Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample
Objective The impact of different weaning methods on food preferences and body mass index (BMI) in early childhood is not known. Here, we examine if weaning method—baby-led weaning versus traditional spoon feeding—influences food preferences and health-related outcomes. Design, setting and partic...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMJ Publishing Group: BMJ Open
2012
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2910/ |
| _version_ | 1848790906672513024 |
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| author | Townsend, Ellen Pitchford, Nicola J. |
| author_facet | Townsend, Ellen Pitchford, Nicola J. |
| author_sort | Townsend, Ellen |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Objective The impact of different weaning methods on food preferences and body mass index (BMI) in early childhood is not known. Here, we examine if weaning method—baby-led weaning versus traditional spoon feeding—influences food preferences and health-related outcomes.
Design, setting and participants Parents (n=155) recruited through the Nottingham Toddler laboratory and relevant internet sites completed a questionnaire concerning (1) infant feeding and weaning style (baby-led=92, spoon-fed=63, age range 20–78 months), (2) their child's preference for 151 foods (analysed by common food categories, eg, carbohydrates, proteins, dairy) and (3) exposure (frequency of consumption). Food preference and exposure data were analysed using a case–controlled matched sample to account for the effect of age on food preference. All other analyses were conducted with the whole sample.
Main outcome measures The primary outcome measures were food preferences, exposure and weaning style. The secondary outcome measures were BMI and picky eating.
Results Compared to the spoon-fed group, the baby-led group demonstrated (1) significantly increased liking for carbohydrates (no other differences in preference were found) and (2) carbohydrates to be their most preferred foods (compared to sweet foods for the spoon-fed group). Preference and exposure ratings were not influenced by socially desirable responding or socioeconomic status, although an increased liking for vegetables was associated with higher social class. There was an increased incidence of (1) underweight in the baby-led group and (2) obesity in the spoon-fed group. No difference in picky eating was found between the two weaning groups.
Conclusions Weaning style impacts on food preferences and health in early childhood. Our results suggest that infants weaned through the baby-led approach learn to regulate their food intake in a manner, which leads to a lower BMI and a preference for healthy foods like carbohydrates. This has implications for combating the well-documented rise of obesity in contemporary societies. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:20:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-2910 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:20:04Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group: BMJ Open |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-29102020-05-04T16:32:38Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2910/ Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample Townsend, Ellen Pitchford, Nicola J. Objective The impact of different weaning methods on food preferences and body mass index (BMI) in early childhood is not known. Here, we examine if weaning method—baby-led weaning versus traditional spoon feeding—influences food preferences and health-related outcomes. Design, setting and participants Parents (n=155) recruited through the Nottingham Toddler laboratory and relevant internet sites completed a questionnaire concerning (1) infant feeding and weaning style (baby-led=92, spoon-fed=63, age range 20–78 months), (2) their child's preference for 151 foods (analysed by common food categories, eg, carbohydrates, proteins, dairy) and (3) exposure (frequency of consumption). Food preference and exposure data were analysed using a case–controlled matched sample to account for the effect of age on food preference. All other analyses were conducted with the whole sample. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measures were food preferences, exposure and weaning style. The secondary outcome measures were BMI and picky eating. Results Compared to the spoon-fed group, the baby-led group demonstrated (1) significantly increased liking for carbohydrates (no other differences in preference were found) and (2) carbohydrates to be their most preferred foods (compared to sweet foods for the spoon-fed group). Preference and exposure ratings were not influenced by socially desirable responding or socioeconomic status, although an increased liking for vegetables was associated with higher social class. There was an increased incidence of (1) underweight in the baby-led group and (2) obesity in the spoon-fed group. No difference in picky eating was found between the two weaning groups. Conclusions Weaning style impacts on food preferences and health in early childhood. Our results suggest that infants weaned through the baby-led approach learn to regulate their food intake in a manner, which leads to a lower BMI and a preference for healthy foods like carbohydrates. This has implications for combating the well-documented rise of obesity in contemporary societies. BMJ Publishing Group: BMJ Open 2012-02-06 Article PeerReviewed Townsend, Ellen and Pitchford, Nicola J. (2012) Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample. BMJ Open, 2 (1). e000298/1-e000298/8. ISSN 2044-6055 http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000298 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000298 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000298 |
| spellingShingle | Townsend, Ellen Pitchford, Nicola J. Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| title | Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| title_full | Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| title_fullStr | Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| title_full_unstemmed | Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| title_short | Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| title_sort | baby knows best? the impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2910/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2910/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/2910/ |