Alterations in executive functions have repeatedly been found in individuals suffering from eating and weight disorders. However, less is known about how these cognitive processes might contribute to the etiology of the disorders, as large prospective population-based studies have been missing. Here, we comment on the results of Steegers et al. (2021), a study that helped to fill this gap with a focus on set-shifting abilities predicting symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN) in children. The main goal of this commentary is to encourage further interpretation of the population-based data beyond its relevance to AN. More specifically, we discuss the role of impaired inhibition as a risk factor for weight gain and obesity.
Keywords: anorexia nervosa; eating disorders; executive functions; obesity; population-based; risk factors.
© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Eating Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.