Dietary Carbohydrate Consumption at Breakfast on Food Intake, Glycemic Response, and Subjective Appetite

The Effect of Carbohydrate-Containing Foods at Breakfast on Food Intake, Glycemic Response, and Subjective Appetite in Normal Weight and Overweight/Obese Children

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of carbohydrates of familiar breakfast meals on glycemic response, subjective appetite, and food intake in normal weight (NW) and overweight or obese (OW/OB) children.

Regular breakfast eating NW and OW/OB children, 9-14 years of age, will participate in the experiment. Four isocaloric (450 kcal) breakfasts (eggs with a side of French fries, mashed potatoes, or beans, and control breakfast of milk, cereal and toast) and breakfast skipping will be examined. On five separate mornings, 7 days apart and after a 12 hour overnight fast, each participant will receive one of the four breakfasts or skip breakfast, in a randomized counterbalanced order. Participants will be given an ad libitum lunch 3 hours after breakfast and parents will report the rest of day food record for food intake analysis. Blood glucose will be measured via finger-prick at baseline, and 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after breakfast consumption. Subjective appetite will be measured with a visual analogue scale at baseline and every 15 minutes for 1 hour, and every hour for 3 hours.

Inclusion Criteria:

• be between 9 and 14 years of age
• be healthy, and have been born at term
• not be taking any medications
• not have allergies or sensitivities to potatoes, eggs, gluten, dairy, or beans
• NW (between the 5th and 85th BMI percentile for age and gender)
• OW/OB (>85th BMI percentile for age and gender)

Exclusion Criteria:

• food sensitivities, allergies, or dietary restrictions
• health, learning, emotional, or behavioural problems
• receiving any medications