Household chaos during infancy and infant weight status at 12 months.

BACKGROUND: Infancy is a critical period for obesity prevention. Emerging evidence links household chaos to poor health outcomes, yet its impact on obesity in infancy is unknown. OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between household chaos when infants were 6 and 12 months and weight-for-length (WFL) z-score at 12 months, exploring potential mediation by infant sleep and screen time. METHODS: We examined 401 predominately Black women and infants in the southeastern United States. We conducted multivariable linear regressions examining household chaos and infant WFL z-score, assessing breastfeeding, sleep, screen time as potential mediators. RESULTS: Among infants, 69.7% were Black and 49.0% were female. Mean breasting duration was 3.7 months. Over half (50.4%) of families had annual household incomes <$20 000. After adjustment for potential confounders, household chaos was associated with infant WFL z-score (0.02; 95% CI 0.001, 0.04; p = 0.04) at 12 months. We did not observe associations between chaos and infant breastfeeding, sleep or screen time. CONCLUSIONS: Higher household chaos was associated with greater infant weight at 12 months, but there was no evidence of mediation by breastfeeding, sleep or screen time.

Television food advertisement exposure and FTO rs9939609 genotype in relation to excess consumption in children.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Exposure to food advertisements may cue overeating among children, especially among those genetically predisposed to respond to food cues. We aimed to assess how television food advertisements affect eating in the absence of hunger among children in a randomized trial. We hypothesized that the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) rs9939609 single-nucleotide polymorphism would modify the effect of food advertisements. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this randomized experiment, 200 children aged 9-10 years were served a standardized lunch and then shown a 34-min television show embedded with either food or toy advertisements. Children were provided with snack food to consume ad libitum while watching the show and we measured caloric intake. Children were genotyped for rs9939609 and analyses were conducted in the overall sample and stratified by genotype. A formal test for interaction of the food advertisement effect on consumption by rs9939609 was conducted. RESULTS: About 172 unrelated participants were included in this analysis. Children consumed on average 453 (s.d.=185) kcals during lunch and 482 (s.d.=274) kcals during the experimental exposure. Children who viewed food advertisements consumed an average of 48 kcals (95% confidence interval: 10, 85; P=0.01) more of a recently advertised food than those who viewed toy advertisements. There was a statistically significant interaction between genotype and food advertisement condition (P for interaction=0.02), where the difference in consumption of a recently advertised food related to food advertisement exposure increased linearly with each additional FTO risk allele, even after controlling for body mass index percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Food advertisement exposure was associated with greater caloric consumption of a recently advertised food, and this effect was modified by an FTO genotype. Future research is needed to understand the neurological mechanism underlying these associations.

Timing of energy intake during the day is associated with the risk of obesity in adults.

BACKGROUND: The timing of energy intake is a modifiable behaviour that may influence energy regulation and the risk of obesity. We examined the associations of energy intake in the morning, midday and evening with body mass index (BMI) (n = 239). METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were performed using data from the University of California, Los Angeles Energetics Study. Energy intake was assessed using three 24-h dietary recalls and stratified by time-of-day: morning (00.00 h to 11.00 h), midday (11.00 h to 17.00 h) and evening (17.00 h to 00.00 h). Sensitivity analysis was conducted among 'true-reporters', whose self-reported energy intake was ±25% of total energy expenditure measured by doubly-labelled water (n = 99). Logistic regression models were performed adjusting for age, sex, race, education, total daily energy intake and physical activity. RESULTS: Energy intake in the morning was not associated with BMI. Participants who consumed ≥33% (versus <33%) of their daily energy intake at 12.00 h were (nonsignificantly) less likely to be overweight/obese [odds ratio (OR) = 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.37-1.24] and this association was stronger and statistically significant among true-reporters (OR = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.12-0.95). Those who consumed ≥33% of daily energy intake in the evening were two-fold more likely overweight/obese (OR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.03-3.89), although this association was not significant among true-reporters (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 0.60-7.29). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that eating more of the day's total energy intake at midday is associated with a lower risk of being overweight/obese, whereas consuming more in the evening is associated with a higher risk. Randomised trials are needed to test whether shifting energy intake earlier in the day could have a regulatory effect with respect to reducing intake in the evening, thereby promoting weight loss and maintenance.

Using doubly labeled water to validate associations between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and body mass among White and African-American adults.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is mixed regarding sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and adiposity among adults, perhaps because of reporting bias. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of reporting bias on any associations between increased SSB intake and overweight/obesity. DESIGN: Beverage intake and overweight/obese status (body mass index ≥ 25 kg m(-2)) were examined among adults from a dietary assessment and doubly labeled water study (n=250). Four web-based, 24-h recalls assessed dietary intake. SSB intake was categorized as no intake, 1-99 kcals per day and >99 kcals per day. Logistic regression models adjusted for total caloric intake, age, race, education and diet quality compared SSB intake with overweight/obese status. To investigate dietary self-reporting bias, analyses were replicated in a subset of 'true reporters': those with self-reported total caloric intake within 25% of total energy expenditure per doubly labeled water assessments (n=108). RESULTS: One-half of participants were overweight/obese; more overweight/obese participants consumed SSB than normal-weight participants (69% vs 47%; P<0.001). Intake of other beverages did not differ by adiposity. Less number of White participants (48%) consumed SSB compared with African-American participants (68%; P=0.002). Compared with no intake, SSB intake up to the median intake doubled the risk of being overweight/obese (odds ratio: 2.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.0-4.3; P=0.046) and SSB intake over the median more than doubled the risk (odds ratio: 2.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.2-6.0; P=0.018). When limited to true reporters, SSB intake significantly increased the risk of being overweight/obese by nearly fourfold. CONCLUSION: Underreporting of SSB intake may be attenuating true associations of SSB intake and the risk of being overweight/obese.