Leann L. Birch, Ph.D.
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1975
Distinguished Professor of Human Development
Contact Information
129 Noll Building
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-0053
Research
My research investigates factors that influence the developing controls of food intake from infancy through adolescence. This research focuses on both predictors and consequences of eating behavior, including a focus on the development of food preferences, and on problems of energy balance, particularly obesity, dieting, and disordered eating. Our ongoing research investigates individual, familial, and other contextual factors, which influence the developing controls of food intake. Ongoing projects include an investigation of relations among feeding, sleeping and growth in infants during the first year of life, and their subsequent influence on children’s eating, growth, and weight status. Other ongoing projects include research on the effects of altering energy density and portion size of meals and snacks on preschool children’s energy intake. A third project is a 10 year longitudinal study of the development of the controls of food intake among young girls, with a focus on the emergence of weight concerns, dieting, and problems of energy balance, including childhood obesity and disordered eating. This research is also designed to contribute to our understanding of how girls' weight status is linked to their developing sense of self during middle childhood. While dieting and eating disorders have been viewed as problems that emerge during adolescence, our research with 5 to 11 year olds reveals that these problems begin much earlier, prior to puberty, and that they are linked to parents' own eating, weight issues, and to parents' child feeding practices. Currently, we have longitudinal data on nearly 200 families with daughters from age 5 to 15. We are particularly interested in the family resemblances in eating and weight status, in the transmission of dieting and weight concerns from mothers to daughters, and in understanding the mediating processes involved in the inter-generational transmission of eating and weight status. These ongoing projects are funded by NIH, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, USDA, and the National Dairy Council.
Research Websites
Education
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ph.D., 1975, Psychology
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, A.M., 1973, Psychology
- California State University, Long Beach, A.B., 1971, Psychology
Research and Professional Experience
- Director, Center for Childhood Obesity Research
- Professor and Head, Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, 1992
- Professor of Human Development and Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1986-1992
- Chair, Division of Human Development and Family Ecology, Univers ity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1984-1988; 1991-1992
- Associate Professor of Human Development, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1981-1986
- Assistant Professor of Human Development, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1976-1981
- Nutritional Sciences Faculty, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1978-1981
- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, 1975-1976
Honors
- 2003--Distinguished Professor of Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University
- 2003--Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Social and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University
- 2000--Pauline Schmitt Russell Distinguished Research Career Award, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University
- 1996-1997--Fellow, Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) Academic Leadership Program
- 1995--G. Malcolm Trout Scholar Award, Michigan State University
- 1992--American Institute of Nutrition, Lederle Award in Human Nutrition
- 1992--Paul A. Funk Recognition Award, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- 1995--G. Malcolm Trout Visiting Scholar, Michigan State University
- 1996-1997--Fellow, Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) Academic Leadership Program
Selected Publications
- Birch, L. L., Davison, K. K. & Fisher, J. O. (2003). Learning to overeat: maternal use of restrictive practices promotes girls’ eating in the absence of hunger. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78, 215-220.
- Davison, K. K., Cutting, T.M., Birch, L. L. (2003). Parents’ activity-related parenting practices predict girls’ physical activity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35, (9) 1589-1595.
- Davison, K. K., Birch, L. L. (2004). Predictors of fat stereotypes among 9 year old girls and their parents. Obesity Research, 12, (1) 86-94.
- Sherry, B., McDivitt, J., Birch, L. L., Cook, F. H., Sanders, S., Prish, J. L., Francis, L. A., Scanlon, K. S. (2004). Attitudes, practices, and concerns about child feeding and child weight status among socioeconomically diverse Caucasian, Hispanic, and African-American Mothers. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 104, 215-221.
- Fisher, J. O., Mitchell, D. C., Smiciklas-Wright, H., Mannino, M., Birch, L. L. (2004). Meeting calcium recommendations from ages 5-9 reflects mother-daughter beverage choices and predicts bone mineral status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79, 698-706.
- Mannino, M., Lee, Y., Mitchell, D .C. Smiciklas-Wright, H., Birch, L .L. (2004). The quality of girls’ diets declines and tracks across middle childhood. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 1:5.
- Shunk, J., Birch, L. L. (2004). Girls’ at risk for overweight at age 5 are at risk for dietary restraint, disinhibited eating, weight concerns, and greater weight gain from 5-9 years. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 104, 1120-1126.
- Shunk, J., Birch, L. L. (2004). Validity of dietary restraint among 5-9 year old girls. Appetite, 42, (3) 241-247.
