(Relaxnews) – A new study announced Monday finds that snacking can result in enough excess calories to make a radical difference in a kid’s weight — but that overweight kids may be less responsive to internal clues of hunger and fullness than normal-weight kids.
When compared to their normal-weight siblings, overweight and obese children ate 34 percent more calories from snack foods even after eating a meal, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the US. That calorie difference, sustained over time, can lead to continued excess weight gain, the researchers said.
In a study of 47 same-sex sibling pairs, the researchers found that, even after eating a meal until they were satiated, overweight and obese children were more prone to overeating when presented with desirable snack foods than their normal-weight siblings.
The study also showed that normal-weight siblings ate less of the meal than their overweight siblings when provided with a calorie-dense appetizer just before the meal. Overweight and obese siblings did not cut back on the amount they ate at the meal to offset the additional calories from the appetizer.
"The overweight and obese siblings showed an impaired ability to adjust for calorie differences and consumed more snacks even when satiated," says lead author Tanja Kral, PhD, an assistant professor at Penn Nursing. "These findings suggest some children are less responsive to their internal cues of hunger and fullness and will continue eating even when full."
Findings are published online in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Another recent US study found that snacks account for a quarter of kids’ calories. Researchers found that children consumed on average more than 300 calories from snack foods such as cookies and chips and less than 45 calories from vegetable and fruit snacks. Findings from that study were published in the May issue of the International Quarterly of Community Health Education.