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Associations Between Food Restriction and Pressure-to-Eat Parenting Practices and Dietary Intake in Children: a Selective Review of the Recent Literature

  • Dietary Patterns and Behavior (LM Steffen, Section Editor)
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Abstract

The identification of modifiable determinants child dietary intake has become a public health priority. Food-related parenting practices, including pressure-to-eat and food restriction, have been identified as potentially significant determinants of dietary intake in children. This is a review of the literature to date that has explored the relationship between food restriction and pressure-to-eat and child dietary intake. In general, findings from laboratory-based studies and longitudinal studies suggest that children exposed to high levels of food restriction and pressure-to-eat are more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages, palatable snack foods, and calorie-dense food items than children exposed to lower levels. Results from the body of cross-sectional studies examining this relationship are decidedly less conclusive, yielding inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results. Overall, the concept of food-related parenting practices as a potentially modifiable factor with the potential to positively impact child dietary intake patterns continues to be worth pursuing through additional future research.

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Correspondence to Katie A. Loth.

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Katie A. Loth declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Dietary Patterns and Behavior

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Loth, K.A. Associations Between Food Restriction and Pressure-to-Eat Parenting Practices and Dietary Intake in Children: a Selective Review of the Recent Literature. Curr Nutr Rep 5, 61–67 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-016-0154-x

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