Inulin's Effect on Eating Habits in Youth With Obesity

Greg Howard
15th August, 2025

Inulin's Effect on Eating Habits in Youth With Obesity

Consistent with the study's focus on appetite modulation, the analysis revealed a significant inverse correlation post-intervention where higher levels of the satiety hormone Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were associated with reduced emotional overeating scores in children with obesity.

Image adapted from: Panichsillaphakit et al. / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • Research at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital found that inulin supplementation helped obese children reduce "emotional undereating," meaning they ate less when feeling emotional
  • This positive change was linked to shifts in gut hormones like GLP-1, which helps regulate appetite, and specific types of gut bacteria
  • These findings suggest that inulin could be a promising strategy for managing childhood obesity by improving eating behaviors and appetite control
Childhood obesity is a significant global health concern, leading to various health complications and often persisting into adulthood. Managing this condition is complex, requiring comprehensive approaches that go beyond just diet and exercise. One emerging area of research focuses on the role of the gut microbiome and its influence on appetite and eating behaviors. Understanding how specific dietary components might modulate these factors could offer new strategies for intervention. Recent research conducted at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital investigated the effects of inulin supplementation on eating behaviors in children with obesity[1]. Inulin is a type of dietary fiber known to support beneficial gut bacteria. The study aimed to see if inulin could help restore a healthy balance in the gut microbiota – the community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract – and in turn, influence how children eat. The study involved 156 children aged 7 to 15 years, all classified as having obesity, indicated by a high BMI z-score (a measure of body mass index adjusted for age and sex, comparing a child's weight to a reference population). Participants were randomly divided into three groups: one received inulin extracted from Thai Jerusalem artichoke, another received maltodextrin (a placebo), and the third received standard dietary fiber advice. All groups also received monthly follow-ups with general dietary and lifestyle guidance over six months. Eating behaviors were assessed at the start, at three months, and at six months using the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). The CEBQ is a parent-rated instrument designed to assess various dimensions of a child's eating style, such as how responsive they are to food cues, how much they enjoy food, their satiety responsiveness (how easily they feel full), and emotional eating patterns[2]. This questionnaire has been previously validated and used to show that certain eating traits are systematically linked to a child's weight[3]. The findings showed that inulin supplementation had a specific impact on one particular eating behavior: emotional undereating (EUE), which significantly decreased in the inulin group compared to the placebo group. Emotional undereating refers to eating less in response to emotional states like anxiety or sadness. While all groups showed some reduction in "food approach" behaviors – traits like food responsiveness (eating in response to external food cues) and enjoyment of food – these changes were not significantly different between the groups, except for emotional overeating (EOE), which did not decrease across any group. The study also explored the relationships between these subjective eating behaviors and objective measures like dietary intake, clinical parameters, and gut microbiota. For example, the researchers found that food responsiveness was positively linked with total calorie and fat intake, aligning with earlier research suggesting that such "approach-related" appetitive traits are associated with higher weight[3]. Conversely, "avoidance-related" traits like satiety responsiveness (feeling full easily) and slowness in eating were negatively associated with body weight and BMI z-score, respectively. This reinforces previous findings that these traits are inversely related to adiposity, or body fat[3]. Beyond these behavioral links, the study delved into biological mechanisms. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone produced in the gut that helps regulate appetite and satiety, was inversely correlated with emotional overeating (EOE) after the intervention. This suggests that changes in GLP-1 levels might play a role in how inulin influences appetite, potentially making children feel fuller or less inclined to eat due to emotions. Furthermore, the study observed significant associations between the eating behaviors measured by the CEBQ and specific types of gut bacteria, including Agathobacter, Oscillibacter, UBA1819, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136. This indicates a complex interplay between gut microbes, gut hormones, and eating behaviors. This research expands on previous understanding by not just identifying associations between eating behaviors and weight, as highlighted in earlier studies using the CEBQ[3], but by demonstrating how a dietary intervention like inulin can actively modulate these behaviors. Previous studies have underscored the high prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in regions like Thailand, particularly in older age groups[4], making interventions like this particularly relevant. Furthermore, while the study focused on eating behaviors, it's important to note that mental health comorbidities, including eating disorders, are common in youth with obesity[5]. By addressing underlying eating behaviors, such interventions could indirectly contribute to broader well-being. In summary, the findings from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital suggest that inulin supplementation could be a promising strategy for managing childhood obesity. By influencing specific eating behaviors, particularly reducing emotional undereating, and by modulating the gut microbiota and appetite-regulating hormones like GLP-1, inulin offers a potential pathway for improving eating habits and supporting weight management in children.

NutritionHealthFitness And Diet

References

Main Study

1) The effects of inulin supplementation on eating behaviours in children and adolescents with obesity: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled study

Published 12th August, 2025

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-025-00995-0

Related Studies

2) Development of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire.

Journal: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, Issue: Vol 42, Issue 7, Oct 2001

3) Eating behaviour and weight in children.

https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.219

4) South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II (SEANUTS II) Thailand: triple burden of malnutrition among Thai children aged 6 months to 12 years.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980024000053

5) Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children, adolescents and young adults with overweight or obesity and mental health disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01449-4


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