Young Adult Eating Habits

Most individuals with obesity become so before age 35 and adolescent's unhealthy dietary patterns, specifically high intake of ultra-processed foods and poor overall diet quality, may contribute to energy overconsumption and weight gain. The overall objective of this research is to establish proof-of-concept for altered reward processing measured by brain response to ultra-processed foods, an increase in ad libitum energy intake, and adverse effects on executive function in response to an ultra-processed diet (81% total energy) compared to a diet emphasizing minimally processed foods in individuals aged 18-25 years.