title: Prebiotic supplementation improves appetite control in children with overweight and obesity: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Background:Prebiotics have been shown to improve satiety in adults with overweight and obesity; however, studies in children are limited.Objective:We examined the effects of prebiotic supplementation on appetite control and energy intake in children with overweight and obesity.Design:This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-two boys and girls, ages 7-12 y, with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥85th percentile were randomly assigned to 8 g oligofructose-enriched inulin/d or placebo (maltodextrin) for 16 wk. Objective measures of appetite included energy intake at an ad libitum breakfast buffet, 3-d food records, and fasting satiety hormone concentrations. Subjective appetite ratings were obtained from visual analog scales before and after the breakfast. Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaires were also completed by caregivers.Results:Compared with placebo, prebiotic intake resulted in significantly higher feelings of fullness (P= 0.04) and lower prospective food consumption (P= 0.03) at the breakfast buffet at 16 wk compared with baseline. Compared with placebo, prebiotic supplementation significantly reduced energy intake at the week 16 breakfast buffet in 11- and 12-y-olds (P= 0.04) but not in 7- to 10-y-olds. Fasting adiponectin (P= 0.04) and ghrelin (P= 0.03) increased at 16 wk with the prebiotic compared with placebo. In intent-to-treat analysis, there was a trend for prebiotic supplementation to reduce BMIzscore to a greater extent than placebo (-3.4%;P= 0.09) and a significant -3.8% reduction in per-protocol analysis (P= 0.043).Conclusions:Independent of other lifestyle changes, prebiotic supplementation in children with overweight and obesity improved subjective appetite ratings. This translated into reduced energy intake in a breakfast buffet in older but not in younger children. This simple dietary change has the potential to help with appetite regulation in children with obesity. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02125955.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and.
authors.forename: Megan P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and.
authors.forename: Alissa C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Nicolucci
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and reimer@ucalgary.ca.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Raylene A
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5088-7947
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Reimer
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects*; D001069:Appetite Regulation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D062408:Breakfast; D002648:Child; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007444:Inulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D050177:Overweight; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056692:Prebiotics; D012527:Satiation; D012528:Satiety Response / Q000187:drug effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D054439:Ghrelin; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D007444:Inulin
keywords: appetite; dietary fiber; obesity; oligofructose-enriched inulin; pediatric; prebiotic