title: Food reinforcement and parental obesity predict future weight gain in non-obese adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Food reinforcement, the extent to which people are willing to work to earn a preferred snack food, and parental obesity are risk factors for weight gain, but there is no research comparing the predictive effects of these factors for adolescent weight gain.
  
  
  METHODS
  130 non-obese adolescents (M age=15.2 ± 1.0; M BMI=20.7 ± 2.0; M zBMI=0.16 ± 0.64) at differential risk for weight gain based on parental obesity completed baseline food and money reinforcement tasks, and provided zBMI data over a 2-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of obese (BMI ≥ 30) parents (p=0.007) and high food reinforcement (p=0.046) were both significant independent predictors of greater zBMI increases, controlling for age, sex, parent education and minority status. Having no obese parents or being low or average in food reinforcement was associated with reductions in zBMI, but those high in food reinforcement showed larger zBMI increases (0.102) than having one obese parent (0.025) but less than having two obese parents (0.177).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food reinforcement and parental obesity independently predict future weight gain among adolescents. It might be fruitful for obesity prevention programs to target both high risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214 USA. Electronic address: lhenet@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Leonard H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: Oregon Research Institute, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403 USA.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yokum
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214 USA.
authors.forename: Denise M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Feda
authors.affiliation: Oregon Research Institute, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403 USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stice
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: Adolescent; Food reinforcement; Parental obesity; Preventing weight gain