Differences in Food Craving in Individuals With Obesity With and Without Binge Eating Disorder

Behavioural and physiological effects of binge eating: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal models

Binge eating is defined as eating abnormally large amounts in a brief period of time. Many animal studies have examined the behavioural and physiological effects of binge eating of high-fat, high-sugar foods to model the consequences of human binge eating. The present systematic review of 199 rodent studies sought to identify the behavioural and physiological consequences of binge eating and determine whether changes were specific to binge eating or to general effects of exposure to a palatable diet. A meta-analysis of 18 rodent studies revealed that binge eating produces greater anxiety-like behaviour on the Elevated Plus-Maze with a small effect size and significant funnel plot asymmetry, suggesting that the true effect size is overestimated. A history of binge-like access generally increases progressive ratio breakpoint for the binged food, without altering 'liking' as measured by lick microstructure, suggesting that dissociable effects on 'wanting' but not 'liking' accompany binge eating behaviour and contribute to its persistence. Binge eating appears to enhance compulsive food-seeking behaviour and prevent stress-induced reductions in intake but does not appear to alter depression-like behaviour or locomotor activity. Notably, binge eating may produce comparable metabolic impairments to those observed after extended continuous exposure to a palatable diet despite no overall effects on body weight outcomes in most studies.

Testing a Reward-Processing Model of Negative Urgency in Women With and Without Binge Eating

Negative urgency (i.e., the tendency to act impulsively when experiencing negative affect) is robustly associated with psychopathology, but the mechanisms underlying negative urgency and its relation to mental health are not well understood. In addition to interfering with cognitive control, negative emotions may lead to impulsive behavior by enhancing reward processing of desired stimuli. In this study, we tested an emotion-enhanced reward-processing model of negative urgency in 153 women who spanned the spectrum of binge-eating severity. Participants completed two experimental tasks under both stressful- and relaxed-mood conditions while physiological, behavioral, and self-report indices of reward processing of palatable food were assessed. Contrary to hypotheses, reward processing of food was not heightened when stressed versus relaxed either in the full sample or in participants with greater negative urgency or binge-eating frequency/severity. Findings are discussed considering study limitations and previous mechanistic work on negative urgency.

Behavioral separation of liking and wanting in response to olfactory and visual food cues

In real-world settings, food rewards are processed in parallel across several sensory modalities, but paradigms that compare contributions of different modalities are lacking. While odor perception in particular is frequently implicated in appetite regulation, the mechanisms by which food odors differentially evoke experiences of wanting and liking remain poorly understood. This study addressed this gap by dissociating liking from wanting responses for olfactory stimuli, and establishing commonalities and differences relative to the visual modality. In two separate experiments, participants (n1 = 37, n2 = 43) rated content-matched batteries of odors and pictures, respectively, for their ability to elicit pleasure (liking) and desire to eat (wanting). A third experiment (n3 = 39) utilized a combined olfactory-visual paradigm to test the separation of these dimensions in a multisensory context. Our results show that participants differentiated clearly and reliably between liking and wanting for both odors and pictures, as demonstrated by a high difference score between the two in non-food (high liking, low wanting), but not in food (both high) or disgusting stimuli (both low), and high within-session retest reliability. Higher variability for olfactory relative to visual assessments was observed and likely reflects well-established difficulties with odor object identification. Taken together, our study demonstrates that olfactory stimuli can be used in experimental settings to evoke separable experiences of liking and wanting for food and non-food stimuli. Manipulating these components independently across sensory modalities in experimental studies could generate novel insights into how olfactory and visual cues differentially contribute to anticipatory and consummatory food reward processing, in healthy and disordered eating.

