What works to prevent over-eating in preschool children with avid appetites?

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, placing children at high risk of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Typically, childhood obesity begins in infancy and early childhood, with 90% of children who have obesity at 3 years continuing to have overweight or obesity in adolescence. Understanding the factors which may help to prevent or reduce the risk of childhood obesity, and applying this understanding to develop effective interventions, is of key importance to solving this complex challenge.

Some children are more vulnerable to the development of obesity than others, due to their genetic susceptibility to an environment where highly palatable food is plentiful and accessible. We are currently conducting the first ever study of which parental feeding practices are most effective to prevent over-eating when their children show very large appetite. We will then establish how feeding practices can be best tailored for pre-school children with large appetites to protect against the development of obesity.

This PhD project will run alongside this broader project, to examine, in detail, how children’s over-eating is related to feeding practices such as using food as reward or using food to soothe emotional distress. This project will identify the areas of food parenting that parents find most challenging and develop solutions that are acceptable to parents and children alike. This PhD project will be focused on laboratory based eating studies of children and families as well as translation of findings into guidance for future intervention development. It will give the PhD student a unique training opportunity, enabling them to launch their research careers in a world leading team using a wide range of specialist methods. 

Estimated yearly cost of consumables

£4,000 per year

Person Specification

A Masters degree in a relevant subject with a 60% or higher weighted average, and/or a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution)

Submitting an application

As part of the application, you will need to supply:

·        A copy of your current CV

·        Copies of your academic qualifications for your Bachelor degree, and Masters degree (if studied); this should include both certificates and transcripts, and must be translated in to English

·        A research proposal statement*

·        Two academic references

·        Proof of your English Language proficiency

Details of how to submit your application can be found here. 

*The application must be accompanied by a “research proposal” statement. An original proposal is not required as the initial scope of the project has been defined, candidates should take this opportunity to detail how their knowledge and experience will benefit the project and should also be accompanied by a brief review of relevant research literature.

Please include the supervisor’s name and project title in your Personal Statement.

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at [Email Address Removed]