Development of an Eating Behavior Risk Score

Conditions

• Childhood
• Obesity

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

7 Years - 9 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Assessment of PACE Eating Phenotype and Related Behavioral and Neurobiological Measures — BEHAVIORAL
  This study does not involve an active intervention. The exposures of interest include the children's eating behaviors as measured by the PACE phenotype score, which encompasses portion size responsiveness, appetite traits, loss of control eating, and eating rate. Brain responses to food cues assessed by fMRI, body composition measured by DXA, and family socioeconomic status will also be evaluated as key exposures. These measures will be collected at baseline and at 12-month follow-up to examine associations with adiposity and behavioral outcomes.

Study Details

This study will explore how children's eating behaviors are connected to brain activity and body fat levels. Researchers are especially interested in a behavior pattern called the PACE phenotype, which includes how much children eat when offered large portions, how quickly they eat, their appetite traits, and their ability to control eating. The goal is to better understand why some children are more likely to gain weight than others. The study will include children between the ages of 7 and 9 and will follow them for one year. Researchers will use brain scans, lab-based meal observations, and questionnaires to study how children respond to food and how their eating patterns relate to body fat at the start of the study and one year later. The study will also look at how family background, parenting, and other factors might protect some children from gaining excess weight even if they show risky eating behaviors. Results may help identify which children are most at risk for obesity and guide future strategies for prevention.

Key Dates

Start date

Jul 1, 2026

Status verified

Nov 2025

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2031

Completion

Jun 30, 2032

Study Design

Enrollment

420 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

• Experimental: Children in PACE Phenotype Study
  A total of 210 child-parent dyads (420 participants total) will be followed for 12 months to investigate the neurobiological and behavioral aspects of the PACE eating phenotype and its relationship to adiposity in children. Children will be 7 to 9 years old, with a body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile either below the 85th or at or above the 95th percentile. The biological mother will have a BMI categorized as either normal weight (18.5-25.0 kg/m²) or obese (≥30.0 kg/m²). The study will assess brain responses to food cues, eating behaviors, and body fat using DXA scans, along with family socioeconomic and feeding factors that may influence weight gain trajectories.

Primary Outcome Measure

fMRI Neural Response to Food Portion Size Images [ Time Frame: Baseline ]

Central Contacts

• Kathleen L Keller, Ph.D.
  814-863-2915
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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