Children who eat when not hungry are more likely to gain excess body fat

Children who ate sweets when they were not hungry were more likely to gain excess body fat over the next year, according to a study led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. The researchers also found that eating sweets in the absence of hunger was a consistent behavior for children over time.  

During the study, published in Journal of Nutrition, 72 children were fed a meal and ate until they were satisfied. Then, they were given access to nine different high-calorie snacks.  Researchers measured how much children consumed even when they were not hungry. The children also wore movement trackers on their wrist to determine their levels of activity over seven days. 

At a follow-up visit one year later, the researchers found that children who ate more sweets when they weren’t hungry showed greater increases in body fat.  However, these increases in body fat were counteracted for children who got more physical activity and had less sedentary time. 

“In our study, we observed that 7- to 9-year-old children's eating in the absence of hunger was consistent over a year, especially for sweet tasting foods,” said Yashaswini Bhat, doctoral candidate in nutritional sciences and first author of the study. “We also found that children who ate more sweet foods when they were not hungry in the laboratory showed greater increases in body fat over the year, making this behavior a possible risk factor for the development of obesity.” 

The researchers said that the results of this study demonstrate that interventions should target both children’s tendencies to eat when they are not hungry and their sedentary behavior. 

“Parents and caretakers should encourage children to listen to their hunger and fullness cues when deciding what and how much to eat,” said Kathleen Keller, professor of nutritional sciences and Bhat’s graduate advisor. “All foods can be part of a well-balanced, healthful diet and a healthy lifestyle, complete with a variety of fruits, vegetables—and yes, even sweets—can contribute to healthy growth patterns. Identifying ways to incorporate physical activity as a family may prevent excess weight gain in children with higher drives toward sweet foods.” 

The National Institutes of Health funded this research. 

Originally published in November 2024.