Childhood Obesity and Cognitive Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Childhood Obesity and Cognitive Control - Essay Example The research indicated that obese children took longer for an incompatible task compared to the normal healthy weight children. There was no difference based on a compatible condition. In addition, obese children exhibited smaller error related negativity (ERN) amplitude compared to healthy weight children who have a lower post-error accuracy in response. The results suggested in the article were that childhood obesity is linked with a reduced ability to adjust the cognitive direct network that aids action monitoring. Cognitive control means the ability to coordinate thought and action in harmony with internal goals. The researcher was keen to determine the link between cognitive control and childhood obesity that has remained inconclusive. There has been minimal study done by researchers on this particular topic. Based on the current global epidemic, obesity in children needs further investigation to prove whether obesity has a link with cognitive control. It is evident, from the study, that childhood obesity is inversely associated with cognitive control. Conversely, not all studies have consistently shown an association linking poorer cognitive control and childhood obesity. The present study focused on an altered feature of cognitive control that had not been previously investigated, to give insight into the relationship between childhood obesity to brain health and cognition. Developmental studies indicate that pre-adolescent children demonstrate similar post-error reaction slowing as young adults and adolescent children. As such, it is significant that this behavioral measure of action supervision may not be responsive enough to detect delicate developmental effects. Therefore, an additional neuroelectric measure, error related negativity, may result in gaining understanding on the relationship between cognitive control and childhood obesity. Based on previous research, it is clear that scholars approved that the relationship existed, but