Understanding How Preschoolers Aged 4 to 6 Use Thinking Skills to Control Eating and Make Healthy Food Choices

What this Trial Is About

Scientific knowledge about how childrens thinking skills help them control their appetite is limited. This research aims to provide new directions for preventing obesity by studying how cognitive development influences young childrens ability to make healthy food choices and eat in moderation. The study focuses on preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years and their primary caregivers to better understand these processes during early childhood. Participants will take part in observational tasks that measure general executive functioning and eating-specific executive functioning. These tasks involve presenting different food and non-food items and recording how children respond to instructions. The study will develop new ways to measure top-down appetite self-regulation and examine its relationship with childrens eating behavior, weight status, and food parenting practices. During the study, children will complete one or two visits over two weeks where researchers assess food choices, eating behavior without hunger, and body mass index z-scores. Caregivers will also provide information about feeding responsibility. The study will collect detailed data to better understand how cognitive factors relate to healthy eating and weight in preschoolers, with all assessments completed within a short timeframe.

Food for Thought: Executive Functioning Around Eating Among Children