Childhood Obesity
Like many behaviours in children, eating behaviours are largely learned under the influence of physiological, psychological and environmental factors. The first year of life is characterised by rapid growth and changes in body composition. Simultaneously infant's eating patterns and food intake move through a predictable developmental stage with dietary patterns changing more during this period in life than in any other. The transition from an exclusive milk diet to a varied diet of solids and liquids is an important process in early development. This weaning process introduces infants to the feeding characteristic of adults, to flavour, texture, cultural schedules and the etiquette of dining. At no other time does children's eating behaviours present the opportunity to be developed and modelled. The proposal that early developmental periods presents opportunities for alteration, anatomically an
In 1992 Barker & co workers proposed the "fetal origin" hypothesis indicating poor fetal nutrition may lead to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. On choosing to introduce their child to breast milk, as opposed to bottle feed, parents exert their first influential control on the infants initial feeding experience (ref). In studying dietary experience in food uptake in infants Sullivan and Birch (1994) describe the perception of flavours in human milk as one of the infant's earliest sensory experiences. It is widely recognised that familial patterns and genetic factors interplay in the development of obesity (Birch 1998), however such a rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity over the years cannot be justified genetically emphasising the central role of the family environment. The choice to breastfeed, (or not) is sensitive to parental beliefs, tradition, knowledge and socio-economic status highlighting infants first experience of eating to be influenced by several factors. d physiologically, making individuals suspectible to disorders later in life has been of considerable interest to researchers in recent years (Martorell et al 2001). However, few have failed to recognise the relevance of the eating behaviour, as shaped during the weaning period in infants and the expression of eating disorders like that of obesity in later years (ref - Young & Drewett). Breast milk is highly acceptable to the infant, having high lactose content and a relative sweet taste proving satisfactory to the infant (Johnson 2002). Menella & Co (1993/96) show the addition of the flavours vanilla (1993), or garlic (1996) into breast milk resulted in changes of infant's sucking rate and milk uptake. The family environment shapes the development of eating in infants, laying down food preferences (ref), eating patterns (ref) and self-control (ref), which may in the future * obesity in genetically susceptible children (Birch & Fisher 1998). To develop effective methods in the prevention of childhood obesity an understanding of the development of food intake and influences of weight gain in children are essential. (young & d 2000 get ref) & (Spruijt-Metz. Lindquist, Birch, Fisher & Goran, 2002). During the first few months infant requirements are met by an exclusive diet of milk. The prevalence of obesity in children has increased significantly over the years (ref) and increasing the risk of adult morbidity and mortality has made obesity in children a global public-health concern.
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