Acceptance of Drug Use Mediates Future Hard Drug Use Among At-Risk Adolescent Marijuana, Tobacco, and Alcohol Users.

Alternative high school (AHS) students typically report higher levels of alcohol and other drug use compared to students attending traditional high schools. Greater use of such drugs as heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine in this at-risk population may be driven, in part, by a greater latitude of acceptance toward substance use in general, which may accelerate the transition from gateway drugs to hard drugs. Seven hundred seventy-seven adolescents (mean age 16.6; 56% female) were recruited from alternative high schools throughout Southern California. To understand the factors that may lead AHS students to use hard drugs, a model was tested in order to determine if AHS students' latitude of acceptance toward substance use was a mediator between the relationship of past use of gateway drugs and future use of hard drugs. Latitude of acceptance was found to be a statistically significant mediator of future hard drug use (b = 0.03, 95% confidence intervals = 0.01 to 0.05) among gateway drug users. An individual's latitude of acceptance to various drug use behaviors may be consistent with societal norms. However, after exposure to, or use of, gateway drugs, attitudes that are more permissive toward hard drug use may be encountered, the acceptance of hard drugs may expand, and the use of hard drugs may escalate. Interventions designed to reduce the use of hard drugs among at-risk youth may be more persuasive by crafting messages that are within the latitude of acceptance of the target population and prevent the acceptance of hard drug use.

Sociodemographic and metabolic risk characteristics associated with metabolic weight categories in the Women's Health Initiative.

To identify sociodemographic and metabolic correlates of weight categories in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The Women's Health Initiative enrolled 161 808 postmenopausal women ages 50-79. We included those free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with CVD risk factors and biomarkers (n = 19 412). Normal weight was defined as a BMI ≥18.5 and <25 kg/m2 and waist circumference <88 cm and overweight/obesity as a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 or waist circumference ≥88 cm. Metabolically healthy was based on <2 and metabolically unhealthy ≥2 traits: triglycerides ≥150 mg/dl, systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥130 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥85 mmHg or antihypertensives or diuretics, fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dl or diabetes medication, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <50 mg/dl. Polytomous multinomial logistic regression with generalized link logit function provided the odds of metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW), metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO), and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese (MUHO) according to demographic and risk factor measures. RESULTS: Among the 19 412 postmenopausal women, 2369 (12.2%) participants had prevalent diabetes. Advanced age was associated with an increased odds of MUHNW as compared with the MHNW after adjusting for covariates [odds ratio (OR) 1.04, P < 0.0001]. Black/African American ethnicity was associated with a decreased odds of MUHNW (OR 0.64, P < 0.0001) and MUHO (OR 0.77, P = 0.0004), while an increased odds for MHO (OR 1.50, P < 0.0001) as compared with White MHNW. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced age and ethnicity are important indicators of metabolic weight categories among postmenopausal women.

Incidence of diabetes according to metabolically healthy or unhealthy normal weight or overweight/obesity in postmenopausal women: the Women's Health Initiative.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of metabolic weight categories with incident diabetes mellitus (DM) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) enrolled 161,808 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years. We included those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers and free of CVD and prevalent DM (n = 17,043) at baseline. Normal weight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥18.5 and <25 kg/m, and waist circumference (WC) <88 cm and overweight/obesity as a BMI ≥25 kg/m or WC ≥88 cm. Metabolically healthy was based on <2 and metabolically unhealthy ≥2 traits of the following: triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥85 mm Hg, or antihypertensives or diuretics, fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL or DM medication, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <50 mg/dL. Cox regression was performed to determine the risk of incident DM among metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW), metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO), and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese (MUHO). RESULTS: Among our sample, 2,253 (13.3%) participants developed DM over a mean ± standard deviation follow-up time of 15.6 ±â€Š3.4 years. Compared with MHNW (n = 162 incident DM cases), an increased risk of incident DM was observed in MUHNW (n = 102 cases) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.74-2.88, P < 0.0001), MHO (n = 624 cases) (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.40-2.00, P < 0.0001), and MUHO (n = 1,365 cases) (HR 4.51, 95% CI 3.82-5.35, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Among postmenopausal women, MUHNW and MHO confer an approximate doubling in the risk and MUHO more than a four-fold increased risk for developing DM.

