Eating More Packaged Foods May Make Children’s Brains Crave Tempting Foods More, Study Finds

Children who regularly consume ultra-processed foods may develop stronger brain responses to tempting foods, potentially increasing their vulnerability to weight gain, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.

Researchers found that children with higher consumption of these products showed increased activity in a brain region associated with reward and motivation when viewing pictures of appetizing foods. These heightened responses were also linked to greater increases in body fat over the following year.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a common part of modern diets. Products such as breakfast cereals, packaged bread, and instant soups fall into this category. They are typically manufactured to improve convenience, enhance taste, and extend shelf life. Many also contain artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, and other additives that are not commonly used in traditional home cooking.

The scale of consumption is particularly concerning among children in the United States, where ultra-processed foods account for approximately 67% of their total calorie intake.

Previous studies have linked diets high in ultra-processed foods to several health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, the biological mechanisms behind these associations remain an important area of scientific investigation.

The latest research, supported partly by the National Institutes of Health, explored whether the brain’s reward system could help explain the relationship between UPF consumption and weight gain. Scientists combined brain imaging, dietary assessments, and body composition measurements to examine how children’s eating habits might influence their responses to food-related cues.

“Children’s brains are still developing, habits are still forming and food preferences are still being made. It’s an important period where the brain is very sensitive to food and the food environment,” said the study’s senior author, Kathleen A. Page, MD, professor of medicine and pediatrics and co-chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“We’re particularly interested in understanding these processes in children, because we believe that intervening early could make a real difference.”

Brain Scans Reveal a Possible Connection Between UPFs and Weight Gain

For the investigation, researchers examined 46 children between seven and 10 years old who were participating in the ongoing BrainChild study. The research project focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to obesity and diabetes.

All participating children had a healthy weight at the beginning of the investigation. This allowed researchers to examine whether differences in brain activity could indicate a potential risk of future weight gain before children developed excess body weight.

At the beginning of the study, participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans while viewing photographs of appealing foods, including cookies and French fries. Researchers also assessed their dietary habits and recorded important health indicators, such as body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist circumference.

The research team repeated the physical measurements after 12 months to determine how the children’s body composition had changed over time.

The brain imaging results revealed that children who consumed greater amounts of ultra-processed foods displayed stronger activity in the dorsal striatum when looking at pictures of appetizing foods.

The dorsal striatum is an important component of the brain’s reward system. It plays a role in motivation and reward-related responses, influencing how people react to experiences and stimuli they find desirable. Its heightened activity in response to food images suggests that children with higher UPF consumption may be more sensitive to food-related cues.

Researchers also identified a connection between these stronger brain responses and changes in body composition. Children who displayed greater activity in the dorsal striatum tended to experience larger increases in BMI and body fat percentage over the subsequent year.

These findings offer a possible explanation for why diets rich in ultra-processed foods have been associated with weight gain. Greater sensitivity to tempting food cues may be one of the biological factors linking frequent UPF consumption with changes in body composition.

Why Early Intervention Matters

Childhood is an important period for developing eating habits, food preferences, and long-term relationships with food. Since the brain continues to develop during these years, exposure to different foods and eating environments may influence how children respond to appetizing products.

The researchers believe that understanding these brain responses could help identify potential pathways through which dietary habits influence children’s long-term health.

The findings also highlight the importance of encouraging healthier eating habits early in life, particularly as ultra-processed products become increasingly common in children’s diets.

However, the study involved only 46 participants, and its findings establish an association rather than proving that ultra-processed foods directly cause changes in brain activity or subsequent weight gain. Further research involving larger groups of children will be necessary to understand these relationships and determine whether reducing UPF consumption can influence food-related brain responses.