Cognitive fatigue did not significantly influence youth’s total energy intake or snack food consumption during a randomized trial

Resource-based models of self-regulation propose that fatigue-induced depletion of cognitive resources is an impetus for overeating. Data provide preliminary support for resource-based models for eating in adults, but the relevance of this pathway for youth is unknown. The aim of this study was to test a resource-based model of eating behavior in youth. It was hypothesized that energy intake would be greater following the completion of a cognitive fatigue (versus control) condition. Using a randomized crossover design, each participant completed two, 2-h experimental paradigms (cognitive fatigue [an attention demanding computer task], control [watching movies]), on separate days. Immediately following the conditions, participants were presented with a buffet-style meal from which their energy intake (kcal) and proportion of intake from palatable snack foods (e.g., cookies, chips) were measured. Participants (N = 90) had an average age of 12.5 years (SD = 2.5y) and were 50% female, 50% non-Hispanic White, 20% non-Hispanic Black, and 13% Asian. Participants did not differ in total energy intake (p = 0.72) or palatable food intake (p = 0.40) across the two conditions. Our findings do not provide support for resource-based models of eating behavior. More comprehensive investigations of resource-based models of eating behavior among youth are needed, including tests of potential moderators, to determine the relevance of these models for pediatric eating behavior. The aims of this study were retrospectively registered on 12/07/2024 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02390765).