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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Childhood obesity is a serious health concern in the United States and around the world. About one-third of children in the United States are believed to be overweight or obese. During childhood, it has been shown that obesity has harmful effects on the health of the heart (as well as the circulatory system) and other organs. New research suggests that obesity may also negatively impact brain health. In this study, researchers investigated the link between obesity and the amount of fat stored in the visceral area (VAT) with cognition and academics. VAT is stored around important organs in the abdomen. Measures of interest for a group of 8-9-year-old obese girls (n=55) were obtained and compared to those from an age- and fitness-matched group of normal-weight girls (n=55). The findings indicated that children with obesity had worse scores on reading and math tests compared to normal weight children. Having more VAT was related to poorer cognition in children with obesity. These findings suggest that children with obesity perform more poorly on academic tests than their normal-weight peers, and that for children with obesity, VAT is related with worse cognition. Thus, keeping a normal body weight and limiting fat in the stomach area are related to academic success and cognitive health.