Childhood overeating is associated with adverse cardiometabolic and inflammatory profiles in adolescence

Abstract

Childhood eating behaviour contributes to the rise of obesity and related noncommunicable disease worldwide. However, we lack a deep understanding of biochemical alterations that can arise from aberrant eating behaviour. In this study, we prospectively associate longitudinal trajectories of childhood overeating, undereating, and fussy eating with metabolic markers at age 16 years to explore adolescent metabolic alterations related to specific eating patterns in the first 10 years of life. Data are from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 3104). We measure 158 metabolic markers with a high-throughput (¹H) NMR metabolomics platform. Increasing childhood overeating is prospectively associated with an adverse cardiometabolic profile (i.e., hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipoproteinemia) in adolescence; whereas undereating and fussy eating are associated with lower concentrations of the amino acids glutamine and valine, suggesting a potential lack of micronutrients. Here, we show associations between early behavioural indicators of eating and metabolic markers.

Figure 1

Trajectories of parent-reported child eating behaviours: overeating, undereating, and fussy eating. Trajectories are created using latent class growth analysis. Participants (n = 3107) with at least one measure of eating behaviour and metabolic data at 16 years in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children are included.

Figure 2

Estimates refer to change in standardised metabolic marker concentration at 16 years in each overeating trajectory, in reference to the “low overeating” trajectory (gray dot). Error bars = 95% confidence intervals (CI). For lipoprotein subclasses, the total lipids (= triglycerides + phospholipids + total cholesterol) point estimate (and CIs) of each 14 subclasses is presented. Estimated beta coefficients and corresponding 95% CIs for particle concentration and specific lipids in each lipoprotein subclass are given in Figure S1a–c, Supplementary Material and Table S1, Supplementary File. Analyses adjusted for sex, age at metabolite measure and maternal education. Note: Association where CIs do not cross 0, p-value < 0.05; Filled dot: Association meets the p-value threshold of < 0.003. C cholesterol, IDL intermediate-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, HDL high-density lipoprotein, VLDL very low-density lipoprotein, MUFA monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acids. Note Filled dot: CI do not include the null after multiple testing correction. MUFA, PUFA and saturated fatty acid concentrations include all fatty acids detected which have one, more than one, or zero C=C double bonds in their backbone, respectively.

Figure 3

Estimates refer to change in standardised metabolic trait concentration at 16 years in each undereating trajectory, in reference to the “low undereating” trajectory (gray dot). Error bars = 95% confidence intervals (CI). For lipoprotein subclasses, the total lipids (= triglycerides + phospholipids + total cholesterol) point estimate (and CIs) of each 14 subclasses is presented. Estimated beta coefficients and corresponding 95% CIs for particle concentration and specific lipids in each lipoprotein subclass are given in Figure S2a–c, Supplementary Material and Table S2, Supplementary File. Analyses adjusted for sex, age at metabolite measure and maternal education. Note Association where CIs do not cross 0, p-value < 0.05; Filled dot: Association meets the p-value threshold of < 0.003. C cholesterol, IDL intermediate-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, HDL high-density lipoprotein, VLDL very low-density lipoprotein, MUFA monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acids. Note Filled dot: CI do not include the null after multiple testing correction. MUFA, PUFA and saturated fatty acid concentrations include all fatty acids detected which have one, more than one, or zero C=C double bonds in their backbone, respectively.

Figure 4

Estimates refer to change in standardised metabolic trait concentration at 16 years in each fussy eating trajectory, in reference to the “low fussy eating” trajectory (gray dot). Error bars = 95% confidence intervals (CI). For lipoprotein subclasses, the total lipids (= triglycerides + phospholipids + total cholesterol) point estimate (and CIs) of each 14 subclasses is presented. Estimated beta coefficients and corresponding 95% CIs for particle concentration and specific lipids in each lipoprotein subclass are given in Figure S3a–c, Supplementary Material and Table S3, Supplementary File. Analyses adjusted for sex, age at metabolite measure and maternal education. Note Association where CIs do not cross 0, p-value < 0.05; Filled dot: Association meets the p-value threshold of < 0.003. C cholesterol, IDL intermediate-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, HDL high-density lipoprotein, VLDL very low-density lipoprotein, MUFA monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acids. Note Filled dot: CI do not include the null. MUFA, PUFA and saturated fatty acid concentrations include all fatty acids detected which have one, more than one, or zero C=C double bonds in their backbone, respectively.

Figure 5

Overview of significant associations between eating trajectories and metabolic markers and their mediation through body mass index (BMI) at age 12 years in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, n = 3104). Arrows in upward direction indicate that the metabolic marker is measured to be higher in children with either high and persistent overeating, undereating, or fussy eating compared with children that are not reported by their parents to engage in any of these eating behaviours. A red arrow indicates that the eating behaviour is associated with the higher metabolite independent from the adolescents’ body mass index (BMI) at age 12 years compared to the reference category. Green arrows indicate that the association is mediated through BMI at age 12 years. The blue square indicates remnant cholesterol.