Is (poly-) substance use associated with impaired inhibitory control? A mega-analysis controlling for confounders.

Many studies have reported that heavy substance use is associated with impaired response inhibition. Studies typically focused on associations with a single substance, while polysubstance use is common. Further, most studies compared heavy users with light/non-users, though substance use occurs along a continuum. The current mega-analysis accounted for these issues by aggregating individual data from 43 studies (3610 adult participants) that used the Go/No-Go (GNG) or Stop-signal task (SST) to assess inhibition among mostly "recreational" substance users (i.e., the rate of substance use disorders was low). Main and interaction effects of substance use, demographics, and task-characteristics were entered in a linear mixed model. Contrary to many studies and reviews in the field, we found that only lifetime cannabis use was associated with impaired response inhibition in the SST. An interaction effect was also observed: the relationship between tobacco use and response inhibition (in the SST) differed between cannabis users and non-users, with a negative association between tobacco use and inhibition in the cannabis non-users. In addition, participants' age, education level, and some task characteristics influenced inhibition outcomes. Overall, we found limited support for impaired inhibition among substance users when controlling for demographics and task-characteristics.

Share of Advertising Voice at the Point-of-Sale and Its Influence on At-Risk Students' Use of Alternative Tobacco Products.

INTRODUCTION: As adolescent tobacco use shifts from traditional cigarettes to alternative products, it is important to understand the influence of point-of-sale (POS) advertising on product use. This research investigated whether the percentage of POS advertising for a particular product, known as the share of advertising voice (SAV), moderated the relationship between exposure to POS tobacco advertisements and tobacco use among at-risk youth. METHODS: Longitudinal self-report data from 746 students attending 20 alternative high schools in southern California was merged with observational data cataloging 2101 advertisements for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco from 87 tobacco retail outlets within a half mile of the schools. Four multilevel Poisson regression models examined whether SAV interacted with POS tobacco advertising exposure to influence the use of tobacco products 1 year later. RESULTS: Adolescent exposure to POS tobacco advertisements was significantly associated with increased use of all four tobacco products (p < .02). When SAV was added to the model as a moderator, the results showed a significant interaction, such that increasing the SAV for e-cigarettes was associated with greater use of that product (ß = 0.27, SE = 0.07, p < .001). The same moderating effect was found for smokeless tobacco (ß = 0.56, SE = 0.19, p = .004) but no moderating effect was observed for cigarettes or cigars. CONCLUSION: POS SAV has the potential to influence at-risk students' use of alternative tobacco products and may be a contributing factor to recent nationwide shifts in youth tobacco use. IMPLICATIONS: Future studies should monitor changes in SAV to gain insight into POS marketing trends that may be impacting youth tobacco use. In addition, state and local governments should consider implementing policies that limit the volume and proportion of POS tobacco advertising for all nicotine and tobacco products available in retail environments near schools. Restrictions placed on a single product may cause unintended shifts in product selection rather than a reduction in youth tobacco use.

Acculturation and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Hispanic adolescents: The moderating effect of impulsivity.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a risk factor for obesity. Acculturation to the United States (US) might increase sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Hispanic adolescents, but few moderators of this relationship have been examined. This study examined the moderating influence of impulsivity on the association between acculturation and sugar-sweetened beverages. Hispanic adolescents (n = 154), 14-17 years, were identified and screened for eligibility through low-SES high schools and parents provided consent. Adolescents completed measures of acculturation using Unger's 8-item acculturation scale, impulsivity, and diet. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the main effect of acculturation and the interaction of acculturation with impulsivity on the diet outcomes: sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and percent of calories from sugar. Acculturation was positively associated with sugar-sweetened beverages (ß = 0.43; p < .05). The interaction of acculturation x impulsivity was significant (ß = 0.42, p < .05). Among youth who were more acculturated, those who were more impulsive consumed more sugar-sweetened beverages. Youth who were more acculturated, but less impulsive consumed less sugar-sweetened beverages. Neurocognitive variables such as impulsivity may be important moderators of the influence of acculturation on dietary behavior. Targeted messaging strategies based on levels of acculturation and impulsivity might enhance the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages among Hispanic adolescents.

