An Examination of the Influence of Eating Behaviors on Executive Functioning in an Extremely Obese Sample of African Americans

Obesity is an epidemic among Americans. Obesity affects all racial groups; however, African Americans are impacted more often than others. African Americans are also disproportionately impacted by conditions associated with obesity such as, Type II diabetes mellitus (DM) coronary heart disease (CHD), atherosclerosis, and hypertension. In addition to comorbidities, there are less frequently addressed consequences of obesity. The association between obesity and poorer executive functioning has not been adequately investigated in the literature. The study aim was to determine if an association between executive processes that regulate higher order thought and impulsivity and negative eating patterns exists in a sample of obese African-American adults. Forty-seven participants from a community-based sample of African Americans were analyzed from a larger study entitled Stress and Psychoneuroimmunological Factors in Renal Health and Disease. The present study examined severely obese individuals; therefore, individuals with a BMI less than 35 were excluded. Findings suggest certain negative eating behaviors are associated with poorer inhibition among obese African Americans. Health professionals need to explore the cognitive underpinnings of disinhibited eating. Further implications will be discussed.