Executive Function and Dysregulated Eating Behaviors in Pediatric Obesity

Area of Science:

• Pediatric obesity
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Executive function (EF) plays a critical role in self-regulation and decision-making.
• Dysregulated eating behaviors are common in youth with obesity and can lead to adverse health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between caregiver-reported executive function (EF) and disordered eating behaviors in children with obesity.
• To determine if caregiver or self-reports of eating behaviors are more strongly associated with EF deficits.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 195 youth (aged 8-17) with obesity and their guardians.
• Assessment of youth height, weight, demographics, depressive symptoms, eating behaviors, and EF.
• Statistical analyses (ANCOVA) adjusted for covariates to compare EF across eating behavior groups.

Main Results:

• Caregiver reports revealed significant differences in EF based on eating behaviors, unlike youth self-reports.
• Youth exhibiting overeating or binge eating behaviors showed poorer EF compared to peers without these behaviors.
• Executive dysfunction, as identified by caregivers, was associated with specific dysregulated eating patterns.

Conclusions:

• Caregiver-identified executive dysfunction in youth with obesity is linked to disordered eating behaviors.
• These eating behaviors may predict unfavorable long-term psychosocial and weight trajectories.
• Targeted assessment and intervention for EF in obese youth warrant further investigation.