Lower nutrition knowledge in individuals with prior metabolic-bariatric surgery despite comparable hedonic hunger and body image: a cross-sectional study.

Dietary intake is known to impact athletic performance. The factors that influence dietary intake have been investigated widely, but their collective effect has not been examined. The primary aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between dietary intake and nutrition knowledge, body image, weight control, macronutrient balance, and hedonic hunger. Forty-two student athletes or active individuals were recruited through contact with sporting organisations and course coordinators, advertising via twitter, and flyers posted within university buildings. Nutrition knowledge, body image, weight control, macronutrient balance, and hedonic hunger were measured using the Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire, Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire and Contour Drawing Rating Scale, a Weight Fluctuation Measure, Australian Eating Score, and Power of Food Scale, respectively. Hierarchical regression analysis, correlation testing, and mean difference testing were applied. Carbohydrate intake, body image disturbance scores, weight fluctuation, and hedonic hunger for food tasted had a significant relationship (R2 = 64.6%, Adj R2 = 0.608%, p < 0.001) with dietary energy intake. Student athletes' dietary intakes are influenced by multiple potentially modifiable factors. Future studies should use larger sample sizes, with interventions focusing on individual modifiable factors to determine how dietary intake can be most significantly impacted.

The role of hedonic hunger in food-cue reactivity

‘Hedonic hunger’ indicates the desire to consume food in the absence of an energy requirement. Hedonic hunger can be investigated using the validated Power of Food Scale (PFS). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are currently the most effective treatment options for severe obesity. Following RYGB, hedonic hunger diminishes, which may contribute to sustained weight loss. There are no data examining the effect of SG on hedonic hunger. We prospectively evaluated hedonic hunger using PFS in patients with severe obesity prior to and 6 months after SG (n = 95) or RYGB (n = 44) and investigated the procedure-specific relationship between percentage weight loss (%WL) and hedonic hunger. Anthropometric data were collected at baseline after 6 months, 12 months and 24 months post-operatively. PFS contains 15 items grouped into 3 domains considering when food is: available (FA), present (FP), tasted (FT) and a total score (TS). At 6 months, a significant reduction was seen in all categories post-SG (p < 0.0001) and in TS (p = 0.003), FA (p = 0.0006) and FP (p = 0.0007) post-RYGB. A significantly larger reduction in FP scores was seen post-SG (p = 0.01). Post-SG, a significant correlation with 6-month %WL was noted for changes in FP (p = 0.03) and TS (p = 0.03). Post-SG changes in FP and TS predicted 24-month %WL. Post-RYGB significant correlations were seen between 6-month %WL and dFA (p = 0.04) and dFP (p = 0.03). Changes in FA, FP and TS were predictive of 12-month %WL. HH is reduced following both SG and RYGB with a greater reduction following SG and is related to post-operative %WL. PFS may have a role as a predictive tool for post-operative outcomes following SG and RYGB.

There is a relationship between extreme sleep duration and increased food intake. Some studies have reported that there was no change in the homeostatic aspects of energy balance, despite the increased nutrient intake, and in this case, the hedonic aspects may be effective. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of hedonic hunger with sleep quality and duration among university students. This cross-sectional study was carried out on university students. An online questionnaire was applied in the study, in which 1144 participants were included. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality and duration, and the Power of Food Scale (PFS) and Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS) for detecting hedonic hunger states. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and duration and hedonic hunger by modelling. Total PFS and PEMS scores were positively associated with PSQI scores after controlling for all possible confounding factors [β (95%CI) = 0.04 (0.03–0.05), p < 0.05; 0.06 (0.05–0.07), p < 0.05, respectively). The relationship between the subdimensions of the PFS, PEMS and PSQI remained statistically significant, except for food availability (PFS) and social motive (PEMS).After fully adjusting, the odds of having a high PEMS score increased in individuals with short or long sleep duration, but not PFS score [OR (95%CI) = 1.40 (1.09–1.83), p = 0.012; 0.98 (0.70–1.21), p = 0.878, respectively]. While a positive relationship was found between increased hedonic hunger and poor sleep quality, an inverse relationship was observed between ideal sleep duration and hedonic hunger. The findings suggest that improving sleep quality and duration can help reduce hedonic hunger, which increases the tendency to unhealthy and delicious foods and plays a role in weight gain.

