Reducing Added Sugar Intake Increases the Relative Reinforcing Value of High‐Sugar Foods

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine whether reducing added sugar intake to <10% of calories for 1 week changes the relative reinforcing value (RRV) of foods high in sugar in non‐overweight and obese adults.BackgroundThe 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines of Americans (DGA) focuses on 5 overarching guidelines for healthy eating patterns, including limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10% of calories/day. Foods high in added sugars (e.g., soda, desserts, candy) are reinforcing and reducing their consumption in order to adhere to the DGA may paradoxically increase their RRV.MethodsTwenty seven adults aged 18–39 y with a BMI below 25 kg/m2 (n=18) or above 30 kg/m2 (n=9) who reported consuming >10% of daily calories from added sugar completed a 1‐week controlled feeding intervention. Participants consumed ~3% of their daily calories from added sugar while maintaining energy balance and the average macronutrient distribution for adults over the age of 20 (~16% En pro, 51% En CHO, 33% En fat). Prior to and on the seventh day of the dietary intervention participants completed an operant responding task that used independent progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement to earn a high‐added (e.g. skittles, tootsie roll) and a low‐added (e.g. potato chips, pretzels) sugar food. The RRV of added sugar foods was calculated as the number of sessions completed for access to a high‐added sugar food/(sessions completed for high‐added sugar food + sessions for low‐added sugar food). Hunger and satiety were measured prior, and calories consumed of the earned food measured after, RRV tests.ResultsRRV of high‐added sugar foods increased (47%, p<0.001) from 0.51 at baseline to 0.77 post with no significant effects of weight status, hunger or satiety on RRV change. All but 2 participants earned high added sugar food Pre, but all earned high‐added sugar foods Post (p = 0.15). For low‐added sugar foods, all but 2 participants earned some Pre, but only 14 of 27 earned any Post (p < 0.001).ConclusionsIn adults, the RRV of foods high in added sugar increases when access to these foods is reduced for 7 days below their base rate to meet the DGA. This presents a potential mechanistic barrier to meeting the DGA recommendations for reducing added sugar and why many Americans have difficulty making food choices that promote adherence to a reduced added sugar intake diet.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported by USDA‐ARS Project USDA‐ARS 3062‐51000‐051‐00D