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Background: The prevalence of early childhood overweight and obesity in Austria has reached average European levels of 20% in boys and 18% in girls. The rationale and study protocol of SALTO, Salzburg Together against Obesity will be presented, which is aimed to assist adults in increasing the rate of 4- to 6-year-old children with a healthy body weight. Methods: A controlled longitudinal sequential study design consisting of 14 intervention (IK) and 8 control (CK) kindergarten was used to investigate the effect of actions tailored for teachers and parents on BMI among 4- to 6-year-old children. The study launched in November 2014 was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Salzburg. Results: 681 children, 181 parents (119 mothers, 62 fathers) and 30 teachers were investigated until October 2016. Preliminary analyses revealed that more boys (19%) and fathers (60% IK, 43% CK) were overweight and obese than girls (16%) and mothers (19% IK, 20% CK). Conclusion: The challenges faced by the SALTO staff in the implementation of health-promoting actions in the kindergarten are manifold. The Community-Oriented Core Setting (COCS) intervention approach will show whether the actions will reduce the percentage of obesity and be sustainable in the long term.

Objective: This paper introduces health professionals to the different psychological models thought to influence eating behaviour in the absence of hunger in children who are obese and to propose a method of assessing these behaviours in practice. Methods: Clinical researchers from the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) adopted an evidence-based approach to examine the literature concerning the assessment of eating behaviour in children who are obese. Studies published in English were filtered out of the medical and psychological literature from 1960 to the present, and the resulting bibliography was searched for relevant articles. Key themes from the current evidence were compiled and classified according to the underpinning psychological models. Based on the current evidence and the authors' combined clinical experience, a three-staged approach to assessment was agreed by consensus. Results: Valid and reliable tools for assessing and monitoring each of the three identified models (Dietary Restraint Theory, Emotional Eating and the Diathesis-Stress Model) are suggested for use in clinical practice, and the ECOG three-staged approach to assessing eating behaviours in the absence of hunger is described. Conclusions: This paper presents practical guidance on how to assess eating behaviour in the absence of hunger in children who are clinically obese and suggests a focus for future research.