Food Cues Research Articles

Changing the food environment in secondary school canteens to promote healthy dietary choices: a qualitative study with school caterers

BackgroundTypical adolescent diets do not meet current dietary recommendations. There is a need to address these dietary patterns to reduce the risk of obesity and other diet-related diseases. Schools provide an opportune setting to do so, as students consume a substantial proportion of their daily dietary intake whilst at school. There is a developing evidence base on the use of choice architecture (food choice cues) to promote healthy eating in school contexts. It is necessary to understand the acceptability and feasibility of implementing such interventions. We aimed to explore these factors from the perspectives of secondary school caterers.MethodsWe conducted qualitative interviews with caterers from secondary schools across the West Midlands, UK and national/regional catering representatives. A semi-structured topic guide and visual aid were used to guide interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Framework analysis was conducted in NVivo v12.ResultsTwelve participants took part. Seven themes were identified and grouped into three categories: Acceptability (Suitability; Salient cues; Student engagement), Barriers (Catering decision drivers; Limits of influence), and Enablers (Perceived role; Opportunities). Caterers considered healthy food cues to be suited to adolescents as they require minimal reflective motivation. Salient cues included enhancing the placement, presentation and portability of healthy items, improving the dining environment and focusing pricing/incentive strategies on increased quantity. Student engagement was considered important. Some catering decision drivers conflicted with healthy food cues, and many felt that their role in healthy eating was limited due to the overwhelming influence of external food environments, adolescent resistance, and features of the secondary school canteen setting e.g. short duration of lunchtime, lack of space. However, caterers appeared motivated to implement healthy food cues and identified key opportunities for implementation, including integration into whole-school approaches to healthy eating.ConclusionsInterventions using healthy food cues appeared acceptable to secondary school caterers, key potential implementers of these strategies. Future interventions could incorporate strategies relating to placement, presentation and pricing to prompt healthy selections, and actions to engage the student body and improve the dining environment. Evaluations should consider potential impacts upon food purchasing, consumption and waste to address caterers’ concerns about these issues.

Self-Regulation in Eating Behaviors: The Role of Executive Function in Response to Food Stimuli.

Human nutrition is characterized by both automatic and self-regulated processes. One of the dimensions that may be employed in monitoring eating behaviors is the cognitive control played by the executive functions (EFs). The role of EFs in affecting eating behaviors has been assessed in empirical studies, but further analyses are needed in a current society characterized by a food-abundant environment. Accordingly, this study attempted to evaluate the association between weight status and executive functions in response to food-related stimuli. One hundred and forty-four young adults took part in the study (25.7% in overweight condition). The participants completed a set of computerized cognitive tasks to assess cognitive and motor inhibition and working memory in two different conditions: (i) classic versions of the tasks and (ii) modified versions with food cues. The results indicate that food stimuli may influence executive performance and that there is an association between food cue-related executive functioning, particularly in the domain of motor inhibition, and working memory. These results suggest that self-regulation in nutrition may involve executive control. Although further studies are needed, this work suggests the importance of a multidimensional perspective in the analysis of eating behaviors and the relevance of EFs in monitoring our approach to food stimuli in an environmental context.

Behaviourally assessed negative urgency is uniquely associated with binge-eating frequency.

Binge eating appears to be associated with impulsivity, especially in response to negative affect (i.e., negative urgency). However, negative urgency is typically assessed via self-report, which captures only some aspects of urgency and may be subject to bias. Few studies have examined impulsivity following experimental manipulations of affect in binge-eating samples. In the present study, individuals who engage in regular binge eating completed a behavioural impulsivity (go/no-go) task with high- and low-calorie food stimuli, once following negative affect induction and once following neutral affect induction. Greater behavioural impulsivity to high-calorie food cues while in a negative (and not a neutral) affective state was associated with more frequent binge-eating behaviour. Further, this behavioural measure of negative urgency uniquely accounted for variance in binge-eating frequency when controlling for self-reported negative urgency, suggesting that behavioural measures may be a useful complement to self-report measures. These findings provide novel and compelling evidence for the relationship between negative urgency and binge eating, highlighting negative urgency as a potentially important target for intervention.

Neural Responses to Auditory Food Stimuli Following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Binge-Eating Disorder.

