Abstract

We propose to continue one of the most complete prospective longitudinal studies of growth and development yet undertaken of children at high risk of obesity. The study of 72 children now 9 to 10 years of age, selected on the basis on maternal overweight or leanness, achieved its initial goal, disconfirming the widely held belief that a low total energy expenditure predicted body size and composition as early as one year of age. It has since found that, at 2 years of age, 33 children of overweight mothers did not differ from 37 children of lean mothers in any aspect of body composition. By 4 years of age, high risk children had greater weight, body mass index (BMI), skinfold thickness and lean body mass. By 6 years of age they also had significantly greater levels (25% vs. 19%) (6.7 kg to 4.8) of body fat. Ten had exceeded the 85th percentile for BMI (odds ratio 15.7). We now propose to study the development of these subjects into adolescence focusing on behavioral determinants of body size: energy intake and physical activity. We will first evaluate the powerful influence of familial vulnerability on growth and development. Next, we will test the influence of food intake and physical activity on body composition, and determine the extent to which the influence of familial vulnerability is mediated by these behaviors. Energy intake will be assessed by food records, recalls, laboratory protocols and 2 questionnaires. Physical activity will be assessed with activity monitors and with monitors of television and computer use and by recalls. These efforts will be enhanced by the remarkable sample maintenance, 92% at 10 years (72 out of the original 78 subjects) and no subject has been lost during the past 5 years. Parents report that they will continue to the end of the grant period. These subjects will make it possible to assess the effects of behavioral factors over time in a cohort that has been identified as being at high risk for obesity and thereby elucidate critical gene-environmental interactions.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK068899-11
Application #
7447875
Study Section
Behavioral Medicine, Interventions and Outcomes Study Section (BMIO)
Program Officer
Horlick, Mary
Project Start
1997-04-01
Project End
2010-07-31
Budget Start
2008-08-01
Budget End
2010-07-31
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$317,449
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Pennsylvania
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
042250712
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19104

  Publications

Zinkel, S R J; Berkowitz, R I; Stunkard, A J et al. (2016) High energy expenditure is not protective against increased adiposity in children. Pediatr Obes 11:528-534
Leibowitz, Karen L; Moore, Reneé H; Ahima, Rexford S et al. (2012) Maternal obesity associated with inflammation in their children. World J Pediatr 8:76-9
Berkowitz, Robert I; Moore, Renee' H; Faith, Myles S et al. (2010) Identification of an obese eating style in 4-year-old children born at high and low risk for obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring) 18:505-12
Kral, Tanja V E; Moore, Renee H; Stunkard, Albert J et al. (2010) Adolescent eating in the absence of hunger and relation to discretionary calorie allowance. J Am Diet Assoc 110:1896-900
Kral, Tanja V E; Stunkard, Albert J; Berkowitz, Robert I et al. (2009) Energy density at a buffet-style lunch differs for adolescents born at high and low risk of obesity. Eat Behav 10:209-14
Leibowitz, Karen L; Moore, Renee H; Stunkard, Albert J et al. (2009) Cardiovascular disease risk factor (CVDRF) associated waist circumference patterns in obese-prone children. Int J Pediatr Obes 4:150-9
Faith, Myles S (2008) Behavioral science and the study of gene-nutrition and gene-physical activity interactions in obesity research. Obesity (Silver Spring) 16 Suppl 3:S82-4
Kral, Tanja V E; Stunkard, Albert J; Berkowitz, Robert I et al. (2008) Beverage consumption patterns of children born at different risk of obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring) 16:1802-8
Kral, T V E; Berkowitz, R I; Stunkard, A J et al. (2007) Dietary energy density increases during early childhood irrespective of familial predisposition to obesity: results from a prospective cohort study. Int J Obes (Lond) 31:1061-7
Kral, Tanja V E; Stunkard, Albert J; Berkowitz, Robert I et al. (2007) Daily food intake in relation to dietary energy density in the free-living environment: a prospective analysis of children born at different risk of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 86:41-7

Showing the most recent 10 out of 12 publications