The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that obesity has tripled since 1975. The number of overweight or obese children under the age of 5 increased from 38.2 million in 2019 to 39 million in 2020. Childhood obesity tends to continue into adolescence. The prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19 years was 4% in 1975 and increased to 18% in 2016, affecting >124 million children and adolescents (World Health Organization-WHO, 2021). According to childhood obesity surveillance data for 2016, 24.8% of 6–9-year-old children in Türkiye were overweight or obese (Özcebe et al., 2017). According to the report of growth monitoring among school age children (6–10 age group) in Türkiye, 14.3% and 6.5% of 6–10-year-old children were overweight and obese, respectively (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health, 2011). Similarly, according to the Turkey Nutrition and Health Survey, 13.3% and 8.3% of adolescents were overweight and obese, respectively (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health General Directorate of Public Health, 2019). There has been a continued, notable rise in childhood overweight and obesity. These data show that, to prevent the growing trend, quick and decisive action is required (Özcebe et al., 2017).

Human feeding development is dependent upon the intricate interactions among homeostatic mechanisms; neural reward systems; and a child's motor, sensory, and socioemotional abilities (Gahagan, 2012). From a biological perspective, eating behavior is generally referred to as ingestive behavior. The dominant model for understanding why and when we eat emphasizes homeostasis and focuses on the role of negative feedback (Ogden, 2011). The behavioral, psychophysiological, psychological, and affective systems are all involved in children's eating behaviors. Choosing foods, consuming them, and controlling when and how much is eaten are all eating behaviors. Hedonics, the value of food as a reward, food avoidance, responses to cues related to food, how quickly food is consumed, attitudes toward food, and eating habits are also included (Russell et al., 2023). Undoubtedly, a child's eating behaviors are greatly influenced by social factors, parenting, and the food environment (Gahagan, 2012).

To reduce the prevalence of obesity, the factors that predispose individuals to obesity should be well defined. The main cause of obesity is the imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. An energy intake higher than energy expenditure paves the way for obesity. Even an excess energy intake of only 2% per day that continues over a long period causes excess weight in growing children. In fact, children are born with the ability to self-regulate their energy intake (Schultink et al., 2021). Internal state signals influence reward and cognitive processes that are crucial for regulating energy balance and controlling food intake (Shin et al., 2009). Impairment of the ability to regulate energy intake in children creates a tendency to eat without feeling hungry. Typically, feelings of hunger result from stomach contractions caused by the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) refers to the inability to self-regulate energy intake and a tendency to eat tasty, often energy-dense foods despite satiety. In this case, eating when not hungry is a behavioral risk factor for excessive weight gain in children (Arnold et al., 2015; Lansigan et al., 2015; Schultink et al., 2021).

EAH was first defined by Fisher and Birch, 1999, Fisher and Birch, 2002 as eating past the point of satiety. To measure EAH, children are fed until they are full; after a short break, children are offered toys, games, and various delicious snacks for 10 min. During this period, children's food consumption is measured (Fisher & Birch, 2002). Several studies have associated high EAH with overweight, adiposity, overeating, and binge eating (Balantekin, Birch, & Savage, 2017; Savard et al., 2022). Children who are overweight or at risk of being overweight are more likely to exhibit EAH than those with normal or low weight (Kelly et al., 2015). The reasons that EAH varies among children are not fully understood (Faith et al., 2006).

In various studies, EAH in children has been associated with the presence of overweight and obesity, restrictive parental feeding practices, high parental body mass index (BMI), unrestricted parental eating style, and obesity-related polymorphisms in the FTO gene (Feig et al., 2018). Studies show that EAH remains stable over time in children; in addition, high adiposity and possible weight gain are associated with gender (Fogel et al., 2018).

Today, easy access to cheap, delicious, high-energy fast foods has increased the consumption of young people and children in the absence of physiological hunger (Shomaker et al., 2013). Since this situation paves the way for childhood obesity, it is important to determine the conditions that trigger EAH in children and adolescents. These data are needed to understand, prevent, and treat obesity in children and adolescents (Lansigan et al., 2015).

No measurement instrument has been developed in Türkiye to assess the frequency of EAH in response to immediate factors (e.g., emotions or environmental cues) in children and adolescents. Since the validity and reliability of the original EAH questionnaire have not been assessed in our country, there are no data on this subject. However, for the progressive improvement of child health, it is essential to use a culturally suitable measurement scale to determine the reasons for EAH and expand the information available on this subject to facilitate both early recognition of risky behaviors that contribute to overeating in children and early planning of interventions to prevent overeating. EAH has been shown to increase with age and to be related to weight status (Russell & Russell, 2021). There is a need for studies of EAH and the factors that affect it, as EAH may increase childhood overweight and obesity in the Turkish population. By employing the EAH questionnaire, it becomes possible to ascertain whether children and adolescents exhibit EAH as a result of various external and affective stimuli. Our fundamental knowledge of how Turkish children eat may be improved with the help of this tool for measuring eating behavior. This information will help policymakers to develop intervention and prevention programs, in addition to providing guidance to pediatric nurses, all healthcare professionals, researchers, children, and parents.