The results confirmed the presence of a relation between executive functions and overweight/obesity , although the directionality of this relation was not clear ; nor did any single executive function emerge as being more involved than others in this relation .
Despite this , there was evidence of a reciprocal influence between executive functions and overweight/obesity .
Conclusions : This systematic review underlines the presence of a relationship between executive functions and overweight/obesity .
Moreover , it seems to suggest a bidirectional trend in this relationship that could be the cause of the failure of interventions for weight reduction .
Background : The increasing incidence of people affected by overweight or obesity is a significant health problem .
The knowledge of the factors which influences the inappropriate eating behaviors causing excessive body fat is an essential goal for the research .
Overweight and obesity are significant risk factors for many health diseases , such as cardiovascular problems , diabetes .
Recently , many studies have focused on the relationship between body weight and cognitive processes .
Objectives : This systematic review is aim ed to investigate the existence and the nature of the relationship between excessive body weight ( overweight/obesity ) and executive functions , analyzing cross-sectional , and longitudinal studies in order to verify the evidence of a possible causality between these variables .
Dietary Factors and Cognitive Decline.
Cognitive decline is an increasingly important public health problem , with more than 100 million adults worldwide projected to develop dementia by 2050 . Accordingly , there has been an increased interest in preventive strategies that diminish this risk . It has been recognized that lifestyle factors including dietary patterns , may be important in the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia in later life . Several dietary components have been examined , including antioxidants , fatty acids , and B vitamins . In addition , whole dietary eating plans , including the Mediterranean diet ( MeDi ) , and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension ( DASH ) diet , with and without weight loss , have become areas of increasing interest . Although prospect i ve epidemiological studies have observed that antioxidants , fatty acids , and B vitamins are associated with better cognitive functioning , r and omized clinical trials have generally failed to confirm the value of any specific dietary component in improving neurocognition . Several r and omized trials have examined the impact of changing ' whole ' diets on cognitive outcomes . The MeDi and DASH diets offer promising preliminary results , but data are limited and more research in this area is needed
The results confirmed the presence of a relation between executive functions and overweight/obesity , although the directionality of this relation was not clear ; nor did any single executive function emerge as being more involved than others in this relation .
Despite this , there was evidence of a reciprocal influence between executive functions and overweight/obesity .
Conclusions : This systematic review underlines the presence of a relationship between executive functions and overweight/obesity .
Moreover , it seems to suggest a bidirectional trend in this relationship that could be the cause of the failure of interventions for weight reduction .
Background : The increasing incidence of people affected by overweight or obesity is a significant health problem .
The knowledge of the factors which influences the inappropriate eating behaviors causing excessive body fat is an essential goal for the research .
Overweight and obesity are significant risk factors for many health diseases , such as cardiovascular problems , diabetes .
Recently , many studies have focused on the relationship between body weight and cognitive processes .
Objectives : This systematic review is aim ed to investigate the existence and the nature of the relationship between excessive body weight ( overweight/obesity ) and executive functions , analyzing cross-sectional , and longitudinal studies in order to verify the evidence of a possible causality between these variables .