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Running Head: NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF OBESITY

Neurocognitive correlates of obesity and obesity-related behavior in children and adolescents

Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Desiree Zubia

University of Texas at El Paso

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NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF OBESITY AND OBESITY-RE
Neurocognitive correlates of obesity and obesity-related behaviors in children and

adolescents Rhetorical Analysis Paper

This rhetorical analysis paper will analyze how Liang, Matheson, Kaye, and Boutelle’s

(2014) article will use logos to be able to state and provide evidence on their opinion that there is

a negative correlation between neurocognitive functioning and obesity and its related behaviors in

children and adolescents. In this article the authors are able to use their audience, purpose, and

rhetorical appeals to state how some components carry relations between neurocognitive function

and obesity. Obesity is one of the bigger issues that are happening around the world, and some of

those being affected are the children and adolescents. In this rhetorical analysis paper, there will

be the topic of neurocognitive and its relation to obesity within children and adolescents and the

authors ability to present the research.

Article’s Purpose

Obesity is a big issue in the United States with obesity and overweight increasing as time

goes and affecting many citizens with their health. According to Liang et al., (2014), 31% of the

United States children deal with obesity, and between the years of 1988 and 1994 it continues with

a 13.7% increase in children and 11.5% in adolescents (Liang et al., 2014) In Liang et al.’s (2014)

article, they are able to inform the audience about neurocognitive functioning- cognitions,

emotions, and behaviors- and how they are able to relate to children and adolescents. They use

other articles that show studies and research done on children and adolescents on what part of their

cognitions relate to obesity-related behaviors. The article can inform the audience about each of

the neurocognitive functions by organizing each of the functions on to a chart that provide the

definition. The article also states “Similarly, children who failed the ability to delay gratification

task at age 4 were 1.3 times more likely to be overweight at age 11, although the strength of the
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NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF OBESITY AND OBESITY-RE
relationship was diminished upon accounting for maternal weight.” (Liang et al., 2014, p. 500), to

be able to connect a cognitive to children and their future.

Article’s Audience

In Liang et al.’s (2014) article, they provide a list of questions that can possibly be used for

future research on obesity and its behaviors. Using this article, it is inferred that the audience that

is being targeted are researchers and future studies for reasons why neurocognitive functioning is

related to children and adolescents, and how it may affect children in the future as adults. Liang et

al.’s (2014) article also presents another audience group following:

The findings from the research presented could be beneficial in the design and

implementation of treatments that target neurocognitive deficits that impact obesity and

obesity-related behaviors. Progress in this area has been demonstrated in other areas of

disorders. For example, in a study with children with attention deficit hyperactivity

disorder, working memory training was shown to improve working memory and inhibition

and reduce inattentiveness symptoms. (p. 503)

This article displays an example to treatments as an audience how Liang et al.’s (2014) article

presents why it would become beneficial to use to implement for treatment.

Article’s Rhetorical Appeals

In Liang et al.’s (2014) article, the authors use the rhetorical appeals of ethos and logos to

be able to present their hypothesis that neurocognitive functioning and obesity have a negative

correlation. These are some of the examples the authors use rhetorical appeals to convince the

audience their hypothesis.

I. Ethos
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NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF OBESITY AND OBESITY-RE
Liang et al.’s (2014) article presents ethos by using graphs to inform the audience and

have credibility with their hypothesis. One of the graphs shows each of the neurocognitive

terms- meaning the influence of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors- and their definitions

such as cognitive functioning, executive functioning, learning and memory, and etc. On the

other graph, proving either negative or positive correlations from studies done by other

articles on children and adolescents.

II. Logos

Liang et al.’s (2014) article is able to use logos to present the audience statistics how

overweight and obesity is a big issue in the United States in general as a population, and in

children and adolescents. Liang et al.’s (2014) article found the following:

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children in the United States is currently

31%. Specifically, the prevalence of obesity has increased from 13.7% of children and

11.5% of adolescents in the 1988–1994 period to 17.1% of children and adolescents by

the year 2010. Moreover, research shows that children who are overweight are more

likely to remain overweight as adults. (p. 494)

According to Liang et al.’s (2014) states the Family-based behavioral treatment (FBT), a

treatment that would typically result in a child participant’s weight loss, that one-third would on

the long-term maintain healthy as adults, and two-thirds would not. (Liang et al., 2014, p.494)

III. Pathos

Through out the article the authors are able to present the arguments of ethos and logos to

prove their hypothesis. Although they do prove their argument, they do also lack the argument of

pathos. Liang et al.’s (2014) article does not try to prove their argument with any emotional
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NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF OBESITY AND OBESITY-RE
appeal, even with the language used through out the article is proper and doesn’t refer to any

emotion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Liang et al.’s (2014) article is able to provide to an audience, purpose, and

rhetorical appeals to be able to present and convince their hypothesis that some neurocognitive

functioning negatively correlates with obesity and obesity-related behaviors. Although, their

article provides information to prove their hypothesis, it does not provide enough evidence why

it is believed why some of the cognitive behaviors correlate to obesity and why there are least-

likely chances for the children to maintain healthy weight as adults.

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NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF OBESITY AND OBESITY-RE
References

Liang, J., & Matheson, BE., & Kaye, WH., & Boutelle, KN. (2014) Neurocognitive correlates of

obesity and obesity-related behaviors in children and adolescents. International Journal

of Obesity, 38. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/ijo/