Brain Development During Adolescence Shapes Eating Habits

More than half of 23-year-olds in a European survey exhibit restrictive, emotional, or uncontrolled eating behaviours, according to new research conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London. Structural brain variations appear to influence the development of these eating patterns. The study, published in Nature Mental Health, looks into the relationship between genetics, brain structure, and disordered eating behaviors in young people (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study

Go to source). Researchers discovered that the process of 'brain maturation', in which the volume and thickness of the cortex (the brain's outer layer) declines during adolescence, influences whether teenagers adopt restrictive or emotional/uncontrolled eating habits in young adulthood.

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Restrictive and Emotional Eating

Dieting and purging are examples of restrictive eating practices, in which food intake is deliberately limited in order to regulate body weight and shape. Emotional or uncontrolled eating behaviors, such as binge-eating, are defined as episodes of food consumption in reaction to negative emotions or compulsive desires.

The researchers examined data from 996 adolescents in the IMAGEN longitudinal cohort from England, Ireland, France, and Germany. Participants contributed genetic information, filled out questionnaires about their health and dietary habits, and underwent an MRI scan at ages 14 and 23. At age 23, participants were divided into three categories based on their eating habits: healthy eaters (42%), restrictive eaters (33%), and emotional or uncontrolled eaters (25%).

The researchers discovered that the three groups exhibited distinct patterns of mental health and behavior across time.

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Link Between Unhealthy Eating and Mental Health

Young people with unhealthy eating habits (restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled) at age 23 had higher levels of both internalizing problems (anxiety or depression) and externalising problems (hyperactivity, inattention, or conduct problems) at age 14 than healthy eaters. Internalising issues rose dramatically among unhealthy eaters between the ages of 14 and 23. Although all groups' externalizing difficulties diminished with age, individuals with emotional or uncontrolled eating had greater overall levels.

Restrictive eaters dieted more during adolescence than healthy eaters. When compared to healthy eaters, emotional/uncontrolled eaters increased their dieting from ages 14 to 16, and binge eating from ages 14 to 19, respectively. Unhealthy eating habits have been related to obesity and an increased hereditary risk for high BMI.

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Brain Maturation and Unhealthy Eating

Researchers examined Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data from 14 and 23 years old to determine brain maturation throughout time and how much the volume and thickness of the cortex had decreased. The findings revealed that brain growth was delayed and less apparent among unhealthy eaters. It played a role in the association between mental health problems at age 14 and the development of unhealthy eating habits at age 23, which was unrelated to BMI.

Reduced brain maturation also helped to understand how the hereditary risk for high BMI promotes unhealthy eating habits at age 23.

Reduced maturation of the cerebellum, a brain area that regulates hunger, contributed to the relationship between hereditary risk for high BMI and restrictive eating habits at age 23.

Future Interventions to Address Unhealthy Eating Patterns

According to Xinyang Yu, a Ph.D. student at King's IoPPN and the study's first author, "Our findings reveal how delayed brain maturation during adolescence links genetics, mental health challenges, and disordered eating behaviors in young adulthood, emphasising the critical role of brain development in shaping eating habits."

Dr. Zuo Zhang, Research Fellow at King's IoPPN and co-author of the paper, stated, "By demonstrating that different unhealthy eating behaviors are linked to differential trajectories of mental health symptoms and brain development, our findings may inform the design of more personalized interventions."

Professor Sylvane Desrivières, Professor of Biological Psychiatry at King's IoPPN and the study's senior author, stated: "Our findings highlight the potential benefits of improved education aimed at addressing unhealthy dietary habits and maladaptive coping strategies." This could have a significant impact on preventing eating problems and improving overall brain health."

Reference:

1. Relationships of eating behaviors with psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk for obesity in an adolescent cohort study - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00354-7)

Source-Medindia