Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
6d ago

UNAM Study Links Childhood Obesity to Executive Function Loss and Emotional Dysregulation

Using EFECS, researchers identified deficits in verbal working memory along with poor impulse control among overweight children, prompting calls for preventive nutrition policies with expanded physical activity guidelines.

Image
Un estudio de la UNAM analizó a 73 niños entre 7 y 12 años y encontró que la obesidad y el sobrepeso pueden alterar funciones cognitivas y emocionales clave.
Image
Impactan sobrepeso y obesidad al cerebro infantil, advierte UNAM

Overview

  • The study found that overweight and obese children exhibit delays in gratification, reduced cognitive flexibility, inhibition challenges and unfavorable emotional decision-making.
  • Participants with excess weight showed pronounced deficits in verbal working memory despite outperforming peers in visual working memory tasks.
  • UNAM psychologists applied the EFECS platform to systematically assess executive functions and social cognition in a cohort of 73 children aged seven to 12.
  • Analysis revealed that 90.9% of children with obesity have parents or siblings affected by overweight or obesity, highlighting strong familial genetic and behavioral influences.
  • Researchers emphasize that critical brain maturation phases from ages three to five and during adolescence demand early preventive nutrition policies with expanded physical activity guidelines.