Pupillary dilation response to the auditory food words in adolescents with obesity without binge eating disorder

Childhood obesity is a growing global public health problem. Studies suggest that environmental cues contribute to developing and maintaining obesity. We aimed to evaluate pupillary changes to auditory food words vs. nonfood words and to conduct a dynamic temporal analysis of pupil size changes in adolescents with obesity without binge eating disorder by comparing healthy-weight adolescents. In this study, a total of 63 adolescents aged 12-18 years (n = 32, obesity group (OG); n = 31, control group (CG)) were included. In an auditory paradigm, participants were presented with a series of high and low-calorie food and nonfood words. A binocular remote eye-tracking device was used to measure pupil diameter. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were used for dynamic temporal analysis of pupillometry data. The results of GAMM analysis indicated that CG had larger pupil dilation than the OG while listening to auditory food words. CG had larger pupil dilation in food words than in nonfood words. However, the OG had a similar pupillary response in food and nonfood words. Pupil dilation response to higher-calorie foods was extended over the later stages of the time period (after 2000 ms) in the OG. In summary, our findings indicated that individuals with obesity had lower pupil dilation to auditory food words compared to normal-weight peers. Adolescents with obesity had prolonged pupillary dilation in higher calories of food words. The individual psychological factors affecting the dynamic changes of pupil responses to food cues in adolescents with obesity should be examined in further studies.

Episodic future thinking improves intertemporal choice and food choice in individuals with higher weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Episodic future thinking (EFT) strengthens self-regulation abilities by increasing the perceived value of long-term reinforcements and reducing impulsive choice in delay discounting tasks. As such, EFT interventions have the potential to improve dietary and eating-related decision-making in individuals with obesity or binge eating symptoms, conditions associated with elevated delay discounting. Here, we meta-analyzed evidence from 12 studies that assessed whether EFT interventions improve delay discounting and real-world food choice compared to control interventions. Included studies involved 951 adults with overweight or obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥25). There were no studies involving participants with binge eating disorder. EFT intervention pooled effects were significant, improving delay discounting with a medium effect, g = 0.55, p < 0.0001, and subsequent food choice outcomes with a small effect, g = 0.31, p < 0.01. Notably, our review is the first to analyze mechanisms of effect in this population, demonstrating that improvements were greater when temporal horizons of EFT episodes were aligned with delay discounting tasks and more distant horizons predicted far-transfer to subsequent dietary and eating-related choices. Our findings thus show that EFT is an effective intervention for individuals with higher weight at risk of adverse health consequences.

Problematic pornography use and novel patterns of escalating use: A cross-sectional network analysis with two independent samples

Modern internet pornography allows users to harness sexual novelty in numerous ways, which can be used to overcome desensitisation through increasing volume of use (quantitative tolerance), progressing to more stimulating genres (qualitative escalation), skipping between stimuli (tab-jumping), delaying orgasm ('edging'), and engaging in pornographic binges. However, existing research has not yet evaluated how these potentially reciprocal consumption patterns relate to problematic pornography use (PPU). To this end, we recruited two independent samples of male pornography users (N1 = 1,356, Mage = 36.86, SD = 11.26; N2 = 944, Mage = 38.69, SD = 12.26) and examined the relationships between these behavioural dimensions and self-reported difficulties in controlling one's pornography use. Data were analysed through the network analysis approach (using Gaussian graphical models). As hypothesised, i) quantitative tolerance was centrally placed within the overall network, and ii) acted as a statistical bridge node between other patterns of pornography use (e.g., pornographic binges), and all measured facets of PPU. Our results are consistent with other emerging literature suggesting that tolerance, pornographic binges, tab-jumping, and edging behaviours as relevant features ofPPU, and that upscaling overall usage may connect broader patterns of use with problematic engagement. Clinical and theoretical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed.

Metabolic bariatric surgery, alcohol misuse and liver cirrhosis: a narrative review

Bariatric surgery and liver cirrhosis have considerable overlap. Bariatric procedures intend to reduce metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD); however, these procedures are thought to increase the propensity for alcohol misuse. This may predispose the bariatric surgical patient to a new form of liver insult in the postoperative period. This review explores the complex relationship between obesity and alcohol misuse in the context of the bariatric surgical patient. There is evidence to support the safety of bariatric procedures in compensated cirrhotic patients, with an improvement of liver function and architecture. However, data suggest that after a two-year period, these patients exhibit an increased propensity for alcohol misuse postoperatively, particularly after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) procedures. A paucity of evidence exists with respect to alcohol-induced liver dysfunction, or MASLD and increased alcohol intake (MetALD) in the post-bariatric surgery patient. This review aims to provide an overview of the current evidence and offer recommendations for further robust studies.

