Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Epidemiology and Population Health

Parental eating behavior traits are related to offspring BMI in the Québec Family Study

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 1422–1426 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

Parental eating behavior traits have been shown to be related to the adiposity of their young children. It is unknown whether this relationship persists in older offspring or whether rigid or flexible control are involved. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that parental eating behavior traits, as measured by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), are related to offspring body weight.

Methods:

Cross-sectional anthropometric and TFEQ data from phase 2 and 3 of the Québec Family Study generated 192 parent–offspring dyads (offspring age range: 10–37 years). Relationships were adjusted for offspring age, sex and reported physical activity, number of offspring per family and parent body mass index (BMI).

Results:

In all parent–offspring dyads, parental rigid control and disinhibition scores were positively related to offspring BMI (r=0.17, P=0.02; r=0.18, P<0.01, respectively). There were no significant relationships between cognitive restraint (P=0.75) or flexible control (P=0.06) with offspring BMI. Regression models revealed that parent disinhibition mediated the relationship between parent and offspring BMI, whereas rigid control of the parent moderated this relationship. The interaction effect between parental rigid control and disinhibition was a significant predictor of offspring BMI (β=0.13, P=0.05).

Conclusion:

Family environmental factors, such as parental eating behavior traits, are related to BMI of older offspring, and should be a focus in the prevention of obesity transmission within families.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. International Obesity Taskforce. The Global Epidemic. 2010 [cited 2011; Available from http://www.iaso.org/iotf/obesity/obesitytheglobalepidemic/.

