Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Introduction

We are conducting a research study to understand how health factors related to eating behaviors and body weight change as children grow and develop over six years.

Studies with children have found that many factors affect eating behavior and health, including sleep, mood, thinking, and genetics. For example, children who sleep less tend to eat less healthy foods the following day. We have also learned that stress can lead to changes in eating behavior, including binge eating. While we have learned a great deal about children's eating behavior from previous studies, studies that follow children over time are needed to identify children who are at higher risk for eating-related health concerns. Data from this study will be used to develop ways to improve children's health and eating behavior.

We will study up to 500 boys and girls. Participants will be youth between the ages of 8 and 17 years at their screening visit.

To be eligible for this study your child must:

  1. Be between the ages of 8 and 17 years.
  2. Have a weight, height and BMI ≥ 5th percentile for age and sex.
  3. Be cognitively capable of completing study procedures.
  4. Be in good general health.

Your child may not be eligible for this study if your child:

  1. Has a significant medical or endocrine problem.
  2. Is currently pregnant or has been pregnant in the past.
  3. Uses medications that are known to affect body weight or eating.
  4. Has a significant psychiatric problem, like psychosis or anorexia nervosa.
  5. Regularly uses tobacco products and/or alcohol.
  6. Has recently lost a significant amount of weight.
  7. Has experienced any significant brain injuries.
  8. Has a significant developmental or cognitive issue that affects school performance.

To get started:

  • Navigate through the menu to learn more about the study.
  • Log in to the application and fill out questionnaires.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.