Eating habits develop early in life, but how do they change as children grow, and are they related to later health and development? In her PhD research, Jie Yang examined how children’s diets develop from infancy through childhood. She found that early eating habits can persist for years and are related to later diet quality, weight development, and executive function.
Using data from two Dutch cohorts, GECKO Drenthe and Lifelines, Yang found that some early eating habits persisted more strongly than others. For example, 70% of children who mainly ate whole-grain bread in early childhood maintained this preference at age 10/11, while those with high early consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed 85% more of these drinks than those with low early consumption.
Diet was associated with weight development. Higher fresh fruit intake was associated with more favourable changes in BMI relative to other children of the same age and sex, whereas higher intake of jarred fruit and vegetables, convenience meals, and savoury snacks was associated with less favourable changes. Higher ultra-processed food consumption at age 3 was also associated with greater BMI increases up to age 10/11, while findings at older ages were less consistent.
Dietary patterns were related to executive function. Children who maintained healthier eating patterns showed better flexibility, emotional control, and initiation than those who consistently followed less healthy patterns.
Overall, the findings highlight the importance of establishing healthy eating habits early and supporting them throughout childhood.
Find the full thesis here: Early-life nutrition and child development: Dietary patterns formation, BMI development and executive function
