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The relation of adiposity to cognitive control and scholastic achievement in preadolescent children

Keita Kamijo1, Naiman A Khan, Matthew B Pontifex

  • 1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|May 2, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Childhood adiposity, including high body mass index (BMI) and fat mass, is linked to poorer cognitive control and lower academic achievement in preadolescent children. This study clarifies the negative relationship between excess weight and cognitive abilities.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Neuroscience
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern with potential impacts on cognitive development.
  • Previous research on adiposity and cognitive function in children has yielded controversial findings.
  • Accurate assessment of both adiposity and cognitive abilities is crucial for understanding this relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between weight status and cognitive function in preadolescent children.
  • To clarify the relationship between adiposity and cognitive control, academic achievement, and specific cognitive tasks.
  • To utilize comprehensive measures of adiposity and cognitive performance.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 126 preadolescent children (7-9 years) participated.
  • Cognitive function was assessed using Go and NoGo tasks (measuring cognitive control).
  • Academic achievement was measured by the Wide Range Achievement Test 3rd edition (WRAT3).
  • Adiposity was assessed using Body Mass Index (BMI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for fat mass.
  • Multiple regression analysis was employed, controlling for confounding variables.

Main Results:

  • Higher BMI and fat mass were negatively associated with performance on the NoGo task, indicating poorer inhibitory control.
  • No significant association was found between weight status and performance on the Go task.
  • Elevated BMI and fat mass correlated with lower academic achievement scores in reading, spelling, and arithmetic.
  • Adiposity selectively impacted cognitive control rather than general cognitive processing.

Conclusions:

  • Adiposity is negatively and selectively associated with cognitive control in preadolescent children.
  • Poorer cognitive control, linked to higher adiposity, may contribute to lower academic achievement.
  • These findings provide an empirical basis for the detrimental effect of adiposity on scholastic performance.

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