No abstract

This study focused on the association between time of day when energy is consumed and body weight status in various subgroups of the pediatric population. A nationally representative sample of 2‐18 year olds (N=11,072; NHANES 1999‐2004) was examined to compare total and proportion of total energy intakes in one‐hour time increments and their association to children's body weight status. General estimation equation models were employed to quantify the effect of time trends on energy intake in the total sample by sex, body weight status, ethnic and age group. Complex sample survey Student t‐tests and chi‐square tests were used to obtain statistical significance at a p‐value of <0.05.The eating pattern of healthy weight, overweight and obese children were the similar in the morning but differed in the evening. Healthy weight children consumed higher proportions of energy in the morning but had lower energy intake the rest of the day. Obese children had less energy in the morning and larger proportions of total energy than overweight and healthy weight children between 7pm to midnight. Study results also showed a time‐trend effect in overweight school‐age children indicating higher energy intake in the evening. Further research is needed to examine in detail the long‐term effect of higher proportions of total energy consumed later in the day on childhood obesity in the American children.

This study was designed to compare the measured consumption of eight high‐fiber snack foods (cookies, muffins, crackers and cheese, pretzels, dry cereal, applesauce, chocolate pudding, carrots and ranch dip) with the level of liking of the food in children attending a local daycare center. Snacks were served in the mornings of eight different days to a sample of 2–5 year old children (n=42). Food intake was calculated with pre‐and post consumption plate weighing. Liking of the foods was estimated using a 3‐point likert scale (yummy, so‐so, yucky) for the following characteristics: appearance, taste, texture, sweetness, and overall liking; non‐parametric test (p‐value<0.05) was used to determine statistical significance. Results showed that amount consumed and liking of food were not associated except for increased intakes with higher ratings for the appearance and overall liking of the applesauce (p‐value<0.001), the taste of cookies (p‐value<0.04), and the appearance of the ready‐to‐eat cereal (p‐value<0.02). Our results indicate that in these preschool‐age children consuming a morning snack at daycare, food consumption is not predicted by the liking of the food. Further studies to determine the predictors of food intake behavior in this age group are needed.