PhD defence Britt van Belkom

Keywords: Children, Eating Behaviour, Loss of Control Eating, Obesity

"Kids Menu: factors affecting children’s vegetable acceptance, sweet preference and loss of control eating"

Britt van Belkom explored children’s eating behaviour, aiming to support healthier habits from an early age. Her research focused on two key areas: encouraging healthy eating in children and understanding loss of control eating in children with obesity. 

Eating vegetables

She found that using a reward system effectively increased toddlers’ willingness to try vegetables, beyond repeated exposure alone. Another study revealed that children perceive very sweet foods as less intense after tasting something even sweeter, without changing how much they like it. This suggests reducing sugar in foods may not affect children’s enjoyment. 

Obesity

The research also explored factors contributing to loss of control eating in children with obesity, identifying difficulties with emotion regulation and attention as key predictors, while metabolic factors appeared less relevant. 

Overall, the findings highlight the importance of behavioural and psychological strategies in promoting healthy eating and preventing disordered eating patterns in children.

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