Volitionally Regulated Breathing with Prolonged Expiration Influences Food Craving and Impulsivity

INTRODUCTION

Previously, an intervention involving volitional slow breathing reduced trait food craving with protective effects on cardiac vagal activity (CVA). Breathing with a low inspiration-to-expiration (i/e) ratio also increases CVA. High CVA was separately associated with low unregulated eating and lesser impulsivity. Hence, the present study assessed breathing with a low i/e for effects on state food craving, hunger and satiety, state impulsivity, and heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy obese persons.

METHODS

Forty obese persons were randomized to two groups. The intervention group (mean age ± SD, 41.15 ± 12.63, M:F, 10:10) practiced metronome-regulated breathing with low i/e at 12 breaths per minute (expiration 72% of total breath duration) and attained expiration 55.8% of total breath duration, while the active control group (mean age ± SD, 44.45 ± 11.06, M:F, 13:07) sat motionless and directed their gaze and awareness to the stationary metronome without modifying their breath consciously. The HRV was recorded before, during, and after breathing intervention (or control) (standard limb lead I, acquisition at 2,000 Hz, with an LF filter = 0.5 Hz and HF filter = 50 Hz). Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV parameters were obtained with Kubios software. State food craving, and hunger and satiety were recorded before and after the intervention/control.

RESULTS

The intervention group decreased total state food craving scores and the sub-domains (i.e., desire to eat, positive reinforcement, lack of control and hunger), increased current satisfaction with food, decreased total state impulsivity (repeated measures ANOVA, p < 0.05 in all cases), increased HF-HRV and RMSSD (linear mixed model analyses with age and gender as fixed factors; p < 0.05 in all cases) during the intervention compared to the preceding baseline. The intervention group also showed an increase in positive mood and a decrease in aroused and negative mood states.

CONCLUSION

Changes in state food craving and impulsivity could be related to an increase in HRV or to changes in subjective relaxation and positive mood or to both.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of gut peptides expression during fasting and postprandial states in individuals with obesity

Gut peptides play a role in signaling appetite control in the hypothalamus. Limited knowledge exists regarding the release of these peptides in individuals with obesity before and during external stimuli. We hypothesize that the expression of gut peptides is different in the fasting and postprandial states in the scenario of obesity. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Science Direct electronic databases were searched. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Software. Randomized controlled trials that measured gut peptides in both obese and lean subjects were included in the analysis. A total of 552 subjects with obesity were enrolled in 25 trials. The gut peptide profile did not show any significant difference between obese and lean subjects for glucagon-like peptide 1 (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.21 to 0.38; P = .30), peptide YY (95% CI, -1.47 to 0.18; P = .13), and cholecystokinin (95% CI, -1.25 to 1.28; P = .98). Gut peptides are decreased by an increased high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet and by decreased chewing. There is no statistically significant difference in gut peptides between individuals with obesity and leanness in a fasting state. However, the release of gut peptides is affected in individuals with obesity following external stimuli, such as dietary interventions and chewing. Further studies are necessary to investigate the relationship between various stimuli and the release of gut peptides, as well as their impact on appetite regulation in subjects with obesity.

Soy-Based High-Protein Spheric Foods with the Appearance of Familiar Sugary Snacks

Excessive consumption of sugary foods increases the likelihood of obesity, as well as the preventable risk of lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Frequent intake of sweet snacks is considered to increase the risk of overweight/obesity in industrial nations. However, we cannot stop snacking against our better judgment. Therefore, in this study, we sought to develop high-protein, low-carb "mock snacks" to satisfy snack lovers' appetites and nutrition. Soy protein-based, ball-shaped food products with 57.7% (w/w) protein and 3.6% sugar have been developed. The addition of canola oil made them melty in the mouth without sacrificing their crispiness. Moreover, evaluation of the surface topography of the "soy balls" by 3D laser scanning demonstrated their high degree of sphericity. Conclusively, the snacks developed here may be one of the healthy alternatives for the current sugary ones.

