title: Neurocognitive correlates of obesity and obesity-related behaviors in children and adolescents.
abstract: Childhood obesity rates have risen dramatically over the past few decades. Although obesity has been linked to poorer neurocognitive functioning in adults, much less is known about this relationship in children and adolescents. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to examine the relationship between obesity and obesity-related behaviors with neurocognitive functioning in youth. We reviewed articles from 1976 to 2013 using PsycInfo, PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar. Search terms included cognitive function, neurocognitive function/performance, executive function, impulsivity, self-regulation, effortful control, cognitive control, inhibition, delayed gratification, memory, attention, language, motor, visuo-spatial, academic achievement, obesity, overweight, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, adiposity and body fat. Articles were excluded if participants had health problems known to affect cognitive functioning, the study used imaging as the only outcome measure, they were non-peer-reviewed dissertations, theses, review papers, commentaries, or they were non-English articles. Sixty-seven studies met inclusion criteria for this review. Overall, we found data that support a negative relationship between obesity and various aspects of neurocognitive functioning, such as executive functioning, attention, visuo-spatial performance, and motor skill. The existing literature is mixed on the effects among obesity, general cognitive functioning, language, learning, memory, and academic achievement. Executive dysfunction is associated with obesity-related behaviors, such as increased intake, disinhibited eating, and less physical activity. Physical activity is positively linked with motor skill. More longitudinal research is needed to determine the directionality of such relationships, to point towards crucial intervention time periods in the development of children, and to inform effective treatment programs.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Pediatrics, Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Pediatrics, Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA [2] Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Matheson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Pediatrics, Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Boutelle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*
references.citation: Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2012 Sep;32(9):2060-7
references.pmid: 22895667
references.citation: Diabetologia. 2009 Nov;52(11):2264-9
references.pmid: 19705099
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Jun;89(6):2595-600
references.pmid: 15181029
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Jul;19(7):1382-7
references.pmid: 21350433
references.citation: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011 Jun;6(2-2):e464-71
references.pmid: 21627397
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Jul;35(7):937-44
references.pmid: 21448128
references.citation: Prev Med. 2011 Jun;52 Suppl 1:S29-35
references.pmid: 21291906
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2012 Mar;48(2):337-42
references.pmid: 22369339
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012 Aug;20(8):1604-10
references.pmid: 22421897
references.citation: Appetite. 2012 Apr;58(2):672-8
references.pmid: 22251461
references.citation: J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2008 Oct;30(5):497-511
references.pmid: 18971509
references.citation: Brain Cogn. 2010 Feb;72(1):124-33
references.pmid: 19695759
references.citation: Neurosci Lett. 2008 Jul 25;440(1):72-5
references.pmid: 18541379
references.citation: Addict Behav. 1981;6(1):9-14
references.pmid: 7257923
references.citation: Neuroscientist. 2004 Aug;10(4):372-92
references.pmid: 15271264
references.citation: Pediatrics. 1998 Mar;101(3 Pt 2):497-504
references.pmid: 12224656
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Aug;18(8):1572-8
references.pmid: 20057376
references.citation: Prev Med. 2011 Jun;52 Suppl 1:S55-9
references.pmid: 21281671
references.citation: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2008 Jun;79(2):158-65
references.pmid: 18664040
references.citation: Child Neuropsychol. 2012;18(1):1-11
references.pmid: 21480013
references.citation: Res Q Exerc Sport. 2004 Sep;75(3):238-47
references.pmid: 15487288
references.citation: Trends Cogn Sci. 2011 Jan;15(1):37-46
references.pmid: 21109477
references.citation: Obes Rev. 2012 Jan;13(1):43-56
references.pmid: 21902800
references.citation: Behav Pharmacol. 2012 Sep;23(5-6):609-15
references.pmid: 22785438
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2012 Oct;1271:37-43
references.pmid: 23050962
references.citation: West J Nurs Res. 2011 Aug;33(5):609-29
references.pmid: 20974898
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2012 Sep;48(5):1501-10
references.pmid: 22148945
references.citation: J Sch Health. 2011 Feb;81(2):65-73
references.pmid: 21223273
references.citation: Neuron. 2010 Sep 9;67(5):728-34
references.pmid: 20826305
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012 May;20(5):1024-33
references.pmid: 21799480
references.citation: Hum Brain Mapp. 2001 Mar;12(3):131-43
references.pmid: 11170305
references.citation: Obes Facts. 2012;5(6):856-68
references.pmid: 23258120
references.citation: J Behav Med. 2012 Dec;35(6):642-50
references.pmid: 22218938
references.citation: Br J Health Psychol. 2007 May;12(Pt 2):285-304
references.pmid: 17456287
references.citation: Cell Mol Life Sci. 2005 Mar;62(6):642-52
references.pmid: 15770417
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Oct;34(10):1494-500
references.pmid: 20440296
references.citation: J Occup Environ Med. 2009 Dec;51(12):1367-73
references.pmid: 19952786
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 Jan;37(1):61-7
references.pmid: 22508339
references.citation: Res Dev Disabil. 2011 Mar-Apr;32(2):801-7
references.pmid: 21109392
references.citation: Appetite. 2009 Apr;52(2):535-9
