Appetite-Related Eating Behaviours: An Overview of Assessment Methods, Determinants and Effects on Children's Weight

Identifying the underlying child-eating behaviours that contribute to weight differences across growth has been a constant challenge. This report reviews the various literature approaches for assessing appetite regulation. In doing so, it attempts to understand how appetite control develops and determines the eating habits in early childhood, and its effects on children's weight status. The interaction between homeostatic and hedonic mechanisms largely explains the appetite regulation process. Homeostatic mechanisms are mediated by the biological need to maintain the body's energy reserves, increasing the motivation to eat. On the contrary, the hedonic mechanisms are mediated by food reward, increasing the craving for high-palatable foods and triggering the release of dopamine and serotonin. There are many biological methods (plasma measurements of hormones, like leptin, ghrelin and insulin) and behavioural evaluation methods of appetite. The Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire is most commonly used, due to its adequate psychometric properties tested in several population settings. The development of eating behaviours begins in utero, and several determinants may contribute to a decrease in the ability to self-regulate dietary intake. Examples include genetic predisposition, the first taste experiences and the family environment, a key determinant in this process. Several eating behaviours contribute most to childhood obesity. Among them, are the external eating (eating by external stimuli, such as the mere presence of the food or its smell), food restriction (which may potentiate the uninhibited increased intake of the restricted foods) and emotional eating (intake due to emotional variations, especially negative feelings). These eating behaviours have been linked to childhood obesity.