Research project
Growing Well Study: The role of portion size, plant-based and commercial foods on young child growth
- Start date: 31 March 2025
- End date: 31 March 2028
- Funder: NIHR
- Value: £2,418,413.51
- Partners and collaborators: Natcen, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, Research Delivery Networ/NoClor
- Primary investigator: Dr Diane Threapleton
- Co-investigators: Professor Janet Cade, Dr Mark Hopkins
- External co-investigators: Darren Greenwood - Inst Cardiovasc & Metabolic Med (LICAMM) | Marion Hetherington - School of Psychology | Peter Day - Paediatric Dentistry | Nigel Simpson - Leeds Inst of Medical Research (LIMR) | Elizabeth Doxford-Hook - School of Healthcare | Dr. Huda Yusuf - Queen Mary University London | Dr Stamatina Iliodromiti - Queen Mary University London
The Growing Well Study aims to better understand the eating habits of children aged 6 months to 4 years and how these influence their growth and dental health. A key objective is to identify age-appropriate portion sizes for food and drink, helping to guide healthier feeding practices in early childhood.
Healthy eating in the early years is essential for physical development, but current guidance for parents is limited due to outdated information. Many commercially manufactured foods for young children are high in free sugars, salt, and fat, while plant-based eating patterns may lack key nutrients. This research seeks to fill these gaps and provide clearer, evidence-based recommendations.
To achieve this, we will collect data from families in Leeds, Doncaster, and East London. Parents will complete questionnaires and use the online food recording tool myfood24 to log their child’s intake over three separate days across six months. Children will also attend one in-person session for measurements including height, weight, and waist circumference. These assessments will be repeated one year later, along with a dental health check to assess both healthy and decayed teeth.
The data will be analysed to explore how nutrient intake, eating patterns (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free), and portion sizes affect growth and dental outcomes.