title: Eating frequency in relation to BMI in very young children: a longitudinal analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Eating less frequently is associated with increased obesity risk in older children but data are potentially confounded by reverse causation, where bigger children eat less often in an effort to control their weight. Longitudinal data, particularly in younger children, are scarce. We aimed to determine whether eating frequency (meals and snacks) at 2 years of age is associated with past, current or subsequent BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Eating frequency at 2 years of age was estimated using 48 h diaries that recorded when each child ate meals and snacks (parent-defined) in five-minute blocks. Body length/height and weight were measured at 1, 2 and 3·5 years of age. Linear regression assessed associations between the number of eating occasions and BMI Z-score, before and after adjustment for potential confounding variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevention of Overweight in Infancy (POI) study, Dunedin, New Zealand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children (n 371) aged 1-3·5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On average, children ate 5·5 (sd 1·2) times/d at 2 years of age, with most children (88-89 %) eating 4-7 times/d. Eating frequency at 2 years was not associated with current (difference in BMI Z-score per additional eating occasion; 95 % CI: -0·02; -0·10, 0·05) or subsequent change (0·02; -0·03, 0·06) in BMI. Similarly, BMI at age 1 year did not predict eating frequency at 2 years of age (difference in eating frequency per additional BMI Z-score unit; 95 % CI: -0·03; -0·19, 0·13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Number of eating occasions per day was not associated with BMI in young children in the present study.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Medicine,University of Otago,PO Box 56,Dunedin 9054,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rachael W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Preventive and Social Medicine,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iosua
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Human Nutrition,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Anne-Louise M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Preventive and Social Medicine,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Women's and Children's Health,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Women's and Children's Health,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Women's and Children's Health,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Women's and Children's Health,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Sonya L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Women's and Children's Health,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sayers
authors.affiliation: 4Department of Women's and Children's Health,University of Otago,Dunedin,New Zealand.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Galland
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: BMI; Eating frequency; Infant; Longitudinal analysis; Toddler