Obese Kids Enjoy Seeing Food Images More
Published at(NEW YORK) — Obese children have greater activity in the pleasure centers of their brains while looking at food logos compared to healthy-weight children, according to the Journal of Pediatrics.
Scientists studied ten obese children and ten children of healthy weight for the study. An MRI was used to capture pictures of the children’s brains when they were shown pictures of food and non-food items.
The healthy-weight children showed increased brain activity in the regions of the brain associated with self-control, while the obese kids showed greater activity in the pleasure centers of the brain when looking at food images.
This may make some overweight kids more susceptible to the $10 billion food advertising directed at children each year. About ninety-eight percent of food and drinks marketed to kids on television are high in fat, sugar or salt.
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