Total fat, fat distribution and blood pressure according to eating frequency in children living in southern Italy: the ARCA project

The relationships between eating frequency and adiposity and cardiovascular risk factors have been poorly investigated in children. To evaluate this issue, anthropometric indices and blood pressure (BP) were measured in 3668 children, aged 6-11 years. Meals/snack frequency, assessed by a questionnaire, was 'Low' in 332 (<= 3 meals/day), 'Intermediate' in 1334 (4/day) and 'High' in 2002 (>= 5/day) children. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference significantly decreased going up across meals/snacks categories (BMI=20.5 +/- 0.2, 19.7 +/- 0.1 and 18.8 +/- 0.1 kg/m(2); waist 68.0 +/- 0.6, 66.6 +/- 0.3, 63.9 +/- 0.2 cm, for Low, Intermediate and High groups, respectively; M +/- s.e.; P < 0.001 by ANCOVA trend analysis adjusted by age, sex, birth weight, physical activity, parental overweight and education level). BP decreased from Low to High group but differences were no longer significant after adjustment for BMI. In our sample of school children, the daily eating frequency was inversely associated with the degree of both total adiposity and central fat deposition.