Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Activity and Loss of Control Eating in Children

Loss of control eating in children and adolescents is associated with a host of negative physical and psychological health outcomes and a prognostic marker for development of eating disorders. However, there is a lack of longitudinal research investigating the developmental processes contributing to loss of control eating in youth. While physical activity, sedentary behavior, and self-regulation have been linked to the regulation of eating, no research has examined the mechanistic processes by which these domains may together impact loss of control eating during childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, given that these factors (i.e., activity, self-regulation, and eating behavior) vary considerably from moment-to-moment, it is imperative to utilize methodology that can capture momentary, real-time fluctuations in these domains. Therefore, the current study proposes to use a biobehavioral, multi-method approach integrating neuroimaging, accelerometry, neurocognitive assessments, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to study how physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns and self-regulation influence loss of control eating and related eating disorder psychopathology from late childhood to adolescence, which is a critical transitional developmental period. Male and female children aged 10-12 at baseline (N=200) will be recruited to complete annual assessments for 3 years. Aim 1 (momentary) - Examine momentary associations between physical activity patterns, self-regulatory mechanisms (i.e., inhibitory control, emotion functioning, and food-related reward anticipation) and loss of control eating in daily life using multi-method ambulatory assessment. Hypothesis 1a: Momentary decreases in physical activity and increases in sedentary behavior, compared to one's usual level, will be associated with increases in loss of control eating. Hypothesis 1b: Momentary decreases in self-regulatory mechanisms (i.e., decreases in inhibitory control, emotion regulation, and