Early Brain Development and Childhood Obesity

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RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH Improved understanding of the potential underlying early influences on child obesity is an important first step towards developing effective public health and educational policies. This study aims to examine the role of infant early childhood brain development as a potential mediator linking genetic and pre and post-natal environmental factors known to be associated with obesity, and child appetitive responses, appetitive-related characteristics, and child weight trajectories and outcomes for the first time. With more than one third of US children entering kindergarten currently overweight and at-risk for an array of preventable lifelong physical and metal health conditions, this work addresses a pressing social, economic, and public health concern with significant long-lasting affects.