Evidence suggests that both high and low birth weight children have increased the risk for obesity and the metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Previously we have found altered feeding behaviour and food preferences in pre-school children and adults born with low birth weight. In this study, we investigated if birth weight was associated with different intake of fat, carbohydrate and/or protein at 6–12 years of age. This is a cross-sectional study where 255 guardians answered online and telephone questions including anthropometrics and demographic data, parental family food rules (food control, encouragement and restriction) and a complete web-based FFQ for their children (130 boys and 125 girls). Baseline demographic and parental food rules characteristics did not differ accordingly to sex. Linear regression models were conducted separately for each sex, adjusted for income, age and maternal age. There were no differences in total energy intake, but energy density (ED, energy content/g) was negatively associated with birth weight in boys. Macronutrient analysis showed that ED intake was from a greater intake of fat. Birth weight was not a significant predictor of protein and carbohydrate intake in boys. In girls, we saw a positive correlation between fat intake and cholesterol intake v. birth weight, but no association with ED intake (results did not remain after adjustment). The study shows that low birth weight is associated with altered fat intake in childhood in a sex-specific manner. It is likely that biological factors such as fetal programming of homoeostatic and/or hedonic pathways influencing food preferences are involved in this process.

Enterostatin (ENT) has been found to inhibit food intake and selectively inhibit fat intake in rats. Both peripheral and central mechanisms have been proposed. It also has been suggested that ENT may increase thermogenesis. The present study investigated the effects of oral ENT administration on food intake, energy expenditure and body weight in subjects with a preference for a high-fat diet. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized and crossover design, nine female and three male healthy subjects (age 34 (sd 11) years, BMI 24·5 (sd 2·5) kg/m2) with a preference for a high-fat diet ingested ENT (3 × 15 mg/d) or placebo (PLA) while consuming a high-fat diet ad libitum for 4d. Eight subjects ended each intervention with a 36h stay in the respiration chamber, continuing the diet and treatment. Body-weight loss was significant (ENT 0·8 (se 0·3) kg, P<0·05; PLA 1·3 (se 0·3) kg, P<0·001), but not different between treatments. There was no difference between treatments in total energy intake (ENT 37·1 (se 2·6), PLA 35·9 (se 3·2) MJ), macronutrient composition, hunger, satiety and hedonic scores during the 4d high-fat diet. Energy expenditure (24h) (ENT 9·6 (se 0·4), PLA 9·5 (se 0·4) MJ), sleeping and resting metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis, activity-induced energy expenditure and 24h RQ (ENT 0·77 (se 0·01), PLA 0·77 (se 0·01)) were similar for both treatments. We conclude that oral ENT administration did not affect food intake, energy expenditure or body weight in subjects with a preference for a high-fat diet experiencing a negative energy and fat balance.