Ultra-processed diets linked to heightened brain reward activity and weight gain in children

AKIPRESS.COM –

Children whose diets contain higher amounts of ultra-processed foods exhibit increased brain activity in reward-processing regions when viewing appetizing food images, a response associated with subsequent body fat gains, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC tracked 46 children over one year and found that higher consumption of ultra-processed items—such as packaged snacks, sugary cereals, and instant meals—correlated with greater activation in the dorsal striatum.

This heightened brain reactivity accounted for up to 44 percent of the link between ultra-processed food intake and subsequent increases in body fat percentage, suggesting that neural reward sensitivity may represent a key biological mechanism driving diet-related weight gain in developing children.