The results of a study published in the International Journal of Obesity highlight the consequences of consuming fast food with high fat and sugar content too often on the brain's spatial abilities, including the ability to find places, remember routes and estimate distances.
According to a Medical Daily report on April 23, 2025, in the study, researchers from the University of Sydney used a virtual reality maze with markers to test the navigation abilities of 55 young participants.
Participants underwent six four-minute trials to find a hidden treasure chest. If they failed, they were shown the correct location for 10 seconds.
In the final experiment, the treasure was moved, and participants had to mark its location from memory, testing how well they had learned the maze.
The participants' eating patterns were evaluated using questionnaires and their memory was tested in a number recall exercise.
