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FIU Study Finds Brain Differences Linked to Obesity Risk in Preschoolers
Researchers scanned 159 children and found BMI, but not waist size or body fat, was linked to differences in brain regions tied to hunger and reward.
- Florida International University researchers found that children ages 4 to 7 with higher BMI exhibit differences in brain regions governing reward, taste, and hunger, suggesting the obesity-brain connection emerges earlier than previously realized.
- Published in the Nature Portfolio journal Scientific Reports, the study pushes the timeline for observing brain-body connections back by several years, as previous research only identified similar patterns in adolescents.
- Using Restriction Spectrum Imaging, researchers scanned 159 children, including 81 with ADHD and 78 without; of all body size measures evaluated, only BMI showed an association with brain differences.
- Lead author Mohammadreza Masood Bayat noted the study does not prove brain differences cause higher body weight, or vice versa; instead, associations reflect broader early brain development patterns, Paulo Graziano said.
- Researchers plan to follow children over time to determine whether brain differences precede or follow weight changes, pairing imaging with metabolism and inflammation measures to understand what drives these early developmental differences.
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Higher BMI linked to brain differences in preschool children
Children as young as 4 with a higher body mass index (BMI) showed differences in several brain regions involved in reward, taste and hunger, according to a new study from Florida International University.
·Mona Vale, Australia
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FIU study finds brain differences linked to obesity risk in preschoolers
MIAMI, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Children as young as 4 with a higher body mass index (BMI) showed differences in several brain regions involved in reward, taste and hunger, according to a new study from Florida International University. The…
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