Parents of children who act impulsively should monitor the weight of their offspring, according to US researchers. The reason is simple: this personality trait, characterized by a lack of self-control, leads them to eat faster and increases their risk of suffering from obesity.
- A slower ingestion rate in children was associated with introversion. Greater food reactivity was associated with impulsivity and extraversion.
- The fact of eating quickly and a greater reactivity to food cues (the urge to eat when they see, smell or taste food) are linked to a risk of obesity.
“Temperament is associated with many behavioral and developmental outcomes in children, but despite emerging evidence, few studies have examined its relationship with childhood obesity,” said Robert Berkowitz, professor at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), in a statement. This researcher is the main author of a study that examined the links between three eating behaviors and three facets of personality in children. After this work published in the journal Pediatric Obesitythe professor and his team discovered that the risk of being obese was higher in impulsive children.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists recruited 28 children aged 4 to 8 who were suffering from or were at risk of becoming obese. Among the participants were impulsive children, introverted volunteers and extroverted toddlers. The authors analyzed their eating behaviors, such as their responsiveness to feelings of satiety, their responsiveness to the sight, smell and taste of food, and the speed of ingestion.
The faster children eat, the more likely they are to suffer from obesity
The results show that introverted children ate more slowly than extroverted and impulsive toddlers. Research has suggested that food cravings at the sight and/or smell of food are linked to children’s inability to control themselves. The researchers also found that children who were sensitive to food cues were also more likely to experience frustration, have difficulty managing their emotions, and demonstrate self-control.
According to Myles Faith, co-author of the research, these findings are critical because faster eating and greater responsiveness to food cues have been linked to obesity risk in children. “Future research should examine the different ways parents feed their children based on their temperament, and explore whether the relationship between temperament and eating behaviors is a two-way street. The habit of eating more slowly, over time, could it lead to less impulsiveness? concluded Alyssa Button, co-author of the study.
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