Tanja V.E. Kral, PhD
A nutrition scientist with training in the study of human ingestive behavior, Tanja Kral’s research focuses on the cognitive, sensory, and nutritional controls of appetite and eating in children and adults and their relevance to obesity.
Her research specifically assesses how familial predispositions to leanness or obesity interact with environmental factors, such as the obesogenic food environment, to produce individual differences in energy intake regulation.
“I am interested in improving health outcomes of children and adults who are most susceptible to developing obesity.”
Education
- PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, 2003
- MS, The Pennsylvania State University, 2001
- BS, University of Applied Sciences, Münster, Germany, 1998
Research
When studying eating behaviors and weight trajectories in children and their families, Dr. Kral currently focuses on environment (e.g., home food environment and parental feeding practices);genetics (e.g., family history of obesity); economics (e.g., food insecurity and financial incentives); and meal characteristics (e.g., portion size and energy density). With NIH funding, she is studying the impact of short-term appetite and intake regulation on longer-term energy intake control and weight development in a cohort of ethnically diverse normal-weight and obese boys and girls with different familial predispositions to obesity. Most recently, Dr. Kral studied the effects of breakfast composition on hunger, fullness, and intake at subsequent meals in 40 children, aged 8 to 10. The study resulted in some international media coverage about how protein-rich foods eaten for breakfast kept children full longer than grain-based foods, and helped reduce calorie intake at lunch.
Eating Patterns in Childhood Track For Life
Food preferences, eating behaviors, and physical activity habits established during childhood often track into adulthood and become more difficult to change. Dr. Kral’s research underscores her belief that early childhood is an important period for shaping healthy habits that help prevent obesity. Under a pilot grant from the Biobehavioral Research Center at Penn Nursing, Dr. Kral and colleagues studied eating behaviors and weight outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder. Their study showed that children with autism not only had increased levels of picky eating but they were also more prone to being overweight and obese when compared to typically developing children.
Dr. Kral further seeks to learn whether obesogenic eating behaviors manifest themselves before children become obese and anticipates using her findings to design personalized behavioral interventions for children who are at greatest risk for obesity.
Opportunities to Learn and Collaborate at Penn Nursing
As a member of Penn Nursing’s nutrition faculty, Dr. Kral believes that the interrelationship between research and teaching is very exciting. Her students learn about the complexities of research and receive hands-on training as they assist on her research projects, performing tasks ranging from preparing experimental meals to scoring appetite ratings to entering data. The assistance of students is instrumental for moving Dr. Kral’s research forward.
Selected Career Highlights
- Recipient, Alan Epstein Research Award, Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB)
- Member, Interdisciplinary Research Network “Promoting Healthy Weight Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Special Health Care Needs,” E. K. Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School
- Executive Editor, Appetite journal
- Editorial Board, Nutrition and Diabetes journal
- Recipient, Ruth Pike Lecture Series Award, Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University
- Recipient, Dean’s Award for Undergraduate Scholarly Mentorship, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania
- Associate Fellow, Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Selected Publications
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Kral TV, Chittams J, Bradley CB, Daniels JL, DiGuiseppi CG, Johnson S, Pandey J, Pinto-Martin JA, Rahai N, Ramirez AJ, Schieve LA, Thompson A, Windham G, York W, Young L, Levy SE. Early life influences on child weight outcomes in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED). Autism, in press.
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Kral, TV (2018). Behavioral phenotypes for childhood obesity: 2017 Alan N. Epstein Research Award. Physiology and Behavior, 192: 206-209.
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Feig EH, Piers A, Kral TV, Lowe MR (2018). Eating in the absence of hunger relates to loss of control eating, hedonic hunger, and short-term weight gain in normal-weight women. Appetite, 123: 317-324.
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Kral TV, Chittams J, Moore RH (2017). Relationship between food insecurity, child weight status, and parent-reported child eating and snacking behaviors. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 22(2): e12177.
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Kral TV, Bannon AL, Chittams J, Moore RH (2016). Comparison of the satiating properties of egg- versus cereal grain-based breakfasts for energy intake control in children. Eating Behaviors, 20: 14-20.
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Kral TV, Bannon AL, Moore RH (2016). Effects of financial incentives for the purchase of healthy groceries on dietary intake and weight outcomes among older adults: A randomized pilot study. Appetite, 100: 110-117.
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Kral TV, Hetherington MM (2015). Variability in children’s eating response to portion size: A biobehavioral perspective. Appetite, 88: 5-10.
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Kral TV, Souders MC, Tompkins VH, Remiker AM, Eriksen WT, Pinto-Martin JA (2015). Child eating behaviors and caregiver feeding practices in children with autism spectrum disorders. Public Health Nursing, 32(5): 488-497.
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Kral TV, Remiker AM, Rauh EM, Moore RH (2014). Role of child weight status and the relative reinforcing value of food in children’s response to portion size increases. Obesity, 22: 1716-1722.
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Kral TV, Eriksen WT, Souders MC, Pinto-Martin JA (2013). Eating behaviors, diet quality, and gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders: A brief review. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 28: 548-556.
Related News
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National Research Award for Penn Nursing Professor
Tanja Kral, PhD , Associate Professor of Nutrition Science in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences , will be awarded the Alan Epstein Research Award from the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) . The award is given to a SSIB member in recognition of a discovery that advances the understanding of ingestive behavior.
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What’s a Good Breakfast for Kids?
A team of researchers, led by Tanja Kral, PhD, concluded that a breakfast high in protein – like eggs – keeps children fuller longer than cereal or oatmeal, causing them to eat fewer calories at lunch.
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Penn Nursing Study Highlights Rapid Weight Gain During Infancy as Possible Risk Factor for Later Obesity in Children with Autism
Childhood obesity is a serious public health concern that can have a profound impact on children’s health and well-being. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more likely to have obesity compared to their peers with typical development, data show. Until recently, little has been known about why children with ASD are at increased risk for developing obesity.