# Early childhood behavioral and neurobiological profiles in the prediction of obesity: The role of self-regulation and the caregiving environment

> **NIH NIH R01** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $675,508

## Abstract

Project Summary
While the prevalence rates of pediatric obesity have plateaued in recent years, a
staggering 35% of school age children remain classified as overweight or obese. Children
from ethnic minority groups are at an even greater risk, with nearly 40% of Latino children
so-classified by age 6. The physical and mental health risks and societal costs associated
with pediatric obesity are well established. It is thus crucial for research efforts to focus on
understanding early behavioral phenotypes that can explain individual variability in
children’s regulation of energy balance and subsequent weight trajectory. Researchers
have documented self-regulation (SR) and poor executive function (EF) as important
mechanisms for understanding the development of pediatric obesity, as well as its shared
co-morbidities with other mental health disorders (e.g., Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder [ADHD]). Poor executive function (EF), emotion regulation and reactivity (ER),
and reward sensitivity (RS) have variously emerged as critical underlying processes in
terms of contributing to overeating and food preferences. However, there is a lack of 1)
integration of these SR processes when examining weight outcomes, 2) longitudinal
studies, which are needed to disentangle whether potential SR deficits are risk factors for
the development of obesity or a consequence of it, 3) comprehensive measurement of
these SR processes in terms of integrating behavioral measures, neuropsychological, and
neurobiological markers, 4) studies examining the predictive association of SR processes
as they relate to observed obesogenic mechanisms (e.g., SR of energy intake, healthy-
habits) and 5) how environmental factors (e.g., parenting, home environment) can
contribute to and moderate the link between SR phenotypes and weight outcomes.
Consistent with PAR-18-105, we leverage the ongoing data collection as part of award
R01MH112588 (PIs Graziano and Dick), which is measuring young children’s (ages 4 to
6) SR processes (EF, ER, and RS) at a behavioral, neuropsychological, and
neurobiological level using MRI. The proposed ancillary study (n = 288) examines how SR
phenotypes predict obesogenic mechanisms and subsequent obesity-related trajectories.
The proposed sample offers a unique opportunity to examine health outcomes within a
typically understudied, yet high-risk population for obesity (i.e., Hispanic/Latino) along with
inclusion of a clinical group (i.e., children with ADHD).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10148764
- **Project number:** 5R01DK119814-04
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Anthony Steven Dick
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $675,508
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-20 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10148764

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10148764, Early childhood behavioral and neurobiological profiles in the prediction of obesity: The role of self-regulation and the caregiving environment (5R01DK119814-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10148764. Licensed CC0.

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