Emotion Regulation and Binge Eating in Youth With Obesity

Loss of control (LOC) while eating (i.e., the sense that one cannot control what or how much
one is eating) is prevalent among children and adolescents. LOC eating is associated with a
range of physical and psychosocial health impairments, including obesity and the development
of partial- and full-syndrome eating disorders. Early identification is thus critical for
preventing or minimizing these adverse health outcomes. However, little is known about the
development of LOC eating in children and, consequently, there is a paucity of effective
interventions. Impairments in emotion regulation appear to be involved in the onset and
maintenance of eating pathology in obese samples. To date, emotion regulation in youth with
LOC eating problems is poorly understood, and research on underlying neurodevelopmental
substrates is virtually nonexistent. The proposed research aims to characterize
neurocircuitry involved in emotion regulation among 30 overweight children with LOC eating as
compared to 30 overweight and 15 normal-weight controls without LOC. Participants will
complete a cognitive reappraisal task whilst situated in an MRI scanner, the purpose of which
is to characterize neural activity involved in reappraisal versus an emotion maintenance
control condition. The proposed research aims to advance the field's understanding of the
nature and correlates of LOC eating in overweight children so as to inform intervention
development.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Right-handed, aged 10-17 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants will be excluded if they

- are currently taking any medications known to affect mood or weight (e.g.,
antidepressants, steroids);

- have a current diagnosis of a mood disorder or an eating disorder involving purging or
suppressed body weight (e.g., bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa);

- are unable to read and understand English fluently;

- are currently pregnant;

- are a current smoker; or

- have metallic foreign bodies, face or neck tattoos, or other conditions that would
prohibit fMRI scanning. Participants will complete a mock scan (see below) to ensure
that their head and trunk size can be comfortably accommodated in the scanner.