Background: Research suggests that the degree of food desirability may have an impact on successful weight loss. Defined as susceptibility to eating when presented with environmental stimuli, hedonic hunger is related to increased food consumption. Individuals with higher hedonic hunger may be less able to successfully maintain weight loss and, therefore, may have more weight loss attempts (WLA). The purpose was to examine associations between the number of WLA and the PFS total scale and subscale scores, controlling for race, sex, BMI, and age. Methods: Participants were obese adults enrolled in Heads Up, an insurance-sponsored observational study examining surgical and non-surgical weight loss techniques. Individuals completed the Power of Food Scale (PFS) and demographic information, including the number of WLA. The PFS was developed to assess hedonic hunger when food is: 1) available, 2) present, and 3) tasted. Results: Of the 705 participants, 409 (57.8%) were Caucasian, 597 (84.3%) were female, and had attempted to lose weight 9.13 (SD=9.8) times. The number of WLA significantly predicted PFS total scores and subscale scores except for the “Food Tasted” subscale. The full linear regression models accounted for 4.7%, 4.1%, and 6.2% of the variance in the total PFS, Food Available subscale, and Food Present subscale scores, respectively. Conclusions: Results demonstrate that hedonic hunger may be a factor in repeated WLA. Future research should examine the temporal sequence to fully explain this relationship to provide additional tailoring of behavioral weight loss interventions to address hedonic hunger as a hindrance to successful weight maintenance.

Background: Studies examining the association between hedonic hunger, that is, having frequent thoughts about food in the absence of an energy deficit, and obesity in youth show mixed results. This may be due to the confounding effect of binge eating, which has been associated with both hedonic hunger and obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which hedonic hunger is associated with obesity independent of binge eating in youth. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from youth enrolled in a larger study of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between hedonic hunger measured by Power of Food Scale (PFS) and binge eating measured by Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, on percent of the 95th BMI percentile (BMIp95). Results: Among 269 participants (mean age 12.8 years), 16.4% endorsed binge eating. PFS was positively associated with BMIp95 with a difference in percent of BMIp95 of 5.9% [95% confidence interval (1.5-10.3), p = 0.009]. However, when binge eating was added to the model, the relationship between PFS and BMIp95 was no longer significant. Conclusion: Hedonic hunger, above and beyond binge eating, may not be associated with BMI. Future research should examine whether screening for and targeting binge eating rather than hedonic hunger in weight management care may have more impact on obesity outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT01508598.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationships among nutritional knowledge, eating disorder symptoms, orthorexia-related scores, and body satisfaction among Turkish adults. A total of 1,457 adults aged 19-64 years completed an online questionnaire including the Nutrition Knowledge Scale, Eating Attitudes Test-40, ORTO-11 Orthorexia Scale, and Body Satisfaction Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. The mean Nutrition Knowledge Scale score was 81.42 ± 17.61, and 46.3% of participants were classified as having low nutritional knowledge. After adjustment for demographic, health, and lifestyle covariates, higher nutritional knowledge was significantly associated with lower Eating Attitudes Test-40 scores (β = -0.151, p < 0.001), higher ORTO-11 scores (β = 0.126, p < 0.001), and higher Body Satisfaction Scale scores (β = 0.133, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that nutritional knowledge may be linked to fewer disordered eating symptoms and greater body satisfaction. However, interpretation of the ORTO-11 findings requires caution because lower ORTO-11 scores indicate greater orthorexia risk in the original scoring direction. Nutrition education programs should therefore promote accurate knowledge while also supporting flexible eating attitudes, positive body image, and psychological well-being. Future longitudinal studies using updated orthorexia assessment tools are needed to clarify causal pathways and the role of cultural and psychosocial mediators.