Imagine chocolate: The craving experience questionnaire in the food domain

Measurement of food craving has gained relevance in the current obesity epidemic. The Craving Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) considers not only craving intensity but also cognitive intrusiveness and imagery vividness as separate craving factors and could thus refine food craving assessment. It is available in two versions with ten items each. The CEQ-F assesses craving frequency across specific time periods and the CEQ-S time-point specific craving strength. Across three independent studies, N = 533 participants completed the German chocolate CEQ-F referenced at the past year to operationalise trait-like craving. Among them, N = 402 also completed the German chocolate CEQ-S referenced at the current moment to operationalise state-like craving. Four-week test-retest reliability was measured. For external validity, we assessed self-reported chocolate consumption, body-mass-index, trait approach motivation, general imagery vividness, and the most widely used food craving questionnaire, namely the Food Cravings Questionnaires in a trait (FCQ-T-r) and state version (FCQ-S), as well as behavioural approach bias (reaction time-based measurement). The three-factor structure was replicated with excellent internal consistency for both CEQ-F and CEQ-S. Test-retest reliability was moderate for both CEQ versions. CEQ-F scores were related to higher levels of chocolate consumption, approach motivation, and FCQ-T-r scores, but not to body-mass-index, imagery vividness, or approach bias. CEQ-S scores were associated with FCQ-S scores and partly with approach bias, but not with approach motivation and imagery vividness. The current results support the factor structure, validity and reliability of the German chocolate CEQ-S and CEQ-F with questions remaining regarding the ability of the CEQ-S to measure state craving. Thus, CEQ-F and CEQ-S usefully contribute to food craving assessment.

Independent associations of food addiction and binge eating measures with real-time eating behaviors and contextual factors: An exploratory ecological momentary assessment study

Food addiction (FA) is a concept centered around the addictive potential of highly palatable processed foods, though there is debate over the discriminative validity of FA as a distinct construct from binge-eating symptomatology. This study explored how trait measures of FA and binge-eating symptoms independently and interactively predicted eating behaviors and posited correlates of FA and binge eating measured via ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adult participants (N = 49) who met the criteria for FA and/or binge-eating disorder completed baseline measures of FA (Yale Food Addiction Scale [YFAS 2.0]) and binge-eating symptoms (Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory [EPSI] binge eating scale) followed by a 10-day EMA protocol. Generalized linear mixed models examined the independent effects of YFAS 2.0, EPSI, and their interaction predicting EMA outcomes. Higher YFAS 2.0 symptom count scores were uniquely related to greater EMA-measured overeating, loss of control eating, negative and positive affect, and impulsivity when controlling for EPSI scores. Conversely, higher EPSI scores were uniquely related to greater EMA-measured eagerness and urge to eat, and expectancies that eating would improve mood. No interaction effects were significant. These results highlight potential distinctions between phenomena captured by FA and other measures of binge eating, in that FA symptoms may be a marker of heightened binge-eating severity, emotional arousal, and impulsivity.

Is Food Addiction a Specific Feature of Individuals Seeking Dietary Treatment from Nutritionists?

OBJECTIVE

Food addiction (FA) is a condition characterized by excessive and dysregulated consumption of high-energy food, and impulsivity. The diagnostic and nosological framework of FA is still controversial. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the prevalence of FA in patients seeking help from nutritionists for weight loss, along with its relationship with eating habits, in a pool of 842 participants of both sexes.

METHOD

Eating habits and FA were assessed by, respectively, a self-administered questionnaire and the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS). Statistical analysis included Chi-square for categorical variables, independent t tests to investigate continuous variables and an univariate logistic regression analysis to determine potential risk factors for FA. The relationship between FA diagnosis and potential risk factors was assessed through a stepwise logistic regression model, controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) classes.

