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This Study Says Daydreamers Could Be More Likely to Get Fat

A new study from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has found that those who daydream may have a higher risk of obesity, due to the way their brains are wired.
Phoebe Hurst
London, GB

The wait for a delayed train. The work meeting that overran by a whole hour because Ted from marketing just had to share his 23-slide PowerPoint presentation. The needlessly protracted conversation with your elderly next door-neighbour about the likelihood of someone stealing her post.

In situations like these, it's hard not to let your mind wander to fantasies of fur-lined ski chalets or that package holiday to Tenerife currently being debated on the BFF group chat.

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While a good daydreaming session may seem pretty harmless, it could be the reason why some of us pile on the pounds. A new study from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine has found that those with impulsive tendencies that inhibit focus may have a higher risk of obesity.

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Published in the Heliyon journal, the study looked at the effects of mindfulness on children's dietary habits. Using data from 38 children between the ages of eight and 13—five obese, six overweight, and the rest within a healthy weight range—the weight of each child was recorded, along with their answers from an eating behaviour questionnaire.

Researchers then used MRI scans to reveal activity in the regions of the brain thought to be associated with weight and eating habits: the inferior parietal lobe, the frontal pole, and the nucleus accumbens.

Their results showed that children who were either overweight or obese had stronger connections to the frontal pole, associated with impulsivity. This could mean their minds wander—rather than focusing on food—and make it more difficult for them to recognise when they have eaten too much.

Children within the healthy weight range however, had stronger connections to the inferior parietal lobe (linked to inhibition) allowing them to fully observe and stop their hunger cravings.

School of Medicine researcher and lead author of the study BettyAnn Chodkowski said: "We wanted to look at the way children's brains function in more detail so we can better understand what is happening neurologically in children who are obese."

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The study went on to say that mindfulness, the practice of living in the moment and observing thoughts, could help counter overeating in children with stronger frontal lobe connections. Interventions that help children become aware of their current situation would shed light on eating patterns, allowing them to stick to a more structured eating plan.

Vanderbilt psychiatry professor and senior study author Dr. Ronald Cowan explained: "We think mindfulness could recalibrate the imbalance in the brain connections associated with childhood obesity. Mindfulness has produced mixed results in adults but so far there have been few studies showing its effectiveness for weight loss in children."

Maybe there is something to be said for mindfulness, after all.