A new study suggests that obese children are more susceptible to food-related advertising than their thinner peers. In the study, researchers exposed children to 120 corporate logos—60 of them related to food. They scanned the children’s brains for increased activity. The scans revealed that the brains of obese children experienced greater activity in their reward regions when they saw food logos. In contrast, when healthy kids saw food logos, regions of the brain associated with self control lit up. “This study provides preliminary evidence that obese children may be more vulnerable to the effects of food advertising,” said Dr. Amanda Bruce of the University of Kansas Medical Center. “One of the keys to improving health-related decision-making may be found in the ability to improve self control.” (ScienceDaily.com, 11/30/12)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.