The Association Between Parental Food Intake and Loss of Control Eating in Children: An Experimental Test Meal Study

OBJECTIVE: Loss of control (LOC) eating in children is prospectively associated with excessive weight gain and elevated psychopathology. Parental LOC eating and negative mood in children have been linked to child LOC eating; however, objective evidence on parent-child concordance in energy intake and sense of LOC over eating, particularly in relation to mood, remains limited. METHOD: An experimental ad libitum dinner meal was completed by 60 children with (LOC+) and 60 children without (LOC-) interview-based LOC eating (8-13 years, 57% female), individually matched on sociodemographic variables, and one parent (91% female). Before the meal, parent-child dyads were randomized to a negative versus neutral mood induction. Sense of LOC over eating was assessed via self-report before and after the meal. LIVED EXPERIENCE INVOLVEMENT STATEMENT: No specific efforts were undertaken to involve persons with lived experience in the study design or execution, or in the preparation of this manuscript. RESULTS: Parental energy intake was significantly positively associated with child energy intake in LOC- dyads (ß = 0.46), but not in LOC+ dyads. Neither neutral nor negative pre-meal parental mood predicted parental energy intake (ß = -0.50) across groups. Parent-child sense of LOC over eating after, but not before the meal was positively associated across groups (OR = 1.60). DISCUSSION: The absence of parent-child energy intake associations in LOC+ versus LOC- dyads may reflect a stronger influence of internal emotional cues rather than parental eating behavior on LOC+ children's energy intake. Further, poorer family functioning in LOC+ dyads may reduce their intergenerational similarity in eating behavior. The positive parent-child association in sense of LOC over eating across groups suggests parental disinhibited eating as a potential intervention target for child LOC eating.