Childhood obesity reduced brain connectivity in the functional networks involved in cognitive control, motivation, and decision-making based on rewards.
Highlights:
Researchers have discovered an association between poorer brain health and higher weight and body mass index (BMI) in pre-adolescence using MRI data from the largest long-term study of brain development and child health conducted in the United States. The results are being presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting (RSNA).
“We know being obese as an adult is associated with poor brain health,” said researcher Simone Kaltenhauser, a post-graduate research fellow in radiology and biomedical imaging at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. “However, previous studies on children have often focused on small, specific study populations or single aspects of brain health.” - About one in five American children are overweight or obese
- Adult obesity is linked to poorer brain health
- Similarly, children with higher BMI perform less well academically and cognitively
Childhood Obesity - Criteria - Causes - Complications, Treatment
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges in the developing countries and needs to be understood and tackled effectively.
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health challenges in the developing countries and needs to be understood and tackled effectively.
‘Children who are overweight are more likely to have structural and functional brain abnormalities, which may affect their academic ability.’
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Childhood Obesity in United States
In the United States, childhood obesity is an increasing problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in five American children are fat.To accurately reflect the sociodemographic diversity in the United States, Kaltenhauser's study used imaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which included 11,878 children between the ages of 9 and 10 from 21 centers across the nation.
“This dataset is unique in that it closely approximates the U.S. population,” Kaltenhauser said.
The study group consisted of 5,169 children (51.9% female), after removing those with eating problems, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric illnesses, and traumatic brain damage. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the study population was 21% and 17.6%, respectively, based on the children's BMI z-scores, which are relative weight measurements that are adjusted for a child's age, sex, and height.
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Mantra to Prevent Childhood Obesity - Vigorous Physical Activity
Being physically very active is the mantra to prevent pediatric obesity rather than concentrating efforts at restricting energy consumption.
Being physically very active is the mantra to prevent pediatric obesity rather than concentrating efforts at restricting energy consumption.
Brain Health is Linked with BMI
The team analyzed data from structural MRI and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI), which enables researchers to measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, to get a complete picture of brain health within the study group. The connectivity between neural regions- also referred to as resting-state networks- can be seen when the brain is at rest using resting-state fMRI. The researchers also evaluated data from diffusion tensor imaging- a technique that helps assess white matter- and restriction spectrum imaging, an advanced diffusion MRI technique.After correcting for age, sex, race-ethnicity, handedness and socioeconomic status, the research team used linear models to determine associations between weight and BMI z-scores and the imaging metrics.
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Ways to Combat Childhood Obesity During the COVID-19 Lockdown
COVID-19 has disrupted children's lives in many ways with no schools and no means for recreation outdoors. The added stress of uncertainty has led to children engaging in unhealthy eating habits with no physical activity.
COVID-19 has disrupted children's lives in many ways with no schools and no means for recreation outdoors. The added stress of uncertainty has led to children engaging in unhealthy eating habits with no physical activity.
Does Excess Weight Affect the Brain
The researchers observed structural brain changes in children with higher weight and BMI z-scores, including significant impairment to the integrity of the white matter. Areas of degradation included the white matter of the corpus callosum, the principal connector between the brain’s two hemispheres, and tracts within the hemispheres that connect the lobes of the brain.“It is striking that these changes were visible early on during childhood,” Kaltenhauser said.
The cortex, the brain's outermost layer, which has been linked to impaired executive function, was also seen to be thinned by the researchers.
“We expected the decrease in cortical thickness among the higher weight and BMI z-score children, as this was found previously in smaller subsamples of the ABCD study,” Kaltenhauser said. “However, we were surprised by the extent of white matter impairment.”
The study's senior author, neuroradiologist Sam Payabvash, M.D., assistant professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale School of Medicine, said the results offer an important mechanistic explanation for previous research showing that children with higher BMI have worse cognitive function and academic performance.
“The longitudinal ABCD study allows us to observe any changes that occur in children with higher weight and BMI z-scores,” Dr. Payabvash said. “We’ll need to watch over the next 6 to 10 years.”
Source-Medindia
Childhood Obesity: A Sign for Poor Heart Health
Children with higher BMI are silently at risk of developing cardiometabolic risk by 11 to 12 years. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective action plan to reduce overweight and obesity in early childhood.
Children with higher BMI are silently at risk of developing cardiometabolic risk by 11 to 12 years. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective action plan to reduce overweight and obesity in early childhood.