RESULTS

Our results indicate that a prevalence of FA in our sample was 15.3%, with no difference between women and men. A higher prevalence was recorded in overweight subjects or obese. According to the YFAS criteria, women were more likely to report a persistent desire and withdrawal than men. Patients with FA compared with those without it, reported a greater number of attempts to lose weight, to self-dieting, a different mealtime repertoire, and to nibble continuously throughout the day. Moreover, the amount of carbohydrates ingested in the same meal seems to represent an eating habit significantly associated with FA.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our findings show how patients seeking help from nutritionists may display some peculiar features of FA. In spite of its diagnostic controversies, it is evident that FA may play a role in obesity and may also be a feature of some psychopathological conditions. Therefore, it should be more deeply investigated and possibly specifically targeted with tailored therapeutic interventions.

Factors Influencing Adolescents’ Use of Social Media for Nutrition Intervention

Adolescents are the largest population using social media in daily life, and their use is influenced by a wide range of factors. Hence, it is applied in nutrition intervention, which improved their health. However, some intervention lacks participation and engagement. This study identifies factors influencing adolescents’ social media use for nutrition interventions. An in-depth interview was conducted virtually for 30 to 60 minutes focusing on nutrition-related matters with 15 adolescents. Almost all of them were interested to participate in nutrition interventions on social media. User characteristics, environmental factors, and social media features were identified as the factors impacting them.

Measurement is the foundation of research and theory on children's eating behaviours: Current issues and directions for progress

Eating behaviours affect food intakes and are involved in the aetiology of obesity. There has been impetus to translate findings about children's eating behaviour into intervention and policy programs. However, measurement limitations have hindered our capacity to understand and influence children's eating behaviours. In the present paper we provide an overview of some of the key methodological and measurement issues facing the field of children's eating behaviours and highlight implications for research and health promotion. Drawing on insight from parallel issues that occur in the measurement of early social and emotional development, we examine two overlapping themes in children's (aged 0-∼12 years) eating behaviours (Somaraki et al., 2021) measurement issues related to validity and reliability, and (Steinsbekk & Wichstrøm, 2015) associated methodological challenges, such as contextual influences and the importance of designing studies that use multiple informants and multiple methods. We then suggest insights and strategies aimed at advancing approaches to measurement of children's eating behaviours. To progress our understanding of children's eating behaviours, we conclude that a range of psychometrically sound, fit-for-purpose measurement instruments and procedures are needed for use in multi-trait, multi-method, multi-informant studies in a range of populations and contexts.

Imaginal retraining reduces craving for high-calorie food

Imaginal retraining (IR) is a treatment derived from approach bias modification to reduce strong craving for high-calorie food. The push component (IR_push) seems to be the most effective element according to a recent dismantling trial. Conclusions derived from prior studies are limited, however, by small sample sizes and restriction of participants to women. The present study aimed to overcome these limitations and also tested a new variant of IR (3P; decoupling with the elements pull, pause, push), which has previously been found to be more effective than the standard protocol in individuals with problematic alcohol use. The study was conducted online. A total of 1,106 participants with strong craving for high-calorie food were randomized to different brief interventions of IR or a passive control group. Before and after the interventions, participants indicated their craving for high-calorie food and appraised food pictures. The main conditions of interest were IR_push and 3P. The other two experimental conditions did not contain a motor element and served as active control conditions. IR_push proved the most effective intervention and reduced craving by approximately 18%, which was significantly larger than in the passive control group. IR_push worked especially well for those with higher initial weight, higher cravings, and more dysfunctional eating behavior. The novel 3P technique significantly reduced craving across time and was especially effective for those with high BMI and craving. The study suggests that a simple self-help component of imaginal retraining, IR_push, can decrease craving for high-calorie food to a relevant extent. Future trials should elucidate whether different forms of substance-related and behavioral addictions require adapted IR or 3P protocols to increase effectiveness.

