Obesity, orbitofrontal structure and function are associated with food choice: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity is increasing in the US, linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• Emerging evidence suggests obesity negatively impacts executive function and brain structure.
• Research on diet's brain effects often overlooks food choice's association with brain integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate differences in food choices between lean and overweight/obese (o/o) adults.
• Examine associations between food choices, brain structure, and cognition in these groups.
• Explore the relationship between food quality and orbitofrontal cortex volume.

Main Methods:

• Participants underwent routine blood work and research MRI scans.
• Neurocognitive tests assessed executive function, attention, and concentration.
• A 3-day food diary recorded dietary intake for analysis.

Main Results:

• Lean adults consumed more high-quality foods and fewer low-quality foods than o/o adults.
• In o/o adults, high-quality food choices correlated with increased orbitofrontal cortex volume.
• Lean adults outperformed o/o adults on executive function and attention tasks.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary data link poor food choices in obesity to frontal cognitive impairments.
• These impairments may stem from or contribute to reduced orbitofrontal cortex volume.
• Longitudinal studies are needed to establish a causal relationship between food choice and executive functioning.