The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index for Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Problems: A Comprehensive Modern Psychometric Study.

OBJECTIVE: The Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) has been used extensively as a measure of alcohol-related problems experienced by adolescents and young adults. The present study aimed to comprehensively examine the psychometric profile and criterion-related validity of an 18-item RAPI adapted to measure negative consequences resulting from alcohol and other drug use in an at-risk adolescent population. METHOD: Categorical confirmatory factor analysis and the graded response model were used for evaluations of the latent factor structure, item properties, test information, and item invariance across gender, age groups (middle vs. late adolescence), and drug use profiles (readily available drugs vs. other illicit drugs), as well as computation of the item response theory scale scores for each of 617 alternative high school students (44% female). RESULTS: A reduced set of 16 RAPI items provided plausible evidence of unidimensionality and good measurement precision at a relatively wide range of the latent trait continuum. All but two items were invariant across the drug use profiles. The other illicit drug group had higher levels of the latent substance-related problems than the readily available drug group. Criterion-related validity was supported using a measure of past-year polysubstance use. CONCLUSIONS: The RAPI can be effectively modified to measure negative consequences resulting from alcohol and other drug use and reflects a sufficiently wide range of the latent continuum of problem use.

Trajectories of cannabis-related associative memory among vulnerable adolescents: Psychometric and longitudinal evaluations.

Indirect tests of memory associations relevant to cannabis have been shown to be useful in explaining and predicting adolescent cannabis use habits. This study sought to increase the understanding of adolescent cannabis-related associative memory and cannabis use behavior over time. A longitudinal sample of alternative high school students (N = 775) was assessed yearly for 3 years. The study first conducted extensive longitudinal measurement analyses of the cannabis-related word association test (WAT) applying contemporary psychometric models. Second, the study examined the longitudinal trajectories of cannabis-related associative memory and cannabis use and their contemporaneous and longitudinal relationships. Results showed that the cannabis-related WAT provided strong evidence of sound psychometric properties. Longitudinal change in cannabis-related associative memory was best described by modeling either a linearly decreasing trajectory or two separate trajectories: During middle adolescence, levels of cannabis-related associative memory were highest and stable but then gradually decreased toward late adolescence. Moreover, cannabis-related associative memory was contemporaneously predictive of cannabis use within ages 15 to 19 while controlling for the underlying growth process of cannabis use and time-invariant covariates (TICs) of gender and lifetime concurrent use of alcohol and cigarettes. Partial support of longitudinal prediction of cannabis use was also obtained from age 17 to 18 and age 19 to 20 while adjusting for growth in cannabis use and the TICs. These results demonstrated that predictive effects of cannabis-related memory associations on cannabis use were detected within some of the 1-year age spans and were consistent within ages across adolescent years. (PsycINFO Database Record

The prevalence and marketing of electronic cigarettes in proximity to at-risk youths: An investigation of point-of-sale practices near alternative high schools.

This study examines the point-of-sale marketing practices used to promote electronic cigarettes at stores near schools that serve at-risk youth. One hundred stores selling tobacco products within a half mile of alternative high schools in Southern California were assessed for this study. Seventy percent of stores in the sample sold electronic cigarettes. Convenience stores heavily frequented by youth had the highest number of interior ads for e-cigarettes and were the most likely to employ in-store product placement strategies. Increased exposure to the promotion of these products at the point-of-sale poses a challenge for anti-smoking efforts directed toward vulnerable populations.

Predictive utility and measurement properties of the Strength of Implementation Intentions Scale (SIIS) for condom use.