- Markey, C. N., Markey, P. M., Birch, L. L. (2004). Understanding women’s body satisfaction: The role of husbands. Sex Roles, 51, 209-216.
- Davison, K. K., Birch, L. L. (2004). Lean and weight stable: Behavioral predictors and psychological correlates. Obesity Research, 12, (7) 1085-1093.
- Taveras, E., Scanlon, K., Gillman, M., Rich-Edwards, J., Rifas-Shiman, S., Birch, L .L. (2004). Association of breastfeeding with maternal control of infant feeding at age 1 year. Pediatrics, 114, 577-583.
- Faith, M. S., Francis, L. A., Sherry, B. S., Scanlon, K. S., & Birch, L. L. (2004). Parent-child feeding strategies and their relationships to child eating and weight status. Obesity Research, 12, (11) 1711-1722.
- Addessi, E., Galloway, A. T., Birch, L .L. (2004). Capuchin monkeys’ and children’s taste perception. Primatologie, 6, 101-128.
- Galloway, A. T., Fiorito, L., Lee, Y., Birch, L. L. (2005). Parental pressure, dietary patterns, and weight status in girls who are “picky eaters”. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105, 541-548.
- Francis, L., Birch, L. L. (2005). Maternal weight status modulates the effects of restriction on daughters’ eating and weight.; International Journal of Obesity, 29, 942-949.
- Francis, L., Birch, L. L. (2005). Maternal influences on daughter’s restrained eating behavior. Health Psychology, 24, 548-554.
- Davison, K. K., Francis, L. A., Birch, L. L. (2005). Links between parents and girls’ television viewing behaviors: A longitudinal examination. Journal of Pediatrics, 147, 436-42.
- Davison, K. K., Francis, L.A., Birch, L. L. (2005). Re-examining obesigenic families: Parents’ physical and dietary behaviors predict girls’ change in BMI across age 5 to 11 years. Obesity Research, 13, (11) 1980-1990.
- Sinton, M. M., Birch, L. L. (2005). Weight status and psychosocial factors predict emergence of dieting. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 38, (4) 346-354.
- Addessi, E. Galloway, A.T., Visalberghi, E., Birch, L. L. (2005). Specific social influences on the acceptance of novel foods in 2-5-year-old children. Appetite, 45, 264-271.
- Fiorito, L., Birch, L. L., Mitchell, D. C., Smiciklas-Wright, H (2006). Girls’ calcium intake and bone mineral content during middle childhood. Journal of Nutrition, 136, 1281-1286.
- Fiorito, L., Mitchell, D., Smiciklas-Wright, H., Birch, L.L. (2006). Dairy and dairy-related nutrient intake during middle childhood. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 106, 534-542.
- Francis, L.A., Birch., L.L. (2006). Does Eating during Television Viewing Affect Preschool Children’s Intake. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 106, 598-600.
- Birch, L. L. (2006) Child Feeding Practices and the Etiology of Obesity. Obesity Research, 14, (3) 343-344.
- Davison, K.K., Marshall, S. J., Birch, L. L. (2006). Cross sectional and longitudinal associations between TV viewing and girls’ body mass index, overweight status, and percentage body fat. Journal of Pediatrics, 149, 32-37.
- Davison, K. K., Downs, D., Birch, L. L. (2006). Pathways linking perceived athletic competence and parental support at age 9 to girls’ physical activity at age 11. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 77, (1); 23-31.
- Spruijt-Metz, D.,, Li, C., Cohen, E., Birch, L. L., Goran, M. (2006) Longitudinal influence of mothers’ child-feeding practices on adiposity in children. Journal of Pediatrics, 148: 314-320.
- Kaur, H., Li, C., Nazir, N., Choi, W., Resnicow, K., Birch, L. L., Ahluwalia, J. (in press) Confirmatory factor analysis of the child-feeding questionnaire among parents of adolescents. Appetite
- Francis, L., Ventura, A.K., Birch, L. L. (in press). Television viewing, family meals and weight gain in middle childhood. Obesity Research
- Fiorito, L., Ventura, A. K., L. L., Mitchell, D. C., Smiciklas-Wright, H. (in press). Girls’ dairy intake, energy intake and weight status. Journal of American Dietetic Association
- Galloway, A.T., Fiorito, L. M., Francis, L., Birch, L. L. (in press). “Finish your soup”: Counterproductive effects of pressuring children to eat on intake and affect. Appetite