The interplay of hedonic appetite and attentional abilities is linked to poorer dietary self-control: Two studies on young adults living in cities

Abstract

Voluntary attention supports dietary self-control, while hedonic appetite impairs it. However, hedonic processing of foods consumes voluntary attention. We therefore checked whether the interaction between hedonic appetite and attentional abilities is associated with poorer dietary self-control. Using the Power of Food Scale (PFS) we measured hedonic appetite in two samples of young adults living in cities. In Study 1 (380 participants) poor dietary self-control and attentional abilities were measured by the Uncontrolled Eating subscale of Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire and the Attentional Control Scale, respectively. In Study 2, 49 participants rated the healthiness and tastiness of foods. In the incentivized series of computerized trials, dietary self-control was defined as choosing a healthier over a tastier food item. Attentional abilities were computed as the ratio of mean to standard deviation of response time in a memory task check (a presented digit was checked against a memorized digit). The interaction between the PFS and attentional abilities was associated with poorer dietary self-control (Studies 1–2). The strength of the positive association between attentional abilities and self-control decreased with a PFS score, with no association (Study 1) and the negative association (Study 2) for high-PFS individuals. The strength of the negative association between the PFS and dietary self-control increased with attentional abilities, with no association for individuals with low attentional abilities in Study 2. The interplay between attentional skills and hedonic appetite can be harmful for dietary self-control in young adults. If hedonic appetite is strong enough, attentional abilities may be unfavorable for dietary self-control.