Children who skip main meals are more likely to have excess body fat and an increased cardiometabolic risk, according to a Finnish study. “Based on these findings, sticking to regular meals seems to be crucial for preventing overweight and cardiometabolic diseases in childhood,” says Aino-Maija Eloranta, who presented the results in her doctoral thesis at the University of Eastern Finland. The dietary habits, eating behaviour and dietary determinants of excess body fat and cardiometabolic risk were investigated among 512 boys and girls aged six to eight years old.

A high consumption of sugary drinks, red meat and low-fat margarine, and a lower consumption of vegetable oil were also related to greater cardiometabolic risk, while uncontrolled eating behaviour such as eating quickly, emotional overeating and reduced satiety responsiveness were associated with higher body fat.