Early Brain Development and Childhood Obesity

与公共卫生的相关性 改善对儿童肥胖潜在的早期影响的理解是重要的第一步 制定有效的公共卫生和教育政策。这项研究的目的是考察 婴幼儿早期脑发育作为连接遗传和出生前后的潜在中介 已知与肥胖有关的环境因素，以及与儿童食欲相关的食欲反应 特征，以及儿童体重轨迹和结果的第一次。美国三分之一以上的人口 进入幼儿园的儿童目前超重，并面临一系列可预防的终身身体和 金属健康状况，这项工作解决了紧迫的社会、经济和公共卫生问题 重大而持久的影响。

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.