Energy intakes of children after preloads: adjustment, not compensation.
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Abstract
Background: Young children accurately compensate for energydense
preloads consumed before test meals. The accuracy of compensation
seems to deteriorate as a function of age.
Objective: The hypothesis that accurate energy compensation varies
by age, body mass index, and individual characteristics of children
and their mothers was tested.
Design: Energy intake (EI) from a test meal was measured in 74
children aged 6–9 y 90 min after the ingestion of no-energy (NE),
low-energy (LE), or high-energy (HE) preload snacks. The NE preload
consisted of 250 mL water, the LE preload consisted of a 56-g
muffin a 250-mL orange drink (783 kJ), and the HE preload
consisted of a 56-g muffin a 250-mL orange drink (1628 kJ).
Results: A significant dose-related reduction in EI was found after
the preloads; younger children adjusted more effectively than did
older children, although total EI (including preload energy) indicated
that the adjustment was not accurate. The compensation index
(COMPX) differed by preload and age group; COMPX scores were
higher between the NE and LE preloads (younger children: 44.4
9.3%; older children: 57.0 11.6%) than between the NE and HE
preloads (39.6 4.9%; 31.3 6.2%) and the LE and HE preloads
(35.2 7.8%; 7.4 9.8%). This finding indicates a more consistent
response across preloads and a greater sensitivity to energy load by
younger than by older children. High interindividual variation and
low intraindividual variation inCOMPXwas found. The tendency to
over- or undereat in response to the preloads (deviation from perfect)
correlated directly and positively with maternal concerns about child
overweight, not with actual BMI.
Conclusions: The children adjusted their EIs in response to different
preloads, and the younger children did so more effectively than did
the older children. Poor short-term energy compensation may