title: Caloric compensation and eating in the absence of hunger in 5- to 12-y-old weight-discordant siblings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An impaired ability to compensate for calories and increased eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) has been associated with increased energy intake and weight gain in unrelated children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to compare caloric compensation [the percentage compensation index (%COMPX)] and EAH in weight-discordant siblings aged 5-12 y.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a crossover, behavioral genetics design, 47 same-sex sibling pairs (53% female, 55% full siblings) were served dinner once a week for 3 wk. Across conditions, siblings were served the same dinner, but 25 min before dinner, they either consumed in full or did not consume 1 of 2 preloads that varied in energy density (ED; 0.57 or 0.97 kcal/g). On the day when no preload was consumed, EAH was assessed after dinner and defined as the number of calories consumed from snacks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight/obese siblings undercompensated [%COMPX: -48.8 ± 56.3 (mean ± SEM)] and therefore overate after the high-ED preload, whereas normal-weight siblings showed accurate compensation (%COMPX: 101.3 ± 51.9; P = 0.03). Furthermore, overweight/obese siblings consumed 34% more calories (93 kcal) in the absence of hunger than did normal-weight siblings (P = 0.01). Within-pair resemblances for %COMPX and EAH were stronger for full siblings (P < 0.049) than for half siblings (P > 0.23).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An impaired ability to regulate short-term energy intake, which includes incomplete adjustment for calorie differences in a preload and eating when satiated, may represent a behavioral phenotype for obesity in children. Future studies should test whether teaching children to focus on internal satiety cues may prevent at-risk children from overeating.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. tkral@nursing.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Tanja V E
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Kral
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: Leann L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: Virginia A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Stallings
authors.forename: Reneé H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Myles S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Faith
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology*; D015143:Philadelphia; D035781:Siblings