Food craving and obesity in survivors of pediatric ALL and lymphoma.
Cancer treatment can impact the hypothalamic-pituitary region of the developing brain, impairing appetite regulation and causing food craving in children who have survived cancer. We assessed food craving using a modified Food Craving Inventory in 22 survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoma (median age = 11.7 years) and evaluated its association with treatment exposure and changes in weight status over a one-year period. Mean total craving score was 2.1 (SD = 0.7). Survivors reported significantly higher mean craving score for fast-foods [2.6 (SD = 0.9)] than for sweets [2.1 (SD = 0.8)], carbohydrates [2.0 (SD = 0.6)], and fats [1.8 (SD = 0.7)] (all P values < 0.05). Results from multivariate linear regression indicated that survivors diagnosed at an older age (≥4.5 years) experienced higher frequencies of food craving than those diagnosed at a younger age (<4.5 years) (β = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.42, 1.34). Food craving, however, was not significantly associated with survivors' weight status over 12 months of follow-up. Food craving alone does not appear to explain the obesity risk in this sample of childhood cancer survivors. The role of food craving in shaping eating behavior and obesity risk needs to be further evaluated in a large cohort of childhood cancer survivors.
Department of Nutrition Sciences, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
Marissa
M
Shams-White
Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, The Floating Hospital for Children, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Michael J
MJ
Kelly
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
Cheryl
C
Gilhooly
Department of Nutrition Sciences, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
Shanshan
S
Liu
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Aviva
A
Must
Department of Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Susan K
SK
Parsons
Department of Nutrition Sciences, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA; Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
Edward
E
Saltzman
Department of Nutrition Sciences, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA; Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: fang_fang.zhang@tufts.edu.
Fang Fang
FF
Zhang
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D066249:Craving; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D000069451:Long Term Adverse Effects / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
Childhood cancer; Food craving; Nutrition; Obesity