Adults with binge-eating disorder (BED), compared with those without BED, demonstrate higher blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response to food cues in reward-related regions of the brain. It is not known whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reverse this reward system hyperactivation. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed changes in BOLD response to binge-eating cues following CBT versus wait-list control (WLC). Females with BED (N = 40) were randomized to CBT or WLC. Participants completed assessments at baseline and 16 weeks including measures of eating and appetite and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure BOLD response while listening to personalized scripts of binge-eating and neutral-relaxing cues. Data were analyzed using general linear models with mixed effects. Overall retention rate was 87.5%. CBT achieved significantly greater reductions in binge-eating episodes than WLC (mean ± standard error decline of 14.6 ± 2.7 vs. 5.7 ± 2.8 episodes in the past 28 days, respectively; p = 0.03). CBT and WLC did not differ significantly in changes in neural responses to binge-eating stimuli during the fMRI sessions. Compared with WLC, CBT had significantly greater improvements in reward-based eating drive, disinhibition, and hunger as assessed by questionnaires (ps < 0.05). CBT was effective in reducing binge eating, but, contrary to our hypothesis, CBT did not improve BOLD response to auditory binge-eating stimuli in reward regions of the brain. Further studies are needed to assess mechanisms underlying improvements with CBT for BED. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03604172.

Food image validation for assessing diurnal patterns of appetite and food reward in individuals ranging in BMI with and without type 2 diabetes

Increasing scientific interest in diurnal patterns of appetite and food reward means it is important to employ valid methodologies that are time-of-day appropriate. Moreover, it is unknown whether people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) experience similar diurnal patterns to healthy individuals. The Steno Biometric Food Preference Task (SBFPT)(1) utilises an array of food images to assess food reward and biometric responses to food cues varying in fat content and sweet taste. We aimed to adapt and validate the SBFPT to assess diurnal appetite and food reward in Danish adults with a range of BMI with/without T2D.An anonymous online survey was used to validate 28 food images (7 high-fat sweet (HFSW), 7 lowfat sweet (LFSW), 7 high-fat savoury (HFSA) and 7 low-fat savoury (LFSA)) in Danish residents in order to select 16 images for the diurnal-SBFPT (4 from each category). For each food image, participants had to name the food, report the frequency of consumption, and rate its tastiness, sweetness, fat content, appropriateness to consume in the morning (between 8:00-12:00), afternoon (between 12:00-16:00), and evening (between 16:00-20:00) on a 100-mm visual analogue scale(2).We obtained 207 complete responses (with &gt;80% completion). Participants included 61 men, 144 women and 2 not specified. Of these, 124 did not have T2D and 83 had T2D with a median [Q1, Q3] diagnosis duration of 12 [8, 18] years. Median [Q1, Q3] age was 61 [50, 67] years and BMI was 26.4 [23.4, 31.8] kg/m2. After data were cleaned, the mean of the individual ratings for each food was calculated and adequacy was judged according to pre-specified criteria(2). As there were overall differences in ratings of appropriate consumption time between those with/without T2D regardless of time of day (linear mixed model β = -5.3mm; p=.01), a difference score between morning (AM) and afternoon/evening (PM) ratings was computed (AM-PM difference). Adequacy for this criterion was based on foods with the smallest absolute mean across those with/without T2D and smallest absolute difference between groups.Overall, the majority of the final 4 images from each food category met the criteria for recognition, frequency of consumption, liking, taste and perceived fat content. LFSW foods had the smallest absolute AM-PM differences (i.e., more similar appropriateness scores in AM vs PM; range 110mm), followed by LFSA (5-21mm), HFSA (8-21mm) and HFSW (8-38mm).This image validation study will allow us to examine appetite and food reward across the day using a validated tool among Danish adults ranging in BMI with/without T2D. Future studies should consider the perceived appropriateness of the foods selected for appetite-related assessments in T2D, especially high-fat sweet foods.

Influence of Food Environments on Dietary Habits: Insights from a Quasi-Experimental Research.