Development of Chinese food picture library for inducing food cravings

Cue-induced food cravings are strong desires directed toward specific foods, usually ones with high caloric content, and can lead to overeating. However, although food cravings vary according to individual preferences for specific high-calorie food subtypes, a structured library of food craving-inducing pictures including multiple categories of high-calorie foods does not yet exist. Here, we developed and validated a picture library of Chinese foods (PLCF) consisting of five subtypes of high-calorie foods (i.e., sweets, starches, salty foods, fatty foods, and sugary drinks) to allow for more nuanced future investigations in food craving research, particularly in Chinese cultural contexts. We collected 100 food images representing these five subtypes, with four food items per subtype depicted in five high-resolution photographs each. We recruited 241 individuals with overweight or obesity to rate the food pictures based on craving, familiarity, valence, and arousal dimensions. Of these participants, 213 reported the severity of problematic eating behaviors as a clinical characteristic. Under the condition of mixing multiple subtypes of high-calorie foods, we did not observe significant differences in craving ratings for high- and low-calorie food images (p _tukey > 0.05). Then, we compared each subtype of high-calorie food images to low-calorie ones, and found craving ratings were greater for the images of salty foods and sugary drinks (ps < 0.05). Furthermore, we conducted a subgroup analysis of individuals according to whether they did or did not meet the criteria for food addiction (FA) and found that greater cravings induced by the images of high-calorie food subtypes (i.e., salty foods and sugary drinks) only appeared in the subgroup that met the FA criteria. The results show that the PLCF is practical for investigating food cravings.

Use of Social Media by Adolescents for Nutrition Intervention: Factors to consider

Adolescents are the largest population using social media in daily life, and their use is influenced by a wide range of factors. Hence, it is applied in nutrition intervention, which improved their health. However, some intervention lacks participation and engagement. This study identifies factors influencing adolescents’ social media use for nutrition interventions. An in-depth interview was conducted virtually for 30 to 60 minutes focusing on nutrition-related matters with 15 adolescents. Almost all of them were interested to participate in nutrition interventions on social media. User characteristics, environmental factors, and social media features were identified as the factors impacting them.

Pilot study of responsive nucleus accumbens deep brain stimulation for loss-of-control eating

Cravings that precede loss of control (LOC) over food consumption present an opportunity for intervention in patients with the binge eating disorder (BED). In this pilot study, we used responsive deep brain stimulation (DBS) to record nucleus accumbens (NAc) electrophysiology during food cravings preceding LOC eating in two patients with BED and severe obesity (trial registration no. NCT03868670). Increased NAc low-frequency oscillations, prominent during food cravings, were used to guide DBS delivery. Over 6 months, we observed improved self-control of food intake and weight loss. These findings provide early support for restoring inhibitory control with electrophysiologically-guided NAc DBS. Further work with increased sample sizes is required to determine the scalability of this approach.

Nucleus accumbens, low-frequency, responsive deep brain stimulation improved self-control of food intake and weight loss in two patients with binge eating disorder and severe obesity

Conceptualizing and Measuring Appetite Self-Regulation Phenotypes and Trajectories in Childhood: A Review of Person-Centered Strategies

This review uses person-centered research and data analysis strategies to discuss the conceptualization and measurement of appetite self-regulation (ASR) phenotypes and trajectories in childhood (from infancy to about ages 6 or 7 years). Research that is person-centered provides strategies that increase the possibilities for investigating ASR phenotypes. We first examine the utility of examining underlying phenotypes using latent profile/class analysis drawing on cross-sectional data. The use of trajectory analysis to investigate developmental change is then discussed, with attention to phenotypes using trajectories of individual behaviors as well as phenotypes based on multi-trajectory modeling. Data analysis strategies and measurement approaches from recent examples of these person-centered approaches to the conceptualization and investigation of appetite self-regulation and its development in childhood are examined. Where relevant, examples from older children as well as developmental, clinical and educational psychology are drawn on to discuss when and how person-centered approaches can be used. We argue that there is scope to incorporate recent advances in biological and psychoneurological knowledge about appetite self-regulation as well as fundamental processes in the development of general self-regulation to enhance the examination of phenotypes and their trajectories across childhood (and beyond). The discussion and conclusion suggest directions for future research and highlight the potential of person-centered approaches to progress knowledge about the development of appetite self-regulation in childhood.