Differential Child Body Perception in Children Ages 7–12 and Parents in Relation to Exercise and Eating Behaviors

Objectives Individuals with distorted perceptions of body image may be at an increased risk of developing eating disorders and mental illnesses. Many studies have observed impaired body image perceptions in adolescents and adults over the age of twelve. However, there are few studies that have examined this in young children. Furthermore, few studies that examine body image differences between parents and children exist. The purpose of this study was to investigate differential child body perceptions in children ages 7–12 and parents in relation to exercise and eating behaviors. Methods In a cross-sectional study, two separate questionnaires were designed; one for parents (n = 145) and the other for their paired children (n = 145). Questionnaires included anthropometric, exercise and eating behavior, and somatotype questions to assess perceived current and perceived ideal body type. Results Child responses of child's current body type were significantly greater than parent responses of child's current body type (P = 0.022). Child responses of child's ideal body type were significantly lesser than parent responses of child's ideal body type (P = 0.001). Child-reported child body type discrepancy (current body type – ideal body type) was significantly greater (0.414 ± 0.902) than parent-reported child body type discrepancy (−0.014 ± 0.717) (P = 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between body image discrepancy and reports of faster eating pace (coefficient = 0.237, P = 0.004) and a significant negative correlation between body image discrepancy and family physical activity (coefficient = –0.183, P = 0.017). Conclusions Significant discrepancies between perceived current and ideal body type were observed in children ages 7–12. Faster eating pace and family physical activity may be contributing factors to body type discrepancy among children ages 7–12, though more research is needed to identify and examine other potential factors such as social media usage and perceptions of physical activity. This research indicates a need for increased education aimed at forming and maintaining healthy body image perceptions among young children ages 7–12. Funding Sources None.

Eating Occasions, Obesity and Related Behaviors in Working Adults: Does it Matter When You Snack?

Reported relationships between frequency, type, and timing of eating occasions and obesity-risk among adults are mixed while associations with obesogenic eating behaviors remain unexplored. The Physical Activity and Changes in Eating (PACE) study was a group-randomized controlled trial to prevent weight gain among 34 small worksites in Seattle from 2005–2009. Baseline surveys assessed body mass index (BMI), obesogenic eating behaviors (e.g., fast food and distracted-eating), and eating occasions (i.e., snacks and meals) among 2265 employees. BMI and waist circumference were measured on a subset (n = 567). Time-periods for analyses included: morning (12:00 a.m. to 10:59 a.m.), mid-day (11:00 a.m. to 4:29 p.m.), and evening (4:30 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.). Multilevel linear models estimated associations between snack timing, obesity, and related behaviors while adjusting for meal timing, gender, and worksite random effects. Greater morning snacking was associated with increased fruit and vegetable consumption, while greater evening snacking was associated with higher BMI, higher obesogenic dietary index (intake of fast food, French fries, and soft drinks), and higher percent time eating while distracted. Associations with mid-day snacking were mixed. Patterns of association were consistent across repeated and objective measures. Findings suggest that evening snacking is more detrimental to healthy weight compared to snacking at other times of day. Reducing evening snacks may be an important and simple message for population-level obesity prevention efforts.