Table 4.

Future directions for child eating self-regulation research.

Themes	Specific Areas for Future Research
Increase Empirical Evidence	ο Examine the overlap between general self-regulation and eating self-regulation by including measures of both constructs ο Identify specific executive functions related to child weight ο Increase longitudinal data on the association between child general self-regulation and food parenting practices and feeding styles ο Evaluate sociocultural differences in food parenting practices and feeding styles among socioeconomically diverse families o Evaluate general parenting styles as a moderator of the association between parent feeding behaviors, child eating self-regulation, and weight
Improve Measurement	ο Identify developmentally appropriate measurement of executive function in early childhood οCorroborate objective measures of child eating self-regulation with parent report to improve validity
Explore Developmental Trajectories	ο Evaluate the developmental course of child general self-regulation in relation to child eating self-regulation and weight οExamine differential developmental trajectories of child eating self-regulation by child weight status and food parenting practices and feeding styles
Tailor Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Strategies	ο Evaluate whether improving eating self-regulation and general self-regulation prevents excess weight gain in children ο Examine whether targeting controllingfood parenting practices and feeding styles improves eating self-regulation and weight outcomes among young children with overweight/obesity ο Identify strategies to support the development of healthy eating self-regulation in socioeconomically diverse children with overweight/obesity