references.pmid: 19260167
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 May 25;101(21):8174-9
references.pmid: 15148381
references.citation: Neuron. 2010 Sep 9;67(5):749-60
references.pmid: 20826307
references.citation: Appetite. 2012 Oct;59(2):409-13
references.pmid: 22664299
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1997 Sep 25;337(13):869-73
references.pmid: 9302300
references.citation: Appetite. 2008 Mar-May;50(2-3):246-51
references.pmid: 17761359
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 Sep;30(9):1449-60
references.pmid: 16534518
references.citation: Prev Med. 2011 Jun;52 Suppl 1:S65-9
references.pmid: 21281668
references.citation: BMJ. 2006 Nov 18;333(7577):1041
references.pmid: 17028105
references.citation: J Sch Health. 2011 Jul;81(7):400-8
references.pmid: 21668880
references.citation: J Biosoc Sci. 2012 Mar;44(2):165-79
references.pmid: 22004667
references.citation: Physiol Rev. 2008 Jan;88(1):37-57
references.pmid: 18195082
references.citation: Health Psychol. 2011 Jan;30(1):91-8
references.pmid: 21299297
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Oct;19(10):1999-2005
references.pmid: 21720438
references.citation: BMC Pediatr. 2012 Mar 09;12:23
references.pmid: 22405468
references.citation: Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2009 Sep-Oct;5(5):547-52
references.pmid: 19766958
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2012 Dec;20(12):2406-11
references.pmid: 22546743
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 May;19(5):1101-2
references.pmid: 21151018
references.citation: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009 Apr;163(4):303-8
references.pmid: 19349558
references.citation: Neurology. 2005 May 24;64(10):1746-9
references.pmid: 15911802
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jan 29;110(5):1917-22
references.pmid: 23277558
references.citation: Health Psychol. 1994 Sep;13(5):373-83
references.pmid: 7805631
references.citation: Int J Eat Disord. 2013 Jan;46(1):39-46
references.pmid: 22821768
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2007 Jul;31(7):1068-73
references.pmid: 17471298
references.citation: J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2003 Mar;32(1):32-9
references.pmid: 12573930
references.citation: JAMA. 2012 Feb 1;307(5):483-90
references.pmid: 22253364
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Jan;34(1):94-104
references.pmid: 19806158
references.citation: Ann Behav Med. 2008 Jun;35(3):341-50
references.pmid: 18584267
references.citation: JAMA. 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1523-9
references.pmid: 10546691
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2009 Jul;71(6):675-81
references.pmid: 19483120
references.citation: JAMA. 2012 Feb 1;307(5):491-7
references.pmid: 22253363
references.citation: Child Neuropsychol. 2010;16(3):279-92
references.pmid: 20234954
references.citation: Int Rev Psychiatry. 2012 Jun;24(3):211-8
references.pmid: 22724642
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2012 Dec;80(6):1086-1096
references.pmid: 22924332
references.citation: Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Aug;16(8):1809-15
references.pmid: 18551126
references.citation: Addict Behav. 1983;8(1):71-4
references.pmid: 6880927
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2005 Feb;44(2):177-86
references.pmid: 15689731
references.citation: J Adolesc Health. 2008 Apr;42(4):335-43
references.pmid: 18346658
references.citation: J Sci Med Sport. 2012 Jan;15(1):38-43
references.pmid: 21831708
references.citation: Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2012 May;24(2):199-209
references.pmid: 22728412
references.citation: Appetite. 2007 Nov;49(3):675-8
references.pmid: 17543417
references.citation: Hypertension. 2003 Dec;42(6):1067-74
references.pmid: 14610096
references.citation: J Appl Behav Anal. 2008 Winter;41(4):597-601
references.pmid: 19192862
references.citation: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011 Oct;6 Suppl 2:42-6
references.pmid: 21923296
references.citation: Ann Biol Clin (Paris). 2004 Jan-Feb;62(1):25-31
references.pmid: 15047487
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2008 Nov;117(4):924-35
references.pmid: 19025237
references.citation: Int J Eat Disord. 1994 Jan;15(1):43-52
references.pmid: 8124326
references.citation: Appetite. 2011 Jun;56(3):766-9
references.pmid: 21419816
references.citation: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1996 Feb;20 Suppl 1:S14-21
references.pmid: 8646260
references.citation: Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011 Oct;6(5-6):473-5
references.pmid: 21609208
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Apr;32(4):708-14
references.pmid: 18059403
references.citation: Eat Behav. 2006 Nov;7(4):315-22
references.pmid: 17056407
references.citation: Obes Rev. 2011 Sep;12(9):740-55
references.pmid: 21991597
references.citation: Acta Paediatr. 2008 Jun;97(6):819-21
references.pmid: 18430075
references.citation: Dev Neuropsychol. 2009;34(3):272-83
references.pmid: 19437203
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2013 Jun;51(6):290-9
references.pmid: 23524063
references.citation: J Genet Psychol. 1976 Mar;128(1st Half):7-16
references.pmid: 1255141
references.citation: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010 Feb;19(2):135-41
references.pmid: 19644731
references.citation: J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Apr;113(4):551-7
references.pmid: 23522577
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Aug;92(8):3278-84
references.pmid: 17536002
references.citation: Adapt Phys Activ Q. 2009 Jan;26(1):21-37
references.pmid: 19246771
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 2007 May;45(5):1071-5
references.pmid: 16828053
references.citation: J Sport Exerc Psychol. 2007 Apr;29(2):239-52
references.pmid: 17568069
references.citation: Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Apr;34(4):633-41
references.pmid: 20065961
references.citation: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009 Apr;163(4):297-302
references.pmid: 19349557