Baseline associations between biomarkers, cognitive function, and self-regulation indices in the Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study

Misty A W Hawkins; Natalie G Keirns; Amanda N Baraldi; Harley M Layman; Madison E Stout; Caitlin E Smith; John Gunstad; Deana A Hildebrand; Kathleen D Vohs; William R Lovallo

doi:10.1002/osp4.537

Baseline associations between biomarkers, cognitive function, and self-regulation indices in the Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study

Obes Sci Pract. 2021 Jun 26;7(6):669-681. doi: 10.1002/osp4.537. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA.
² Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA.
³ Department of Psychological Sciences Kent State University Kent Ohio USA.
⁴ Department of Nutritional Sciences Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA.
⁵ Carlson School of Management University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota USA.
⁶ Oklahoma City VA Medical Center Oklahoma City Oklahoma USA.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City Oklahoma USA.

Abstract

Objective: Understanding how biological, cognitive, and self-regulatory factors are related to obesity, and weight regulation is clearly needed to optimize obesity prevention and treatment. The objective of this investigation was to understand how baseline biological, cognitive, and self-regulatory factors are related to adiposity at the initiation of a behavioral weight loss intervention among treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity.

Methods: Participants (N = 107) in the Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study (Identifier-NCT02786238) completed a baseline assessment with anthropometric, cardiometabolic, inflammatory, cognitive function, and self-regulation measures as part of a larger on-going trial. Data were analyzed with linear regression.

Results: At baseline, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist circumference (WC) were positively associated with fasting insulin and insulin resistance. Higher WC was related to higher fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Higher glucose and insulin resistance levels were related to lower list sorting working memory. Higher glucose and HbA1c levels were negatively associated with reading scores. Cognitive function and self-regulation indices were unrelated.

Conclusions: In adults with overweight/obesity entering a weight loss treatment study: (1) elevated WC and associated glycemic impairment were negatively associated with cognition, (2) poorer executive function and reading abilities were associated with poorer glycemic control, and (3) objectively measured cognitive functions were unrelated to self-reported/behavioral measures of self-regulation. Such findings increase understanding of the relationships between adiposity, biomarkers, cognition, and self-regulation at treatment initiation and may ultimately inform barriers to successful obesity treatment response.

Keywords: biomarkers; cardiometabolic; cognition; glucose; self‐regulation.

Abstract

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