Nutrition is a vital factor that exerts a profound and direct impact on health. Food environments significantly influence individuals' dietary behaviors, health outcomes, and overall food security. Individuals in food deserts and food swamps do not have access to healthier food options. And in both cases, the emphasis is primarily on the physical configuration of the environment as it relates to food availability. This quasi-experimental study aims to investigate the impact of two different food environments (defined to include a social component) on food choices. A total of 246 participants were surveyed by telephone, half of whom were primed with Scenario A (a food environment deficient in healthy options and cues that support and reinforce healthier choices) and half were primed with Scenario B (an environment with an abundance of healthy food options and cues that support and reinforce healthy eating). Ordered logit regression was used for analysis. The results show significant differences in likely food consumption between the groups. Individuals in Scenario B were found to be 4.48 times more likely to consume fruits and vegetables. In addition, it was determined that being a woman increases the probability of consuming more fruits and vegetables by 0.92 times (1/0.52-1), and adherence to a healthy diet increases by 3.64 times. Age and race were not significant predictors. This study highlights the crucial role of environmental factors in shaping dietary habits and underscores the importance of the social components of the food environment in promoting the adoption of healthier dietary habits. Based on these findings, policymakers should prioritize developing strategies that go beyond providing physical access and consider social aspects of the environment in promoting healthy eating habits to improve public health and bolster the food security of communities.

Validation of a laboratory craving assessment and evaluation of 4 different interventions on cravings among adults with overweight or obesity

Food cue reactivity (FCR) is an appetitive trait associated with overeating and weight gain. We developed a laboratory craving assessment to objectively evaluate cognitive aspects of FCR. This study examined the preliminary construct and criterion validity of this craving assessment and evaluated 4 different interventions, 2 of which incorporated cue-exposure treatment for food, on craving over treatment and follow-up. 271 treatment-seeking adults with overweight/obesity (body mass index = 34.6[5.2]; age = 46.5[11.8]; 81.2% female; 61.6% non-Latinx White) completed the Food Cue Responsivity Scale and the laboratory craving assessment, during which they alternated holding and smelling a highly craved food and provided craving ratings over 5 min. Participants were subsequently randomized to 26 treatment sessions over 12-months of ROC, Behavioral Weight Loss (BWL), a combined arm (ROC+) and an active comparator (AC), and repeated the craving assessment at post-treatment and 12-month follow-up. Linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between trial type (holding vs. smelling), trial number, pre-treatment FCR, treatment arm, assessment time point, and craving. Cravings were greater when smelling vs. holding food (b = 0.31, p < 0.001), and cravings decreased over time (b = −0.02, p < 0.001). Participants with higher pre-treatment FCR reported elevated cravings (b = 0.29, p < 0.001). Longitudinally, we observed a significant 3-way interaction in which treatment arm modified the relationship between pre-treatment FCR and craving over time (F(17,5122) = 6.88, p < 0.001). An attenuated FCR-craving relationship was observed in ROC+ and BWL from baseline to post-treatment but was only sustained in BWL at follow-up. This attenuation was also observed in ROC and AC from post-treatment to follow-up. The preliminary validity of this laboratory craving assessment was supported; however, greater craving reductions over time in ROC/ROC+ compared to BWL and AC were not consistently observed, and thus do not appear to fully account for the moderating effect of FCR on weight losses observed in the trial.

Momentary mechanisms of binge-eating symptoms using ecological momentary assessment: The moderating role of food addiction.

Food addiction (FA) shows phenotypic and diagnostic overlap with eating disorders characterised by binge eating, though it is unknown how momentary processes driving binge-eating symptoms differ by FA. The present study examined the possible moderating influence of FA severity on momentary mechanisms underlying binge-eating symptomatology using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Adults (N=49, mean age=34.9±12.1, cis-gender female=77.1%) who met criteria for FA and/or binge-eating disorder completed baseline measures including the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) followed by a 10-day EMA protocol. Generalised linear mixed models assessed main effects of YFAS, momentary antecedents (affect, impulsivity, food cue exposure, appetite, and eating expectancies) and two-way interactions between YFAS and within-person antecedents. FA severity moderated momentary associations between food cue exposure and subsequent binge-eating symptoms: the association was stronger among participants with lower but not higher YFAS scores. No other interactions were significant. Some functional associations underlying binge-eating symptoms vary based on individuals' level of FA symptoms. Future research to further understand how observed associations may differ amongst diverse populations and over course of illness may also inform future prevention and interventions.

