Self-regulation of Energy Intake in Children, Questioned
1 Divisions of General Medicine and Epidemiology, College of Physicians & Surgeons and School of Public Health, Columbia University
2 Department of Health and Nutrition Education, Teachers College Columbia University
3 Program in Epidemiology and Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University
In Reply.
Birch et al found a threefold difference in the magnitude of the coefficient of variation for energy intake at eating occasions compared to daily energy intake in a controlled setting,1 and we observed a similar threefold difference among children in their everyday environment.2 Dr Goldman points out that averaging individual measurements reduces the variability of the mean. It was for this reason that we used a statistical test to compare the observed coefficient of variation for the day's energy intake to the expected coefficient of variation for the day.




