Caption: Broad societal and environmental trends have engineered routine physical activity out of everyday life for most Americans and made high-calorie, low-nutrition foods and beverages more accessible, affordable, and appealing than healthier foods. These trends are documented by Patricia Anderson and Kristin Butcher, two researchers whose findings are published in the
Future of Children journal issue on childhood obesity.
Serving sizes at restaurants and fast-food joints have grossly escalated over the past 30 years, and may also affect how much children eat. While very young children seem capable of adjusting their food intake to match their calories burned, children seem to lose this ability as they grow up. Their food intake, rather than being based on need, is influenced instead by external cues, such as the amount of food presented. Most children will eat more when served more.
