Executive Functions and Body Weight at Different Ages: A Preliminary Study.
Francesca Favieri1, Eunice Chen2, Maria Casagrande3
1Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Nutrients
|April 30, 2021
Summary
Executive functions (EFs) like inhibition and shifting are linked to body mass index (BMI) in adolescents and young adults. Childhood EFs did not predict BMI, suggesting developmental changes influence weight management.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Growing interest in cognitive processes influencing eating habits and body weight.
- Limited research on executive functions (EFs) in early stages of overweight, excluding obesity.
- Need to understand the predictive role of EFs on body mass index (BMI) across developmental stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the involvement of EFs in predicting BMI in healthy individuals.
- To examine EFs across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.
- To identify specific EFs domains associated with BMI variations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study with 166 healthy students (children, adolescents, young adults).
- Assessment of body mass index (BMI) and executive functions (inhibition, updating, shifting).
- Hierarchical multiple linear regression and Pearson's r correlations analyzed age-adjusted BMI and EFs performance.
Main Results:
- Motor disinhibition correlated with higher BMI in the total sample.
- Poorer set-shifting in adolescence and motor inhibition in young adulthood linked to higher BMI.
- No significant association found between EFs and BMI in childhood.
Conclusions:
- Executive function development influences weight changes through altered eating behaviors.
- Specific EFs, like inhibition and shifting, play a role in weight management during adolescence and young adulthood.
- Early childhood EFs may not be directly predictive of BMI, highlighting developmental trajectories.
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