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Study Links Adolescent Abdominal Obesity to Brain Structure Changes

Research presented at ECO 2025 reveals enlarged hippocampus and amygdala in teens with abdominal obesity, with social deprivation compounding developmental deficits.

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Obesity—particularly abdominal obesity—has been linked to changes in brain development in the past, with regions key to cognition and the regulation of emotions seemingly particularly vulnerable. Credit: Neuroscience News
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Overview

  • New findings show adolescents with abdominal obesity have a 6.6% larger hippocampus and a 4.3% larger amygdala compared to peers without obesity.
  • The study analyzed MRI data from 3,320 children aged nine at baseline, followed over four years across 17 U.S. states as part of the ABCD study.
  • Researchers highlight that obesity-driven brain changes may impair learning, memory, and emotional regulation, raising concerns about long-term cognitive health risks.
  • Teens from socially deprived areas exhibited reduced brain development in key regions, with effects more pronounced in those with persistent abdominal obesity.
  • Experts call for early interventions addressing childhood obesity and social inequities to protect both physical and brain health during critical developmental years.