“These findings are important because they suggest that we may have another tool in our toolbox to combat childhood obesity,” says psychological scientist and lead researcher Jennifer A. Silvers, a post-doctoral fellow at Columbia University in the laboratory of Professor Kevin Ochsner.
Most interventions aimed at preventing or reducing childhood obesity focus on changing the environment — by limiting access to soda, for example, or by encouraging physical activity.
“Such environmental interventions are clearly important, but sugary sweets and tempting treats cannot always be avoided,” Silvers explains. “If children as young as 6 can learn to use a cognitive strategy after just a few minutes of training, that has huge implications for interventions.”