Short-Term Improvement in Self-Perceived Knowledge and Weight Bias Following a 15-Week Course on Pediatric Obesity

Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs)are an integral part of weight management teams; however, previous research indicates that RDNs may hold weight-related biases. Additionally, there may be a gap between what RDNs learn about weight management during their education and training and the competencies that RDNs should achieve before working in weight management. The objective of this study was to examine whether a 15-week graduate course on pediatric obesity led to a short-term increase in self-perceived knowledge of 13 Obesity Medicine Education Collaborative competencies, as well as a short-term decrease in weight bias. Nutrition graduate students enrolled in the course completed a survey before and after the course. The survey asked students to indicate their confidence in each of the 13 knowledge-related obesity competencies using a five-point Likert scale. Weight bias was assessed using the 14-item Fat Phobia Scale. Sixteen students completed both the pre- and post-course questionnaire, and results indicated a significant increase in self-perceived knowledge and decrease in weight bias. A graduate course on obesity may be a strategy for increasing knowledge and decreasing weight bias for dietetic trainees, though additional, larger studies are necessary. A strength of this study is that a standardized set of competencies was used to assess change in self-perceived knowledge; use of standardized competencies in future research will allow studies to be pooled

Few Differences in Energy Intake and Diet Quality of Children and Adolescents across BMI Categories, with and without Accounting for Underreporters: NHANES 2005–2014

Previous studies of the relationship between energy intake and child weight have shown mixed results and have largely not described differences in diet quality or the impact of underreporting. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary intake and childhood obesity by assessing energy intake and diet quality across BMI categories for 2–19-year-old children before and after excluding underreporters. Energy intake and the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI) were studied for 2–19-year-old children using data from 2005–2014 NHANES. Underreporters were defined as children consuming <100% of their predicted resting energy expenditure (REE) and were excluded from some analyses. There were no statistically significant differences in HEI scores across weight categories; mean HEI total score was 47.1 (SE 0.23) out of a possible 100. When considering all 12–19-year-old children, those in the overweight, obesity, and severe obesity categories had a lower mean energy intake than children in the healthy weight category (p < 0.001). Excluding underreporters, 6–11-year-old children in the overweight, obesity, and severe obesity categories had a higher energy intake than healthy weight children (p < 0.001). In both analyses, children in the overweight, obesity, and severe obesity categories reported consuming a lower % REE than healthy weight children. Diet quality in all children is low, and the relationship between reported energy intake and BMI remains complex. Healthy eating messages should target all children

Targeting Feeding and Eating Behaviors: Development of the Feeding Dynamic Intervention for Caregivers of 2- to 5-Year-Old Children

Targeting feeding dynamics, a concept centered on the roles and interaction of the caregiver and child in a feeding relationship, may have significant potential for obesity intervention. The aim of this paper is to describe the 3-phase development of the Feeding Dynamics Intervention (FDI), an acceptability and feasibility study on implementing the feeding dynamic roles (Study 1), development of the FDI content (Study 2), and a pilot study on use of the 6-lesson FDI to promote behaviors consistent with a feeding dynamic approach (Study 3). Sample population was mothers with young children, 2–5 years old. An effect size (Hedges’ g) greater than 0.20 was seen in more than half (57%) of maternal feeding behaviors, with the largest effect sizes (Hedges’ g≥0.8) occurring with behaviors that represent the mother adopting her roles of determining what food is served, not using food as a reward, and not controlling her child’s intake. There was a significant decline in Pressure to Eat behaviors (2.9 versus 2.2, p<0.01) and Monitoring (4.1 versus 3.5, p<0.001). The FDI emerged as an acceptable and implementable intervention. Future studies need to investigate effects of the FDI on the child’s eating behaviors, self-regulation of energy intake, and anthropometrics