SummaryIntroductionThe term ‘hedonic hunger’ refers to one's preoccupation with and desire to consume foods for the purposes of pleasure and in the absence of physical hunger. The Power of Food Scale (PFS) was developed as a quantitative measure of this construct in 2009. Since then, over 50 published studies have used the PFS to predict appetite‐related outcomes including neural, cognitive, behavioural, anthropometric and clinical measures.ObjectiveThis narrative review evaluates how closely the PFS captures the construct it was originally presumed to assess and to more clearly define hedonic hunger itself.MethodsThe measure's relationship to four domains is reviewed and summarized: motivation to consume palatable foods; level of actual consumption of such foods; body mass; and subjective loss‐of‐control over one's eating behaviour. Findings are synthesized to generate a more accurate understanding of what the PFS measures and how it may relate to the broader definition of hedonic hunger.ResultsResults suggest that the PFS is closely related to motivation to consume palatable foods and, in extreme cases, occurrence of loss‐of‐control eating episodes. PFS scores are not consistently predictive of amount of food consumed or body mass.ConclusionsImplications of these findings are discussed in the context of behavioural health, and avenues for further inquiry are identified.

Nutrition education is crucial for improving nutritional knowledge. This study aims to evaluate the impact of healthy nutrition education on hedonic hunger, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and self-efficacy for healthy eating among early adolescence. This one-group, pre-test-post-test, quasi-experimental study included 202 middle-school students. Data were collected using a researcher-designed survey that included demographic variables, the Children's Power of Food Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Healthy Eating Scale, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Brief Nutritional Knowledge Assessment Form. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and neck circumference) were also taken. After the pre-test, each student received 2 h of healthy nutrition education. A follow-up survey was administered 4 weeks later. The study revealed that most early adolescents exhibited unhealthy dietary habits, such as skipping main meals (15·3 % all the time and 60·2 % occasionally), snacking on sweet treats (33·3 %) and having irregular eating patterns (47·4 %). Additionally, the early adolescents had higher weights, BMI, neck circumferences and heights compared with reference values (P < 0·01). Significant changes were observed post-intervention: lower hedonic hunger scores (beginning: 2·90 (sd 0·68), follow-up: 2·70 (sd 0·76), P < 0·01), decreased self-efficacy for healthy eating (beginning: 5·41 (sd 3·50), follow-up: 4·33 (sd 3·61), P < 0·01) and increased knowledge about healthy nutrition (beginning: 67·23 (sd 14·39), follow-up: 80·00 (sd 17·22), P < 0·01). This study highlighted that healthy nutrition education enhances nutritional knowledge and decreases hedonic dietary tendencies among early adolescents. Continued nutrition education may further improve children's preferences for healthy foods.

Hedonic Hunger Is Related to Increased Neural and Perceptual Responses to Cues of Palatable Food and Motivation to Consume: Evidence from 3 Independent Investigations

This study was designed to explore relationship of perceived depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) levels and hedonic hunger in adults. A cross-sectional survey included questions about some socio-demographic characteristics, Power of Food Scale (PFS-Tr) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) was sent via an online platform. Self-reported weight and height were also questioned. A total of 4112 adult volunteers between the ages of 18-65 years participated in this study. 72.3% of them were female. The prevalence of moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress was reported as 31%, 34% and 13% respectively. Hedonic hunger and perceived DAS levels were higher in females (p < 0.001). Hedonic hunger was positively correlated with perceived DAS (p < 0.001). While body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with PFS-Tr total score, food available and food present; negatively associated with food tasted. Body mass index was negatively correlated with perceived DAS. Hedonic hunger and perceived DAS levels decreased with increasing age. Females were more prone to both hedonic hunger and perceived DAS. About one in three participants reported moderate to extremely severe levels of depression and anxiety. Greater perceived DAS levels are associated with hedonic hunger. Underweight individuals had higher levels of perceived DAS. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the prevalence and predictors of perceived DAS levels and hedonic hunger in the Turkish adult population. The findings of the study suggest that the predictors such as age, sex and BMI are a part of psychological well-being and hedonic hunger.

