Education

  • PhD, Nutritional Sciences and Childhood Obesity Prevention, Penn State University, 2016
  • BS, Exercise Science, Florida State University, 2012

Research Interests

Dr. Fearnbach specializes in method development to understand eating and exercise behaviors in children, and how those behaviors affect body weight and growth. Her ongoing and future studies will look at how an implicit preference for sedentary activities may put kids at a greater risk for poor fitness, obesity, diabetes, and other health issues. She also has a long-standing interest in eating behaviors in children. In particular, she is interested in how exercise affects food intake over both the short and long term. Her previous work has focused on the role of the brain, and how the way kids think about exercise and food may lead to overeating.

Department: Pediatric Energy Balance

Selected Publications

  1. Fearnbach SN, Martin CK, Heymsfield SB, Staiano AE, Newton RL, Garn AC, Johannsen, NM, Hsia DS, Carmichael OT, Ramakrishnapillai S, Murray KB, Blundell JE, Finlayson GS. “The Activity Preference Assessment: A tool for quantifying children’s implicit preferences for sedentary and physical activities.” Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 2020 Aug 24; 17(1):108.
  2. Fearnbach SN, Johannsen NM, Martin CK, Beyl RA, Hsia DS, Carmichael OT, Staiano AE. “A pilot study of cardiorespiratory fitness, adiposity, and cardiometabolic health in youth with overweight and obesity.” Pediatr Exerc Sci, 2020 Apr 25:1-8. [Online ahead of print]
  3. Miguet M, Fearnbach N, Metz L, Khammassi M, Julian V, Cardenoux C, Pereira B, Boirie Y, Duclos M, Thivel D. “Effect of HIIT versus MICT on body composition and energy intake in dietary restrained and unrestrained adolescents with obesity.” App Physiol Nutr Metab, 2020 Apr; 45(4): 437-445. Epub 2019 Sep 10.
  4. Masterson TD, Kirwan B, Davidson LE, Larson MJ, Keller KL, Fearnbach SN, Evans A, LeCheminant JD. “Brain reactivity to visual food stimuli after moderate-intensity exercise in children.” Brain Imaging Behav, 2018 Aug;12(4):1032-1041. Epub 2017 Sep 19.
  5. Fearnbach SN, Masterson TD, Schlechter HA, Loken E, Downs DS, Thivel D, Keller KL. “Perceived exertion during exercise is associated with children’s energy intake.” Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2017 Apr; 49(4):785-792. Epub 2016 Nov 29.
  6. Fearnbach SN, Masterson TD, Schlechter HA, Ross AJ, Rykaczewski MJ, Loken E, Downs DS, Thivel D, Keller KL. “Impact of imposed exercise on energy intake in children at risk for overweight.” Nutr J, 2016 Oct; 15(1):92.
  7. Fearnbach SN, Silvert L, Keller KL, Genin PM, Morio B, Pereira B, Duclos M, Boirie Y, Thivel D. “Reduced neural response to food cues following exercise is accompanied by decreased energy intake in obese adolescents.” Int J Obes, 2016 Jan; 40(1):77-83. Epub 2015 Oct 9.