  2. Whitaker KL, Jarvis MJ, Beeken RJ, Boniface D, Wardle J . Comparing maternal and paternal intergenerational transmission of obesity risk in a large population-based sample. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 91: 1560–1567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Rice T, Perusse L, Bouchard C, Rao DC . Familial aggregation of body mass index and subcutaneous fat measures in the longitudinal Quebec family study. Genet Epidemiol 1999; 16: 316–334.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Stunkard AJ, Messick S . The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger. J Psychosom Res 1985; 29: 71–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Shearin EN, Russ MJ, Hull JW, Clarkin JF, Smith GP . Construct validity of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire: flexible and rigid control subscales. Int J Eat Disord 1994; 16: 187–198.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Provencher V, Drapeau V, Tremblay A, Despres JP, Lemieux S . Eating behaviors and indexes of body composition in men and women from the Quebec family study. Obes Res 2003; 11: 783–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Westenhoefer J, Pudel V, Maus N . Some restrictions on dietary restraint. Appetite 1990; 14: 137–141.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gallant AR, Tremblay A, Perusse L, Bouchard C, Despres JP, Drapeau V . The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire and BMI in adolescents: results from the Quebec Family Study. Br J Nutr 2010; 7: 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Angle S, Engblom J, Eriksson T, Kautiainen S, Saha MT, Lindfors P et al. Three factor eating questionnaire-R18 as a measure of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating and emotional eating in a sample of young Finnish females. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2009; 6: 41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Vogels N, Posthumus DL, Mariman EC, Bouwman F, Kester AD, Rump P et al. Determinants of overweight in a cohort of Dutch children. Am J Clin Nutr 2006; 84: 717–724.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Shunk JA, Birch LL . Girls at risk for overweight at age 5 are at risk for dietary restraint, disinhibited overeating, weight concerns, and greater weight gain from 5 to 9 years. J Am Diet Assoc 2004; 104: 1120–1126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Steinle NI, Hsueh WC, Snitker S, Pollin TI, Sakul H, Jean PL et al. Eating behavior in the Old Order Amish: heritability analysis and a genome-wide linkage analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2002; 75: 1098–1106.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Provencher V, Perusse L, Bouchard L, Drapeau V, Bouchard C, Rice T et al. Familial resemblance in eating behaviors in men and women from the Quebec Family Study. Obes Res 2005; 13: 1624–1629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Neale BM, Mazzeo SE, Bulik CM . A twin study of dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger: an examination of the eating inventory (three factor eating questionnaire). Twin Res 2003; 6: 471–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tholin S, Rasmussen F, Tynelius P, Karlsson J . Genetic and environmental influences on eating behavior: the Swedish Young Male Twins Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 81: 564–569.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. de Castro JM, Lilenfeld LR . Influence of heridity on dietary restraint, disinhibition, and perceived hunger in humans. Nutrition 2005; 21: 446–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Birch LL, Davison KK . Family environmental factors influencing the developing behavioral controls of food intake and childhood overweight. Pediatr Clin North Am 2001; 48: 893–907.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bandura A, Walters RH . Social learning and personality development. Holt, Rinehart & Winston: New York, 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Cutting TM, Fisher JO, Grimm-Thomas K, Birch LL . Like mother, like daughter: familial patterns of overweight are mediated by mothers’ dietary disinhibition. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 69: 608–613.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Whitaker RC, Deeks CM, Baughcum AE, Specker BL . The relationship of childhood adiposity to parent body mass index and eating behavior. Obes Res 2000; 8: 234–240.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hood MY, Moore LL, Sundarajan-Ramamurti A, Singer M, Cupples LA, Ellison RC . Parental eating attitudes and the development of obesity in children. The Framingham Children’s Study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2000; 24: 1319–1325.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Johannsen DL, Johannsen NM, Specker BL . Influence of parents’ eating behaviors and child feeding practices on children’s weight status. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2006; 14: 431–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Jahnke DL, Warschburger PA . Familial transmission of eating behaviors in preschool-aged children. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008; 16: 1821–1825.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Westenhoefer J, Stunkard AJ, Pudel V . Validation of the flexible and rigid control dimensions of dietary restraint. Int J Eat Disord 1999; 26: 53–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Westenhoefer J, Broeckmann P, Munch AK, Pudel V . Cognitive control of eating behavior and the disinhibition effect. Appetite 1994; 23: 27–41.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Bouchard C . Genetic epidemiology, association and sib-pair linkage: results from the Quebec Family Study. In: Bray GA, Ryan DH editors. Molecular and Genetic Aspects of Obesity. Louisiana State University Press: Baton Rouge, LA pp 470–481 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Bouchard C, Tremblay A, Leblanc C, Lortie G, Savard R, Theriault G . A method to assess energy expenditure in children and adults. Am J Clin Nutr 1983; 37: 461–467.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Westenhoefer J . Dietary restraint and disinhibition: is restraint a homogeneous construct? Appetite 1991; 16: 45–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Bryant EJ, King NA, Blundell JE . Disinhibition: its effects on appetite and weight regulation. Obes Rev 2008; 9: 409–419.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Timko A . Norms for the rigid and flexible control over eating scales in a United States population. Appetite 2007; 49: 525–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Masheb RM, Grilo CM . On the relation of flexible and rigid control of eating to body mass index and overeating in patients with binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 2002; 31: 82–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Qi L, Cho YA . Gene-environment interaction and obesity. Nutr Rev 2008; 66: 684–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Loos RJ, Bouchard C . Obesity-is it a genetic disorder? J Intern Med 2003; 254: 401–425.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Rankinen T, Zuberi A, Chagnon YC, Weisnagel SJ, Argyropoulos G, Walts B et al. The human obesity gene map: the 2005 update. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2006; 14: 529–644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

AR Gallant is funded by The Quebec Heart and Lung Research Institute. We thank Dr G Theriault, G Fournier, L Allard, M Chagnon and C Leblanc for their contributions to the recruitment and data collection of the Quebec Family Study. The present work was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MCG-15187). The Quebec Family Study was supported over the years by multiple grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (PG-11811, MT-13960 and GR-15187) as well as other agencies. CB is partially funded by the John W Barton, Sr Chair in Genetics and Nutrition.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Education, Laval University, Québec, Québec, Canada

    A R Gallant

  2. The Quebec Heart and Lung Research Institute, Laval Hospital, Québec, Québec, Canada

    A R Gallant, A Tremblay, J-P Després & V Drapeau

  3. Department of Kinesiology, Laval University, Québec, Québec, Canada

    A Tremblay, L Pérusse & J-P Després

  4. Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    C Bouchard

  5. Department of Physical Education, Laval University, Québec, Québec, Canada

    V Drapeau

Authors
  1. A R Gallant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A Tremblay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L Pérusse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J-P Després
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C Bouchard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. V Drapeau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V Drapeau.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gallant, A., Tremblay, A., Pérusse, L. et al. Parental eating behavior traits are related to offspring BMI in the Québec Family Study. Int J Obes 37, 1422–1426 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.14

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.14

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links