PurposeThis study examined the relationship between hedonic hunger (HH), sleep quality, and stress levels among university students in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. MethodsWe used a cross-sectional design with participants (N = 565) recruited via convenience sampling. Data were collected with a self-administered, standardized, and validated online questionnaire. HH was assessed with the Palatable Eating Motives Scale (PEMS) and Power of Food Scale (PFS), sleep quality and sleep components were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), stress was evaluated with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and physical activity was examined with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to assess the relationship between HH and sleep quality and perceived stress. ResultsThere were positive associations between total PSQI scores and total PEMS (β = 0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06–0.25, P = 0.001) and PFS (β = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.45–1.04, P < 0.001). The likelihood of poor sleep quality increased by 8% (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08, P = 0.020) and 43% (OR = 1.43, P < 0.001) for each one-unit increase in PEMS and PFS scores, respectively. We also found positive associations between PSS scores and total PEMS (β = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.26–0.63, P < 0.001) and PFS (β = 0.23, 95% CI: 1.04–2.22, P < 0.001) scores. ConclusionReducing HH and stress levels may help to enhance sleep quality among university students. Conversely, improving sleep quality and reducing stress levels could improve HH in this population.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of hedonic hunger on nutritional change processes and its relationship with BMI in university students. Methods: A questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, questions about eating habits, Power of Food Scale (PFS) and Nutrition Change Processes Scale (NPCS) were applied to 1003 undergraduate students. Results: Majority of the students were female and normal weight in terms of BMI. The median PFS and score of the obese students is higher than the normal ones. The median NPCS scores of obese students are higher than other BMI classifications (p&lt; .01). The median scores of food available, food present and food taste sub-factors of PFS are statistically higher in obese students than in normal-weight students (p&lt; .01). The sub-factors of NPCS that consciousness raising, dramatic relief, self-reevaluation, social liberation, contingency management, self-liberation, stimulus control median scores are statistically higher in obese students than in normal-weight students. As hedonic hunger increases, the nutritional change process increases by 13.7%. The increase in hedonic hunger affects the nutritional change processes positively by 46.1% (p&lt; .001). Conclusion: Hedonic hunger and nutrition change processes of obese students are higher than those of normal weight, and as hedonic hunger increases, the process of nutritional change increases, and the increase in hedonic hunger positively affects nutritional change processes.

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship of hedonic hunger with food addiction and obesity in university students. The research sample consists of 275 university students between the ages of 19-28years. Body weight (kg), height (cm), waist and hip circumference (cm) were measured by applying a face-to-face questionnaire including descriptive characteristics of individuals, the Power of Food Scale (PFS), the Palatable Eating Motive Scale (PEMS) and the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale (mYFAS) 2.0. Statistical analysis of the data was done with SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 18. In individuals, according to the mean PFS score the presence of food power-induced hedonic hunger was detected. While according to the mean PEMS score no motivational hedonic hunger was detected. According to the BMI classification the average scores of PFS (p = 0.002), PEMS (p = 0.009), and mYFAS 2.0 (p < 0.001) showed a gradual increase from underweight to obese. A weak positive correlation was found between BMI and PFS score (r = 0.238; p < 0.05) and PEMS score (r = 0.196; p < 0.05), respectively. The moderate positive correlation (r = 0.439 p < 0.001) was found between mYFAS 2.0 and the PEMS scores. As a result, the presence of food-based hedonic hunger was determined in young individuals. A relationship was determined between food addiction and hedonic hunger caused by the motivation to consume delicious foods. Accordingly, hedonic hunger is related to food addiction and obesity in university students. V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Hedonic Hunger Is Associated with Intake of Certain High-Fat Food Types and BMI in 20- to 40-Year-Old Adults