Dietary protein intake is associated with body mass index and weight up to 5 y of age in a prospective cohort of twins.

Journal article

Background

Few large epidemiological studies have investigated the role of post-weaning protein intake in excess weight and adiposity of young children, despite children in the UK consistently consuming protein in excess of their physiological requirements.

Objectives

To investigate whether a higher proportion of protein intake from energy beyond weaning is associated with greater weight gain, higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and risk of overweight or obesity in children up to 5 years of age.

Methods

Participants were 2154 twins from the GEMINI cohort. Dietary intake was collected using a 3-day diet diary when the children were on average 21 months old. Weight and height were collected every three months, from birth to 5 years. Longitudinal models investigated associations between protein intake and BMI, weight and height, adjusting for age at diet diary, gender, total energy intake, birth weight/length and rate of prior growth and clustering within families. Logistic regression investigated protein intake in relation to the odds of overweight or obesity at 3 and 5 years of age.

Results

A total of 2154 children had 5.7 (SD 3.2) weight and height measurements up to 5 years. Total energy from protein was associated with higher BMI (β 0.043 (95%CI 0.011;0.075) and weight (β 0.052 (95%CI 0.031;0.074)), but not height (β 0.088 (95%CI - 0.038;0.213), between 21 months and 5 years. Substituting % energy from fat or carbohydrate for % energy from protein was associated with decreases in BMI and weight. Protein intake was associated with a trend in increased odds of overweight or obesity at 3 years (OR 1.10 95% CI 0.99;1.22, p=0.075), but the effect was not significant at 5 years.

Conclusions

A higher proportion of energy from protein during the complementary feeding stage is associated with greater increases in weight and BMI in early childhood in this large cohort of UK children.

Authors: Pimpin, L; Jebb, S; Johnson, L; Wardle, J; Ambrosini, G

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Society for Nutrition
• Journal: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Volume: 103
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 389-397
• Publication date: 2015-12-01
• Acceptance date: 2015-11-17
• DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.115.118612
• EISSN: 1938-3207
• ISSN: 0002-9165
• Language: English
• Keywords: macronutrients; growth; BMI; obesity; longitudinal studies; children; weaning; protein