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Children who eat more ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) show stronger responses in the brain's reward network when viewing images of appetizing foods—and these brain responses are linked to increases in body fat one year later.

The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that the brain may become more sensitive to food cues when children consume more UPFs. The study is available here.

UPFs are manufactured food products—such as breakfast cereals, packaged bread and instant soups—that are designed to be highly palatable, convenient and shelf-stable. They often contain artificial sweeteners, colors and other ingredients that people do not typically use when cooking at home.

On average, U.S. children get about 67% of their daily calories from UPFs.

Past studies have linked these products to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but researchers do not yet know how the brain's reward network may contribute to these risks. The new study collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, dietary information and data on children's body composition to help fill that gap.

"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, Dr. Kathleen A. Page, a professor of medicine and pediatrics and co-chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

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