» Articles » PMID: 20075720

Meal Patterns and Childhood Obesity

Overview
Specialty General Medicine
Date 2010 Jan 16
PMID 20075720
Citations 16
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Purpose Of Review: To summarize the literature concerning the relationship between meal patterns and childhood obesity. Literature searches of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library were performed in October 2009 for studies published in the last 18-24 months.

Recent Findings: Available data indicate that not only meal composition but also some components that form a specific meal pattern can promote childhood obesity. Reducing meal and snack frequency, especially breakfast skipping, seem to be such components. On the contrary, limiting consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and snack foods (defined as high-fat, energy-dense foods) may be associated with a reduction in the risk of obesity.

Summary: There is still much to be learned about specific aspects of the association between meal patterns and obesity. Although current knowledge does not allow one to draw any definitive conclusions, it provides a solid basis for further research.

Citing Articles

Prospective association between breakfast consumption frequency and BMI z-score among European school-aged children. The Feel4Diabetes Study.

Kostarellou P, Anastasiou C, Karaglani E, Iotova V, Usheva N, Tankova T Eur J Clin Nutr. 2025; .

PMID: 39863752 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-025-01570-9.


Dietary and Physical Activity Habits of Children and Adolescents before and after the Implementation of a Personalized, Intervention Program for the Management of Obesity.

Ioannou G, Petrou I, Manou M, Tragomalou A, Ramouzi E, Vourdoumpa A Nutrients. 2024; 16(20).

PMID: 39458473 PMC: 11510330. DOI: 10.3390/nu16203477.


Association between Breakfast Skipping and Body Weight-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Longitudinal Studies.

Wicherski J, Schlesinger S, Fischer F Nutrients. 2021; 13(1).

PMID: 33477881 PMC: 7832891. DOI: 10.3390/nu13010272.


Perceptions and Practices Related to Obesity in Adolescent Students and Their Programmatic Implications: Qualitative Evidence from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Nguyen N, Dibley M, Tang H, Alam A Matern Child Health J. 2017; 21(12):2199-2208.

PMID: 28707102 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-017-2340-x.


Urban-Rural Disparities in Energy Intake and Contribution of Fat and Animal Source Foods in Chinese Children Aged 4-17 Years.

Zhang J, Wang D, Eldridge A, Huang F, Ouyang Y, Wang H Nutrients. 2017; 9(5).

PMID: 28531133 PMC: 5452256. DOI: 10.3390/nu9050526.