BACKGROUND: Implementation intentions are situation-linked action plans that increase health behaviors such as condom use. Few studies have measured the strength of implementation intentions, especially regarding condom use. Non-injection drug users are at high risk for HIV due to risky sexual practices. Substance use before sex may increase risky sexual behaviors, and implementation intentions are a promising, practical route for HIV prevention. PURPOSE: This prospective study assessed the measurement properties of the newly developed Strength of Implementation Intentions Scale (SIIS) for condom use and investigated whether the SIIS predicted condom use one-year later. The study evaluated whether behavioral intentions and alcohol or methamphetamine use before sex modified the relationship between the SIIS and condom use. METHODS: Participants were 590 non-injection drug users convicted of nonviolent drug offenses in court-mandated outpatient drug diversion programs. They completed self-directed computer assessments at baseline and at one-year follow-up. Measures included demographics, behavioral intentions to use condoms, the SIIS for condom use, alcohol and methamphetamine use before or during sex, and condom use. Psychometric properties, direct, and interaction effects of the SIIS were evaluated using structural equation modeling and general linear regressions. RESULTS: The SIIS, behavioral intentions, and condom use were positively correlated and there was discriminant validity between all three constructs. In addition, the SIIS predicted condom use one-year later in this high-risk population. No significant interactions were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The SIIS is predictive of condom use behavior, is psychometrically sound and distinct from behavioral intentions, and can be incorporated into HIV prevention interventions and used as a mediator variable. In addition, it can be used as an outcome measure where a follow-up is not feasible. The SIIS can also be tailored for additional HIV-related behaviors such as HIV-testing, adhering to antiretroviral medication, prescribing and adhering to pre-exposure prophylaxis, and other health behaviors.

Negative affect in at-risk youth: Outcome expectancies mediate relations with both regular and electronic cigarette use.

Despite the general trend of declining use of traditional cigarettes among young adults in the United States, alternative high school students continue to smoke cigarettes and electronic cigarettes at rates much higher than do students attending regular high schools. Challenging life circumstances leading to elevated levels of negative affect may account for increased smoking behavior in this population. Further, a belief in the negative affect-reducing qualities of nicotine may mediate this effect. The current study tested the hypothesis that negative reinforcing outcome expectancies mediate the relationship between negative affect on smoking susceptibility in nonusers, smoking frequency in users, and smoking experimentation in the overall sample. Results support the hypothesis that negative affect in alternative high school students is correlated with smoking experimentation, smoking willingness, and smoking frequency and that the relationship between negative affect and smoking behavior outcomes is mediated by negative reinforcing outcome expectancies (i.e., beliefs in the negative affect-reducing effects of smoking). This finding was supported for both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes and coincides with a rapid increase in the number of high school students nationally who have experimented with electronic cigarettes. Future antismoking initiatives directed at at-risk youth should consider integrating healthier negative affect reduction techniques to counter the use of nicotine products. (PsycINFO Database Record

Adolescents at risk for drug abuse: a 3-year dual-process analysis.

AIMS: To test longitudinal additive and synergistic dual-process models in youth at documented risk for drug use. The specific dual-process approach examined suggests that engaging in drug use behaviors results from a dynamic interplay between automatically activated associative memory processes and executive reflective/control processes. DESIGN: This 3-year, three-wave population-based prospective study used mobile computer-based assessments. SETTING: Self-directed computer assessments were completed in school settings in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, California, USA. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred and twenty-five at-risk adolescents (44% female) in continuation high schools were recruited during 9th grade (age at recruitment, 14-16). MEASUREMENTS: Key outcome measures included past year alcohol, marijuana and cigarette use at each assessment. Predictors included working memory capacity (WMC), associative memory, the interaction term WMC by associative memory, sex, age, ethnicity and acculturation. FINDINGS: A significant cross-sectional interaction revealed tobacco-relevant associations were weaker predictors of cigarette use among males with higher WMC than among those with lower WMC (P < 0.004). Alternatively, drug-relevant associations were stronger predictors of past year alcohol (P < 0.001) and marijuana use (P = 0.02) among females with higher WMC than among those with lower WMC. Longitudinal analyses revealed no significant interactions after adjusting for predictive effects of previous drug use. With respect to WMC, females with higher WMC were less likely to use marijuana at 2-year follow-up (P = 0.03). First-order effects of drug-related associations predicted greater alcohol and marijuana use prospectively in males at 1- and 2-year follow up (P ≤ 0.03), and greater past year alcohol and marijuana use in females at 1-year follow up (P ≤ 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Drug-relevant memory associations play a key role in drug use behavior in at-risk youth.

Emotional eating and routine restraint scores are associated with activity in brain regions involved in urge and self-control.

