Poor self-control in early childhood linked to later weight gain: study

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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/090406/science/science_child_obesity

Poor self-control in early childhood linked to later weight gain: study

Mon Apr 6, 4:28 PM

SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - Young children who have trouble delaying gratification in

exchange for a larger award seem more likely to gain extra weight before

becoming teenagers, a study suggests.

The April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine includes

several studies on childhood obesity. The excess weight tends to last into

adulthood, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, Type 2

diabetes and certain cancers later in life, researchers said.

In one study, Lori Frances and Susman of Pennsylvania State

University, State College, assessed how well 1,061 children were able to delay

gratification or self-regulate their behaviour.

" The findings reported herein have potential for early prevention of obesity, "

the researchers concluded.

Encouraging self-regulation and delay of gratification are important for

regulating energy intake, they said.

In the experiment, the researchers looked at the children when they were ages

three, five, seven, nine, 11 and 12 years old.

At age three, the children took part in a test of their self-control. They were

left sitting alone in a room with several toys, one of which they were asked not

to touch until an adult returned. Those who waited at least 75 seconds before

playing with the toy were considered high in self-regulation.

Then at age five, the children participated in a similar exercise in delayed

gratification that involved the choice between a smaller portion of a favourite

food immediately or a larger amount after several minutes.

Compared with children who showed high self-control and were able to wait at

least 210 seconds before diving in, children who were unable to wait at both

ages had the highest body mass index scores for their age at 12 years, and the

fastest increases in BMI over the nine-year followup, the researchers found.

" In essence, it appears that children with greater self-regulation tend to be

leaner, smarter, and better able to get along with others, " Dr. Whitaker

and Gooze of Temple University in Philadelphia said in an editorial

accompanying the research.

A second study tested the ability to delay gratification among four-year-olds.

The children were left alone with two plates containing different quantities of

their preferred food candy, animal crackers or pretzels.

Participants were told they could eat the larger quantity if they waited until

the examiner returned. If a child couldn't wait, he or she was told to ring a

bell to summon the examiner back, and then eat the small quantity.

About 47 per cent of the 805 children failed the test, either by ringing the

bell before the seven-minute waiting period was up, spontaneously beginning to

eat the food, becoming distressed or going to the door to call a parent or the

examiner.

Those who showed a limited ability to delay gratification were 29 per cent more

likely to be overweight at age 11, a link that was partly explained by their

mother's weight, the researchers said.

" The influence of maternal weight status on child weight reflects genetic as

well as environmental factors, such as feeding patterns and availability of

food, " Seeyave of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and colleagues

wrote.

They suggested parenting strategies to help children develop an ability to delay

gratification, such as:

A child's ability to self-regulate can be changed, Whitaker and Gooze said in

their editorial.

" Self-regulation is shaped by both nature and nurture; it is influenced by

environments and experiences during early childhood. "

While there aren't yet any proven ways for improving children's capacity to

self-regulate, there are promising results from randomized controlled trials

that show ways of boosting preschoolers' positive social behaviours, they said.