Pediatric Obesity
Conditions
Keywords
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Portion Size, Energy Intake
Brief summary
Increased portion sizes of foods high in energy density (calories per gram of food) have been implicated in the obesity epidemic. Numerous studies show that children and adults eat more from larger portions of food than they do from smaller portions, a response known as the portion size effect. Despite the robust and consistent nature of these findings, the mechanisms underlying the portion size effect are not known. The long-term goal of this research is to identify the neural mechanisms involved in the portion size effect so that this information can be used to develop effective weight-management strategies. Differences in neural response to food cues, as demonstrated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), can help clarify the factors that determine susceptibility to large portions. The goal of this study is to identify brain regions activated in response to portion size and energy density and relate these neural responses to laboratory eating behaviors in children. The investigators hypothesize that high relative to low energy density food images will be associated with increased activation in regions of the brain involved in reward- and sensory- processing and that large relative to small portion size food images will be associated with increased activation in regions of the brain involved in cognitive control. In addition, the investigators hypothesize that these brain responses will influence the relationship between portion size served and energy intake at laboratory meals.
Detailed description
What this study will add to the literature: The response to food images that vary by portion size using fMRI has not been previously reported. Furthermore, how the brain response to food portion size and energy density is related to energy intake has not been previously reported. The goal of this study is to identify brain regions activated in response to portion size and energy density and relate these neural responses to laboratory eating behaviors in children.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Social Science Research Institute
Penn State University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
OTHER
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 10 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Right-handedness * English as native language * Reading at /above grade level * Not claustrophobic * Generally healthy
Exclusion criteria
* Left-handedness * Metal in or on the body that cannot be removed * Claustrophobic * Medication usage that could alter brain activity * Medical disorder that may impact comfort in scanner * Food allergies
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| fMRI blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response to food portion size and energy density | Collected at fMRI scan (1 of 1) at week 5 | Whole-brain response to food images that varied at 2 levels of portion size and 2 levels of energy density |
| Energy intake | Collected at week 1, 2, 3, and 4 | Energy intake (kcal and grams) of foods consumed ad libitum at each laboratory test-meal in response to 4 conditions of portion sizes (100% reference, 133%, 167%, 200%). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Region of Interest (ROI)-response to food portion size and energy density | Collected at fMRI scan (1 of 1) at week 5 | Response in selected brain regions of interest to food images varied at 2 levels of portion size and 2 levels of energy density |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Wanting of foods | Collected at week 5 | Ratings of how much child wants food presented on a computerized visual analog scale |
| Appetitive traits | Collected at week 1 (Baseline) | Parent-reported questionnaire of habitual eating styles in children |
| Parental feeding strategies | Collected at week 1 (Baseline) | Parent-reported measures of feeding practices |
| Loss of control eating | Collected at week 1 (Baseline) | Loss of control when eating is frequently reported in middle childhood. Loss of control when eating was assessed via interview-style questionnaire to determine pre-clinical binge-like eating behaviors that may influence the primary outcome of energy intake at the 4 conditions of test-meals. |
| Body composition a/o weight status | Collected at week 1 (Baseline) | Height, weight and body fat percentage were measured. Body mass index (BMI), BMI z score, fat-mass index and fat-free-mass index will be calculated. |
| Liking of foods | Collected at week 5 | Ratings of how much child likes food presented on a computerized visual analog scale |
Outcome results
None listed