Publication Name	World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics
Manuscript ID	120921
DOI	10.5409/wjcp.120921
Country	Mexico

Category	Pediatrics
Manuscript Type	Review
Article Title	Prefrontal cortex immaturity and reward circuit hijacking: Why anti-obesity policies fail to protect children from ultra-processed food overconsumption
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Manuel Alejandro Vargas-Vargas, Marcela González-Montoya, Olin Torres-Isidro, Ana Paula Martínez-González, María Guadalupe Cuiniche Méndez, Danna Paola García-Romero, Miguel Angel Reyes-Orozco, Elizabeth Calderón-Cortés, Alain Raimundo Rodríguez-Orozco and Christian Cortés-Rojo
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Programa Proyectos de Investigación financiados 2026 No. 47683 Awarded Postdoctoral Fellowships No. 472544 and No. 589763
Corresponding Author	Christian Cortés-Rojo, PhD, Professor, Instituto de Investigaciones Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Edificio B-3, Ciudad Universitaria, Avenida Fco J Mujica, Morelia 58030, Michoacán, Mexico. christian.cortes@umich.mx
Key Words	Childhood obesity; Ultra-processed foods; Food addiction; Prefrontal cortex; Reward system; Public health policy; Parental education; Family-based therapy
Core Tip	The obesity epidemic in the pediatric population has been linked to the overconsumption of ultra-processed foods, whose hyper-palatability stimulates reward and disrupts the balance between the immature prefrontal cortex and the overactive reward circuitry during neurodevelopment. Current regulatory measures such as front-of-pack labelling, nutrition-based taxation and advertising restrictions have shown disappointing results in decreasing pediatric obesity. We propose a paradigm shift by giving parents education programs, developing early self-regulation skills in children, implementing cognitive behavioral and family-based therapies, and carefully evaluating dopamine-targeted pharmacological agents as a potential future option for severe, treatment-refractory cases, given limited long-term safety data in children.
Citation	Vargas-Vargas MA, González-Montoya M, Torres-Isidro O, Martínez-González AP, Cuiniche Méndez MG, García-Romero DP, Reyes-Orozco MA, Calderón-Cortés E, Rodríguez-Orozco AR, Cortés-Rojo C. Prefrontal cortex immaturity and reward circuit hijacking: Why anti-obesity policies fail to protect children from ultra-processed food overconsumption. World J Clin Pediatr 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.120921
PDF	120921-in-press.pdf

Received	2026-03-11 03:23
Peer-Review Started	2026-03-11 03:24
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-04-30 08:52
Return for Revision	2026-04-30 08:52
Revised	2026-05-13 02:30
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-06-17 02:38
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-06-17 03:34
Articles in Press	2026-06-17 03:34
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2219-2808 (online)
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Copyright	©Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. No commercial re-use. See Permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
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