Adolescent obesity is an increasingly prevalent problem in several societies. Researchers have begun to focus on neurocognitive processes that may help explain how unhealthy food habits form and are maintained. The present study compared attentional bias to food stimuli in a sample of obese (n = 22) and Normal-weight (n = 18) adolescents utilizing an Attention Blink (AB) paradigm while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. We found lower accuracy and Event-Related Potential (ERP) P3 amplitudes during the presentation of food stimuli in AB trials for obese adolescents. These findings suggest an impaired ability of their brains to flexibly relocate attentional resources in the face of food stimuli. The results were corroborated by lower P3s also being associated with higher body mass index (BMI) values and poorer self-reported self-efficacy in controlling food intake. The study is among the few examining neural correlates of attentional control in obese adolescents and suggests automatic attentional bias to food is an important aspect to consider in tackling the obesity crisis.

在许多社会中，青少年肥胖是一个日益普遍的问题。研究人员开始关注神经认知过程，这可能有助于解释不健康饮食习惯的形成和维持方式。本研究利用记录脑电图（EEG）的注意眨眼（AB）范例，比较了肥胖（n = 22）和体重正常（n = 18）的青少年样本对食物刺激的注意偏见。在肥胖青少年的AB试验中，在食物刺激的演示过程中，我们发现了较低的准确性和与事件相关的电位（ERP）P3幅度。这些发现表明，面对食物刺激，他们的大脑灵活地转移注意力资源的能力受损。较低的P3值与较高的体重指数（BMI）值和控制食物摄入的自我报告的自我效能较弱有关，也证实了上述结果。该研究是少数研究肥胖青少年注意控制神经相关性的研究之一，并表明对食物的自动注意偏向是解决肥胖危机的重要方面。