How much protein kids eat affects their calorie intake in a complex way that's not just a straight line, and different nutrients interact with each other
Scientific Claim
The relationship between dietary protein and energy intake in preschool children follows a non-linear pattern, with significant two-way associations between macronutrients
Source Excerpt
“Model 3 (quadratic model) was favoured by AIC for all forms of energy intake (except for energy density, where a linear model was favoured) (Supplemental Table 1), suggesting non-linear and complex associations between the dietary macronutrients and energy intake, where there were significant 2-way associations within macronutrients (p-value <0.05) (Supplemental Table 2).”
Evidence from Studies
Supporting Studies
Evidence for the protein leverage hypothesis in preschool children prone to obesity.
The study used model selection criteria (AIC) to determine that quadratic models best fit the data for most energy intake measures, indicating non-linear relationships between macronutrients and energy intake with significant interactions.