (indirect calorimetry) for the duration of 25 min. RESULTS: Controlling for disparities in body composition, age and physical maturity, signi®cant differences were found in adjusted group means of RMR (OBaOB 2 1181 kcalad; NaOB 2 1276 kcalad; OBaOB 1 1234 kcalad; NaOB 0 1199 kcalad; P`0.02) with the OBaOB 2 girls showing the lowest energy expenditure. CONCLUSION: We found evidence that preadolescent girls at risk of obesity, are not generally predisposed to a higher body weight, because of a greater metabolic ef®ciency. In fact, our data show that more emphasis should be laid on de®ning different subgroups of both overweight and normal weight subjects in studies investigating metabolic rate.

Zusammenfassung. In dieser Arbeit wurde zur Aufdeckung familiärer Determinanten kindlichen Übergewichts der Essstil übergewichtiger und normalgewichtiger Kinder unter laborexperimentellen Bedingungen verglichen. Jeweils bei An- bzw. Abwesenheit eines Elternteils wurde das Essverhalten von 80 Kindern bei einer standardisierten Mahlzeit mit einem “Universal Eating Monitor“ erfasst. Übergewichtige Kinder essen nur in Gegenwart der Mutter schneller, mit größeren Löffelportionen und mit Beschleunigung der Essgeschwindigkeit zum Ende der Mahlzeit hin. Die Untersuchung von Hintergrund-Faktoren zeigte, dass die Eltern übergewichtiger Kinder diese häufiger mit Nahrungsmitteln belohnen und dass übergewichtige Kinder in ihrem Essverhalten leichter durch äußere Reize und Emotionen störbar sind. Solche Unterschiede in der Mikrostruktur des Essverhaltens können langfristig zu einer erhöhten Kalorienaufnahme und damit zur Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung des Übergewichts beitragen. Die Ergebnisse werden im Rahmen eines lerntheoretisch orientierten Modells diskutiert, das sowohl spezifischen innerfamiliären Konditionierungsprozessen als auch allgemeinen sozialen Stressreizen Bedeutung für den Erwerb eines ungünstigen Essstils zumisst.