Modern Sedentary Behaviors Favor Energy Consumption in Children and Adolescents
David Thivel
Mark S. Tremblay
Jean-Philippe Chaput
With the modernization of societies, daily living, school, chores and work tasks are less energy demanding and sedentary behaviors such as television viewing and video game playing are pervasive, particularly in children and adolescents. This sedentary behavior constellation has contributed to the progression of overweight and obesity. The low energy expenditure associated to daily sedentary behaviors has been postulated as the primary mechanism to explain population weight gain; however, recent evidence reveals that many sedentary behaviors also promote overconsumption of food. The present paper summarizes the available literature about the impact of sedentary behaviors on energy intake and appetite sensations in children and adolescents. Overall, screen-based sedentary behaviors (e.g., television viewing and video game playing) stimulate food intake in children and youth, while the influence of non-screen sedentary behaviors on feeding behavior remains largely unexplored. As in adults, insufficient sleep and waked resting positions (sitting or bed rest) are associated with increased energy consumption. Because all of these activities increase energy intake in the absence of hunger, the hedonic (rewarding) component of eating behavior seems to play an important role. At present, public health recommendations focus on increasing physical activity energy expenditure and reducing sedentary time in children and youth. From an energy balance standpoint, the impact of modern sedentary behaviors on food consumption should also be considered if we want to curb childhood obesity. A better understanding of the physiological, psychological and sociological mechanisms involved in the nutritional adaptations to sedentary activities is needed to more adequately elucidate the interplay between sedentary behaviors, feeding behaviors and obesity.
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Years ago, human beings had to engage in vigorous physical
activities to access food and ensure their subsistence.
However, the recent modernization of our societies has resulted
in convenient, palatable food availability that promotes the
overconsumption of energy dense food, while requiring a
decrease in daily physical activity energy expenditure.
Although several putative etiological factors (such as genetics,
epigenetic, hormonal disruption, family constraints, among
others) have been identified and described for their
implication in the obesity progression [1], behavioral changes
are creating a sustained positive energy gap over time and
are believed to be the main explanation for the growing
prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults, children
and adolescents. The decreased energy expenditure
induced by this modern lifestyle does not only result from
a decrease in physical activity but also relates to the
omnipresence of sedentariness.
Traditionally, the management of energy balance has
been achieved through an increase in physical activities to
enhance energy expenditure, most of the time accompanied
by dietary restriction to decrease energy intakes. However, it
has been suggested that daily activities may not only affect
individuals energy expenditure but may also play a role in
the control of appetite and energy intake. Recent evidence
has shown that physical activity [24], sedentary behaviors
and sleeping duration [5 , 6 ] can also affect energy
consumption at all ages. Such adaptations to modern daily
activities may be of particular interest to better understand
the progression of overweight and obesity but also to
elaborate new weight loss strategies.
The relationship between daily activities and energy
intake has been well documented in adults but remains poorly
documented in children and adolescents. The objective of
this brief review was to summarize the available literature
regarding the impact of modern lifestyles, including
increased sedentary behaviors (television viewing, video
games, sitting and bed rest) and insufficient sleep, on energy
intake and appetite control in children and adolescents.
Influence of Specific Sedentary Activities
on Feeding Behavior
Television (TV) Viewing
TV viewing is currently one of the main sedentary pastimes
at all ages and many publications have underlined its
association with overweight and obesity [7]. Although this
association has been attributed to the low energy expenditure
it requires, it has been reported that watching TV is also
associated with increased meal frequency and food
consumption [814] regardless of appetite sensations [15, 16].
Children and adolescents have been shown to consume a
substantial proportion of their daily energy while watching
TV, approximately 25 % during weekend days and 20 %
during week days [9, 17, 18], which could explain the
differences in obesity-related measures found compared to
children that do not eat in front of a TV [19].
Eating while watching TV does not only affect food
intake quantitatively but also qualitatively. Red m (...truncated)