Helping Children Cultivate Healthy Eating Habits
27 Oct 2022
Children and adults who are more sensitive to internal hunger and fullness cues are better able to adjust their food intake in response to their needs and are more likely to have a healthy body weight. Based on Dr Keri McCrickerd's research into appetite and eating behaviour, the Appetite Toolbox was developed to help children and caregivers cultivate eating self-regulation skills.-news-views/blog/the-appetite-toolbox-blog-post2.jpg?sfvrsn=5fbadc4d_4 "The Appetite Toolbox")
Comprising a series of evidence-informed storybooks, developmentally appropriate activities with recommended transitions and practices at mealtimes, the Appetite Toolbox is designed to promote eating self-regulation skills during a child’s preschool years.
Childhood overweight and obesity is known to be associated with obesity and other chronic disease risks – like type 2 diabetes – in later life.
Data from the Ministry of Health estimates that the proportion of school-age children classed as overweight rose from 13 percent to 16 percent between 2017 and 20211, highlighting the need for measures to promote positive eating behaviours and prevent childhood overweight and obesity early in life.
Evidence from the GUSTO cohort in Singapore indicates that eating behaviours, such as larger serving sizes, eating faster, and the tendency to eat when not hungry, are associated with increased food intake and the likelihood that certain children develop an unhealthy body weight during the preschool years.
A ToolBox for Appetite Awareness
Dr Keri McCrickerd from A*STAR’s Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) and the Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, has been studying appetite and eating behaviour in children and adults, and the design and implementation of evidence-based, accessible interventions to promote healthy lifestyles. -news-views/blog/the-appetite-toolbox-blog-post3.jpg?sfvrsn=8c9c1233_0 "The Appetite Toolbox")
Dr Keri McCrickerd's research into appetite and eating behaviour has led to the development of the Appetite Toolbox, a programme that helps children and caregivers cultivate eating self-regulation skills by communicating changes in appetite and building awareness of the different feelings of hunger, fullness, and cravings throughout the day.
Her latest research has culminated in the Appetite Toolbox, which was created to help children and caregivers cultivate eating self-regulation skills by communicating changes in appetite and building awareness of the different feelings of hunger, fullness, and cravings throughout the day.
Eating self-regulation refers to our ability to start and stop eating in line with internal cues of hunger and fullness instead of external cues in the environment, like large portions, seeing palatable snacks or being pressured to clear the plate.
Children and adults who are more sensitive to internal hunger and fullness cues are better able to adjust their food intake in response to their needs and are more likely to have a healthy body weight.
It is thought that children’s ability to “listen” to these cues is stronger when they are babies and toddlers, but diminishes during the preschool years as interactions around food become more complex.
The Appetite Toolbox is designed to promote eating self-regulation skills during a child’s preschool years. It comprises a series of evidence-informed storybooks, developmentally appropriate activities with recommended transitions and practices at mealtimes. Children and caregivers are taught to cultivate the skill by communicating changes in appetite and building awareness of the different feelings of hunger, fullness, and cravings throughout the day.
The programme is currently being trialled at a local childcare centre in partnership with A*STAR’s SICS and the Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development (CHILD).
ABOUT DR KERI MCCRICKERD
Dr Keri McCrickerd is a research psychologist specialising in eating behaviour. Through her research, she aims to understand why we eat the way we do and develop strategies to promote health and well-being through regulation of appetite and food intake.