Younger children eat 79 percent more when bored: Study

Kids eat 79% more when bored
Emotional feeding leads to overeating
Doctor says boredom fosters creativity but emotional eating is discouraged

Updated: Oct 25, 2023 / 05:16 PM CDT

FILE – In this Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, file photo, kids eat lunch at an elementary school in Paducah, Ky. The Biden administration is expanding a program to feed as many as 34 million school children during the summer months. They’re using funds from the coronavirus relief package approved in March 2021. (Ellen O’Nan/The Paducah Sun via AP, File)

(NewsNation) — Children as young as four years old consume 79% more calories when experiencing boredom as opposed to when they are in a neutral emotional state, according to a new study by Aston University.

On average, the study shows children when bored consumed 95 kcal even when they were already full, compared to their counterparts in a neutral mood who consumed 59 kcal.

“If children are eating this many more calories during one instance of boredom induced in a laboratory (a four-minute period), given that boredom is a commonly experienced emotion in children, the potential for excess calorie intake in response to being bored across one day, one week, or one year, is potentially very significant in a food abundant environment,” said Dr. Rebecca Stone who spearheaded the study.

When parents frequently used food to pacify their child’s emotions, and when their child showed heightened emotional sensitivity, they consumed five times more kilocalories when bored, according to the study.

Children’s dietary behaviors are influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including genetics, temperament, and feeding practices.

Oftentimes, children resort to eating when experiencing emotions like boredom or sadness, and adults frequently employ food as a means of comfort, according to the study.

This practice, known as emotional feeding, amplifies the likelihood of children consuming more when upset, inadvertently teaching them to turn to food when their mood is low.

The research team solicited input from parents about the feeding strategies they employed with their children and inquired about their child’s temperament. Children and their parents were provided with a standard meal and allowed to eat until they were full.

Dr. Stone advised against avoiding boredom altogether, but instead advocated for children learning to manage boredom without resorting to food. Parents are encouraged to redirect their child’s attention away from food and consider modifying the home food environment to reduce the likelihood of food becoming a boredom-driven response.

This study comes as the rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. have tripled since the 1980s, affecting close to 15 million children nationwide, according to the CDC. This is nearly one in five kids.