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Comparing decision making in average and overweight children and adolescents

International Journal of Obesity volume 38, pages 547–551 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

The current study investigates the aspects of self-regulation skills in overweight and normal-weight children, which may be related to their overeating problems. It is hypothesised that overweight children may show poor decision-making behaviour, and this may be because of two processes: hypersensitivity to reward or future insensitivity.

Subjects:

Average weight children (n=66) and overweight children (n=64) between 11 and 16 years were tested with the developmentally appropriate analogue of the iowa gambling task.

Results:

The results reveal that overweight children show decision-making failure ensued from future insensitivity.

Conclusion:

These findings provide support for the reward deficiency hypothesis or the anhedonic route to obesity in children.

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Acknowledgements

This study was sponsored by BOF (Organization for Scientific Research of the University Ghent).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    S Verbeken, C Braet, G Bosmans & L Goossens

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  1. S Verbeken
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Correspondence to S Verbeken.

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Verbeken, S., Braet, C., Bosmans, G. et al. Comparing decision making in average and overweight children and adolescents. Int J Obes 38, 547–551 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.235

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