Does eating processed food affect children's brain function?

A new study in JAMA Network Open found a link between ultra-processed food consumption and changes in the reward systems of children's brains. The study, which included 46 children, showed increased activity in the dorsal striatum associated with increases in BMI and body fat over one year.

A new study published in JAMA Network Open found a link between ultra-processed food consumption and changes in the reward systems of children's brains. The study, conducted at the University of Southern California, involved 46 healthy children of normal weight, with an average age of 8.7 years. Researchers measured ultra-processed food intake, examined brain responses to food stimuli using fMRI scans, and tracked changes in weight and body fat percentage over a year. They found that children who consumed more processed food showed increased activity in the dorsal striatum, associated with increases in BMI and body fat. Ultra-processed foods account for about two-thirds of the calories consumed by children in the US. The researchers emphasize that this is a small study, but its findings are thought-provoking.