Abstract
Previous research indicates that interindividual differences in the ability to perceive one's own bodily signals (interoceptive sensitivity, IS) are associated with disordered eating behavior and weight problems. But representative and prospective data in children are lacking and therefore, the exact nature of these observed associations remains unclear. Data on IS measured by heartbeat perception ability in 1657 children between 6 and 11 years of age were collected on the basis of two measurement points with a year distance in time. Stability of the construct and its prospective association with different food approach behaviors [assessed via parent questionnaires (Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire)] as well as with weight status were analyzed via structural equation modeling. Main results were that only in overweight children external and emotional eating behavior were predictive for later IS, whereas no such relation was found in normal weight children. There was no direct relation between IS and body mass index. For the first time, we could show that eating behavior and IS in middle childhood are prospectively related to each other. But surprisingly, our data indicate that altered interoceptive processes rather follow than precede non-adaptive eating behavior patterns in overweight children. This suggests a possible crucial role of faulty learning mechanisms in eating behavior early in life, undermining the later confidence in one's body.
Highlights
Examining the factors that influence children’s overweight and eating behavior is of great relevance given the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood
Age was not significantly correlated with any eating behavior, but it was slightly positively correlated with the HBPScore at Time 2 (T2), so that we considered age as covariate in further latent analyses
The present study targeted the role of interoceptive sensitivity (IS) measured with a heartbeat perception task in relation with body mass index (BMI) as well as eating behavior in children over time
Summary
Examining the factors that influence children’s overweight and eating behavior is of great relevance given the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood. Most of the research so far has investigated interoceptive processes in relation to eating behavior and weight by referring to the term interoceptive awareness (Fassino et al, 2004; Merwin et al, 2010) In her psychosomatic theory, Bruch was the first who suggested that patients with eating disorders and/or obesity “have in common the inability to identify hunger correctly or to distinguish it from other states of bodily need or emotional arousal” Bruch was the first who suggested that patients with eating disorders and/or obesity “have in common the inability to identify hunger correctly or to distinguish it from other states of bodily need or emotional arousal” It is important to note that there is a distinct and clear difference between IS and IA, though both expressions were used from researchers of both areas in almost the identical way (see Garfinkel and Critchley, 2013 for further information)
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