Food-focused Children at Higher Risk for Eating Disorders, New Study Finds

Food-focused children may face a higher risk for eating disorders when they hit adolescence.

In a new study, researchers found preschoolers with an especially high urge to eat after seeing, smelling or tasting food were more likely to report symptoms such as binge eating and restricted eating between the ages of 12 and 14.

The researchers analyzed data from thousands of young people who answered questions about their current dietary habits and their parents who reported on their eating traits at four or five.

Adolescents with a history of high food responsiveness were 47% more likely to report binge eating and 16% more likely to restrict their food intake to lose weight or avoid weight gain.

Emotional overeating in early childhood was also linked to skipping meals, fasting and excessive exercise.

The lead author says these findings suggest food responsiveness may be one risk factor for eating disorder symptoms.

However, he says, “…high responsiveness to food is also a normal and very common behavior and should be seen as just one potential risk factor among many, rather than something to cause parents worry.”