Researchers have proposed a variety of behavioral traits that may lead to weight gain and obesity; however, little is known about the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying these weight-related eating behaviors. In this study, we measured activation of reward circuitry during a task requiring response and inhibition to food stimuli. We assessed participants' emotional eating, external eating, and two subscales of dietary restraint-routine restraint and compensatory restraint-using the Weight-Related Eating Questionnaire. For routine restraint, we found positive associations with activation in the insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in response to high-calorie versus low-calorie foods. For emotional eating, we found positive associations with insula and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in response to high-calorie versus low-calorie foods. We also found positive associations between emotional eating and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation in response to approach versus inhibition towards high-calorie foods. Thus, our results demonstrate an increase in activation across brain regions related to self-control and urges in response to high-calorie food associated with both emotional eating and routine restraint. Overall, these results support the construct validity of both emotional eating and routine restraint and provide preliminary evidence that these subscales have similar neural correlates.

Self-regulation interventions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in adolescents.

This study evaluated the efficacy of self-regulation interventions through the use of drink-specific implementation intentions and drink-specific Go/No-Go training tasks as compensatory strategies to modify inhibitory control to reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). In a between-subjects randomized manipulation of implementation intentions and Go/No-Go training to learn to inhibit sugary drink consumption, 168 adolescents reporting inhibitory control problems over sugary drinks and foods were recruited from high schools in southern California to participate. Analysis of covariance overall test of effects revealed no significant differences between the groups regarding calories consumed, calories from SSBs, grams of sugar consumed from drinks, or the number of unhealthy drinks chosen. However, subsequent contrasts revealed SSB implementation intentions significantly reduced SSB consumption following intervention while controlling for inhibitory control failure and general SSB consumption during observation in a lab setting that provided SSBs and healthy drinks, as well as healthy and unhealthy snacks. Specifically, during post-intervention observation, participants in the sugar-sweetened beverage implementation intentions (SSB-II) conditions consumed significantly fewer calories overall, fewer calories from drinks, and fewer grams of sugar. No effects were found for the drink-specific Go/No-Go training on SSB or calorie consumption. However, participants in SSB-II with an added SSB Go/No-Go training made fewer unhealthy drink choices than those in the other conditions. Implementation intentions may aid individuals with inhibitory (executive control) difficulties by intervening on pre-potent behavioral tendencies, like SSB consumption.

Evaluation of internal validity using modern test theory: Application to word association.

Word association tests (WATs) have been widely used to examine associative/semantic memory structures and shown to be relevant to behavior and its underpinnings. Despite successful applications of WATs in diverse research areas, few studies have examined psychometric properties of these tests or other open-ended cognitive tests of common use. Modern test theory models, such as item response theory (IRT) models, are well suited to evaluate interpretations of this class of test. In this evaluation, unidimensional IRT models were fitted to the data on the WAT designed to capture associative memory relevant to an important applied issue: casual sex in a sample of 1,138 adult drug offenders. Using association instructions, participants were instructed to generate the first behavior or action that came to mind in response to cues (e.g., "hotel/motel") that might elicit casual sex-related responses. Results indicate a multitude of evidence for the internal validity of WAT score interpretations. All WAT items measured a single latent trait of casual sex-related associative memory, strongly related to the latent trait, and were invariant across gender, ethnicity, age groups, and sex partner profiles. The WAT was highly informative at average-to-high levels of the latent trait and also associated with risky sex behavior, demonstrating the usefulness of this class of test. The study illustrates the utility of the assessments in this at-risk population as well as the benefits of application of the modern test theory models in the evaluation of internal validity of open-ended cognitive test score interpretation. (PsycINFO Database Record

The development of a new condom use expectancy scale for at-risk adults.

RATIONALE: Engaging in risky sexual behavior increases transmission of HIV. OBJECTIVE: The present study used previously elicited salient outcomes of condom use to examine the factor structure and test the predictive utility of a condom use expectancy scale. METHODS: Participants were drug offenders from court ordered drug diversion programs in Southern California. The condom use expectancy scale consisted of three factors: positive condom outcome items, negative condom outcome items, and safe sex items. RESULTS: The factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure. Positive condom use expectancies were a significant predictor of both condom use and intentions to use condoms, and negative condom use expectancies predicted non-use of condoms. CONCLUSION: Understanding conditions of condom use can aid public health researchers and practitioners to better identify those in need of HIV prevention and how to target those needs.

