Kids who eat more ultra-processed foods show a troubling brain response — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Children who ate more ultra-processed foods showed heightened activity in the dorsal striatum—a brain region tied to reward and motivation—when viewing images of high-calorie foods like cookies and French fries.
- The study's participants, 46 kids aged 7 to 10 with healthy initial weights, underwent MRI scans, dietary assessments, and body composition measurements at baseline and one year later.
- Greater dorsal striatum activity was associated with larger increases in BMI and body fat percentage over the follow-up period, suggesting a neurobiological pathway linking diet to weight gain.
- Ultra-processed foods, which make up about 67% of children’s caloric intake in the U.S., include packaged bread, breakfast cereals, and instant soups containing additives rarely used in home cooking.
- Adjusting for brain response in the dorsal striatum weakened the statistical link between ultra-processed food intake and BMI by 31%, and with body fat by 44%, indicating the brain’s role partially explains the diet-obesity connection.
- Kathleen A. Page, the study’s senior author, emphasized that childhood is a critical window for intervention due to ongoing brain development and habit formation around food.
Why it matters: The findings suggest that ultra-processed foods may shape children’s brain responses in ways that promote weight gain, meaning public health efforts focused solely on individual choice may miss a key biological driver. This shifts the burden toward structural changes in food access, especially for families facing time or financial constraints.
Ask SkimNews
