Characterizing Resilience to Food-cue Induced Overeating in Children
Penn State University
Summary
Strong empirical evidence shows food marketing promotes excess energy intake and obesity. Yet, not all children are susceptible to its effects and this variability is poorly understood. Identifying sources of this variability is a public health priority not only because it may elucidate characteristics of children who are most susceptible, but also because it may highlight novel sources of resiliency to overconsumption. The proposed research will use state-of-the art, data-driven approaches to identify neural, cognitive and behavioral phenotypes associated with resiliency to food-cue (i.e. food advertisement) induced overeating and determine whether these phenotypes protect children from weight gain during the critical pre-adolescent period.
Description
The investigator's central hypothesis is that children who are resistant to food-cue induced overeating will exhibit a distinct cluster of neural, behavioral, and cognitive traits that protect them from weight gain, even in the context of high-familial obesity risk. Identifying these traits is critical to the development of successful, individually tailored obesity prevention programs. This hypothesis is informed by compelling preliminary research showing that children who are less susceptible to food-cue induced eating in the laboratory show decreased neural activation in somatosensory (i.e.,…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 7–9 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Child Inclusion Criteria: 1. In order to be enrolled, children must be of good health based on parental self-report. 2. Have no learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD). 3. Have no allergies to the foods or ingredients used in the study. 4. Not be claustrophobic. 5. Not be taking any medications known to influence body weight, taste, food intake, behavior, or blood flow. 6. Be 7-9 years-old at enrollment. 7. The child must speak English. Parent Inclusion Criteria: 1. The parent who has the most knowledge of the child's eating behavior, media access, sleep and behavior must be available to attend…
Location
- The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania