Executive Functioning, Weight Trajectories, and Loss of Control Eating in Children With Overweight/Obesity: A Prospective Study
University of Pittsburgh
Summary
Overweight/obesity and loss of control eating (characterized by the sense that one cannot control what or how much one is eating) are prevalent among children and adolescents, and both are associated with serious medical and psychosocial health complications. Although our recently published data suggest that youth with these conditions may have relative deficits in neurocognitive functioning, particularly working memory, understanding of how these processes and their neural correlates are related to change and stability in eating and weight-related outcomes over time is limited, thereby impeding development of targeted, optimally timed interventions. The present study aims to assess prospective associations between general and food-specific executive functioning and underlying neural substrates, and eating and weight outcomes among children at varying levels of risk overweight/obesity and eating disorders, which will help guide research efforts towards the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies.
Description
The current study will examine prospective associations among general and food-specific EF and related neural substrates, and the developmental course of weight gain and LOC eating from middle childhood through early adolescence. Specific aims are to: 1. Investigate prospective associations between general and food-specific EF and z-BMI trajectories. We expect that across risk groups, a) poorer baseline performance on both general and food-specific behavioral EF measures will predict steeper z-BMI gain trajectories; and b) worsening general and food-specific EF will track with the steepest z-…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 9–12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Not currently taking any medications known to affect weight or appetite * Free of any current or past medical or psychiatric conditions known to significantly affect eating or weight (e.g., diabetes, bulimia nervosa), with the exception of binge eating disorder * In the low average range or higher on measures of general intellectual functioning * Free of any conditions affecting executive functioning (e.g., recent concussion, history of traumatic brain injury) * Fluent in English, and able to read and comprehend study materials * Not currently pregnant
Interventions
- BehavioralObservational (not including MRI scanning)
Observational data will be obtained through self-report measures, parental report measures, cognitive assessments, and a semi-structured interview.
- BehavioralObservational (including MRI scanning)
Observational data will be obtained through self-report measures, parental report measures, cognitive assessments, fMRI imaging, and a semi-structured interview.
Locations (2)
- University of PIttsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Weight Control & Diabetes Research CenterProvidence, Rhode Island