The inhibitory control epidemic: A new framework for chronic disease prevention

Inhibitory control failure is an emerging neurobehavioral epidemic contributing to the growing global burden of chronic disease. This narrative review integrates findings from neuroscience, psychophysiology, and public health to examine how modern environments may progressively erode inhibitory control capacity and increase risk for chronic disease development. Modern lifestyles characterized by hyperstimulation, hyperpalatable foods, reduced physical activity, digital overexposure, and chronic psychosocial stress diminish adaptive stress exposure and weaken inhibitory control. Impaired inhibitory control contributes to behavioral dysregulation underlying obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and sedentary behavior. Traditional public health approaches, which emphasize individual motivation and education, may not sufficiently address the neurobiological basis of self-regulatory failure. Emerging interventions that strengthen inhibitory control capacity include structured physical exercise, behavioral therapies, cognitive training, stress inoculation protocols, and environmental redesign. These antifragility-based strategies aim to progressively rebuild adaptive stress regulation mechanisms and restore neurobehavioral resilience. Inhibitory control failure may represent an underrecognized but modifiable population-level risk factor for chronic disease. Public health strategies that target inhibitory control capacity through progressive adaptive stress exposure may offer novel opportunities for preventing chronic diseases and promoting long-term health.