Neurological changes in brain structure and functions among individuals with a history of childhood sexual abuse: A review.

OBJECTIVE: Review literature focused on neurological associations in brain structure among individuals with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). METHODOLOGY: A review of literature examining physiological irregularities in brain structures of individuals with a history of CSA was conducted. RESULTS: Results revealed that a history of CSA was associated with irregularities in the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain. These irregularities have been recognized to contribute to various cognitive, behavioral, and psychological health outcomes later in life. Age of CSA onset was associated with differential neurological brain structures. CONCLUSION: Mental and behavioral health problems such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, dissociative disorders, and sexual dysfunction are associated with CSA and may persist into adulthood. Research depicting the associations of CSA on neurological outcomes emphasizes the need to examine the biological and subsequent psychological outcomes associated with CSA. Early intervention is imperative for CSA survivors.

Altered dynamics between neural systems sub-serving decisions for unhealthy food.

Using BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques, we examined the relationships between activities in the neural systems elicited by the decision stage of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and food choices of either vegetables or snacks high in fat and sugar. Twenty-three healthy normal weight adolescents and young adults, ranging in age from 14 to 21, were studied. Neural systems implicated in decision-making and inhibitory control were engaged by having participants perform the IGT during fMRI scanning. The Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire, a food frequency questionnaire, was used to obtain daily food choices. Higher consumption of vegetables correlated with higher activity in prefrontal cortical regions, namely the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), and lower activity in sub-cortical regions, namely the right insular cortex. In contrast, higher consumption of fatty and sugary snacks correlated with lower activity in the prefrontal regions, combined with higher activity in the sub-cortical, insular cortex. These results provide preliminary support for our hypotheses that unhealthy food choices in real life are reflected by neuronal changes in key neural systems involved in habits, decision-making and self-control processes. These findings have implications for the creation of decision-making based intervention strategies that promote healthier eating.

Poor ability to resist tempting calorie rich food is linked to altered balance between neural systems involved in urge and self-control.

BACKGROUND: The loss of self-control or inability to resist tempting/rewarding foods, and the development of less healthful eating habits may be explained by three key neural systems: (1) a hyper-functioning striatum system driven by external rewarding cues; (2) a hypo-functioning decision-making and impulse control system; and (3) an altered insula system involved in the translation of homeostatic and interoceptive signals into self-awareness and what may be subjectively experienced as a feeling. METHODS: The present study examined the activity within two of these neural systems when subjects were exposed to images of high-calorie versus low-calorie foods using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and related this activity to dietary intake, assessed by 24-hour recall. Thirty youth (mean BMI = 23.1 kg/m2, range = 19.1 - 33.7; age =19.7 years, range = 14 - 22) were scanned using fMRI while performing food-specific go/nogo tasks. RESULTS: Behaviorally, participants more readily pressed a response button when go trials consisted of high-calorie food cues (HGo task) and less readily pressed the response button when go trials consisted of low-calorie food cues (LGo task). This habitual response to high-calorie food cues was greater for individuals with higher BMI and individuals who reportedly consume more high-calorie foods. Response inhibition to the high-calorie food cues was most difficult for individuals with a higher BMI and individuals who reportedly consume more high-calorie foods. fMRI results confirmed our hypotheses that (1) the "habitual" system (right striatum) was more activated in response to high-calorie food cues during the go trials than low-calorie food go trials, and its activity correlated with participants' BMI, as well as their consumption of high-calorie foods; (2) the prefrontal system was more active in nogo trials than go trials, and this activity was inversely correlated with BMI and high-calorie food consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Using a cross-sectional design, our findings help increase understanding of the neural basis of one's loss of ability to self-control when faced with tempting food cues. Though the design does not permit inferences regarding whether the inhibitory control deficits and hyper-responsivity of reward regions are individual vulnerability factors for overeating, or the results of habitual overeating.