In young children obesity prevalence has increased over the last few decates (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2017; Hurley, Cross, & Hughes, 2011). It is therefore important to understand the...Show moreIn young children obesity prevalence has increased over the last few decates (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2017; Hurley, Cross, & Hughes, 2011). It is therefore important to understand the factors that influence food intake of young children to prevent obesity at a young age. In this research we have looked at one factor that might influence childs food intake: the responsive reaction to stop feeding when the child feels full (after the first few times of eating solid food, between 4 to 6 months old) and its relationship with the childs BMI (at the age of two). It is hypothesised that if the mother is less responsive towards the cues of satiety of the child, the childs own satiety recognition will develop poorly, leading the child to over-eat and therefore increasing the risk of a high BMI. We compare observed responsive reactions (Responsiveness to feeding cues scale, Hodges et al., 2013) with self-reported reactions (Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire, Birch et al., 2001) to explain why researchers in earlier studies failed to find a clear relationship between responsive reactions and the BMI. Other factors that influence BMI, namely the temperament of the child and the education level of the mother, are taken into account. No relationships were found between the two types of measuring instruments of responsiveness, between the responsiveness and the BMI of the child and between the satiety recognition of the child and the BMI of the child, but there is a relationship between temperament of the child and the BMI of the child. Further research is necessary to understand how responsiveness relates to obesity in combination with other obesity risk factors and protective factors.Show less
