The Effects of Experimentally Manipulating Social Status on Acute Eating Behavior: A Randomized, Crossover Pilot Study

Abstract

Subjective social status (SSS) – i.e. self‐perceived social standing – has been consistently associated with multiple health outcomes, including weight status, but the mechanism for this relationship remains unclear. Thus, experimental studies may help identify the causal mechanisms underlying low SSS as a pathway for obesity. Our objective was to investigate the effects of experimentally manipulated social status on ad libitum acute dietary intakes and stress‐related outcomes as potential mechanisms relating SSS and weight status. This is a pilot, randomized, crossover study in Hispanic young adults (n=9; age 19–25; 67% female; BMI ≥18.5 and ≤30 kg/m2). To minimize bias or confounding as a result of participant expectations, subjects were blinded to the main aim of the study. At visit 1, participants completed anthropometric measurements and questionnaires, consumed a standardized breakfast, and were randomized to a high or low social status condition for a game of Monopoly™. The rules for the Monopoly™ game differed substantially in terms of degree of ‘privilege’ depending on whether the participant was randomized to the high social status condition or the low social status condition. Following the game, participants were given an ad libitum buffet lunch meal. Stress‐related markers (blood pressure, heart rate, and visual analog scales) were measured throughout the study visit. Following a minimum four‐week washout period, participants attended the lab for visit 2. We used the same standardized protocol, however, participants were exposed to the opposite social status condition. When compared to the high social status condition, participants consumed 130 more calories on average (p=0.07) and consumed a significantly higher proportion of their daily calorie needs (39% of daily calorie needs in low social status condition versus 31% of daily calorie needs in high social status condition in the ad libitum buffet lunch meal; p=0.04) in the low social status condition. When placed in the high social status condition, participants reported greater feelings of pride and powerfulness following the game of Monopoly™ (p=0.05) and their lunch meal (p=0.08). No other differences were observed for stress‐related markers between social status conditions. Our pilot data suggest a possible causal relationship between experimentally manipulated social status and increased acute energy intakes in Hispanic young adults, potentially influenced by increased feelings of pride and powerfulness in the high social status condition relative to the low social status condition. Increased total energy intake over time, resulting in positive energy balance could contribute to increased risk for obesity. This may partially explain the observed relationship between SSS and higher weight in free‐living populations. Larger and longitudinal studies in a diverse sample need to be conducted to confirm findings, increase generalizability, and assess whether this relationship persists over time.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported by in part by NIH grants T32DK007658, T32HL105349, and P30DK056336. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the NIH or any other organization.