Drivers of overweight mothers' food choice behaviors depend on child gender

Background: National data suggest a higher prevalence of obesity among boys. One possible cause could be the food choices made by parents on behalf of their children. Objectives: This study sought to determine whether and how mothers' food choices for their children differ by child gender and to understand the drivers of these differences. Design: Data were analyzed from a randomized controlled trial conducted using a virtual reality-based buffet restaurant. Overweight mothers filled out questionnaires and received an information module. They were then immersed in a virtual buffet restaurant to select a lunch for their 4- to 5-year-old child. Results: Of the 221 overweight mothers recruited, 55% identified their daughters as the child for whom they would be choosing the food. The caloric content of boys' meals was 43 calories higher than girls' (p = .015). This difference was due to extra calories from the less healthy food category (p = .04). Multivariate analyses identified more predictors of calorie choices for daughters' than sons' meals. Predictors of calories chosen for girls included: having both biological parents overweight (β = 0.26; p = .003), mother's weight (β = 0.17; p = .05), mother's education (β = −0.28; p = .001), her restriction of her child's food intake (β = −0.20; p = .02), and her beliefs about the importance of genetics in causing obesity (β = 0.19; p = .03). Mother's weight was the sole predictor of boys' meal calories (β = 0.20; p = .04). Conclusions: Differences in dietary choices made for young girls and boys may contribute to lifelong gender differences in eating patterns. A better understanding of differences in feeding choices made for girls versus boys could improve the design of childhood obesity prevention interventions.