Virtual reality assessment of a high-calorie food bias: Replication and food-specificity in healthy participants

BackgroundTheoretical models and behavioural studies indicate faster approach behaviour for high-calorie food (approach bias) among healthy participants. A previous study with Virtual Reality (VR) and online motion-capture quantified this approach bias towards food and non-food cues in a controlled VR environment with hand movements. The aim of this study was to test the specificity of a manual approach bias for high-calorie food in grasp movements compared to low-calorie food and neutral objects of different complexity, namely, simple balls and geometrically more complex office tools. MethodsIn a VR setting, healthy participants (N = 27) repeatedly grasped or pushed high-calorie food, low-calorie food, balls and office tools in randomized order with 30 item repetitions. All objects were rated for valence and arousal. ResultsHigh-calorie food was less attractive and more arousing in subjective ratings than low-calorie food and neutral objects. Movement onset was faster for high-calorie food in push-trials, but overall push responses were comparable. In contrast, responses to high-calorie food relative to low-calorie food and to control objects were faster in grasp trials for later stages of interaction (grasp and collect). Non-parametric tests confirmed an approach bias for high-calorie food. ConclusionA behavioural bias for food was specific to high-calorie food objects. The results confirm the presence of bottom-up advantages in motor-cognitive behaviour for high-calorie food in a non-clinical population. More systematic variations of object fidelity and in clinical populations are outstanding. The utility of VR in assessing approach behaviour is confirmed in this study by exploring manual interactions in a controlled environment.

Food Cue Reactivity Meets the Reinforcer Pathology Model: Behavioral Economic Measures of Cue-Induced Changes in Food Reinforcer Efficacy

Food cue reactivity, or behavioral sensitivity to conditioned food cues, is an eating pattern observed in those with obesity and binge-eating disorder. The reinforcer pathology model, which characterizes overconsumption of a reinforcer such as food may be relevant to food cue reactivity, especially in those with obesity and binge-eating disorder. The reinforcer pathology model posits that steep delay discounting (DD) and demand elasticity are processes involved in the overconsumption of food. Two of our recent studies examine the extent to which reactivity to conditioned food cues may be involved in food reinforcer pathologies. First, food cues were conditioned with Oreo cookies with binge-eating prone (BEP) and binge-eating resistant (BER) rats. Delay discounting was compared before and after conditioning. Food cues induced steeper DD for rats, though BEP rats showed some evidence for greater sensitivity to this effect than BER rats, albeit this difference was not significant. Second, healthy-weight humans and humans with overweight/obese BMI underwent conditioning of visual cues paired with M&M candies. After acquisition, cues induced greater demand intensity and inelasticity for food compared to baseline. Participants with overweight/obese BMI, compared to controls, also showed some evidence for greater sensitivity to this change ininelasticity compared to healthy-weight participants, but this difference was also not significant. Food cues, then, may induce changes in DD and economic demand, supporting the relevance of reinforcer pathologies.

Density-mediated foraging behavioral responses of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica are cosmopolitan, destructive postharvest pests. Although research has investigated how high densities of T. castaneum affect attraction to the aggregation pheromone by conspecifics, research into the behavioral response of both species to food cues after high density exposure has been lacking despite its importance to foraging ecology. Our goal was to manipulate and observe the effects of crowding on the behavioral response of both species to common food and pheromonal stimuli and to determine how the headspace emission patterns from grain differed under increasing densities. Densities of colonies for both species was altered (10–500 adults) on a fixed quantity of food (10 g of flour or whole wheat), then the behavioral response to common food and pheromonal cues was evaluated in a wind tunnel and release-recapture experiment, while volatiles were examined through gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Importantly, at least for T. castaneum, crowded conditions attenuate attraction to food-based stimuli, but not pheromonal stimuli. Crowding seemed to have no effect on R. dominica attraction to food and pheromonal stimuli in the wind tunnel, but exposure to high density cues did elicit 2.1–3.8-fold higher captures in traps. The relative composition and abundance of headspace volatiles emitted varied significantly with different densities of beetles and was also species-specific. Overall, our results have implications for expanding our understanding of the foraging ecology of two economically important pests.

Flight capacity and behavior of Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in response to kairomonal and pheromonal stimuli.

Flight behavior is an important component to understand in the context of pest management. However, because of their small size, little is known about the flight capacity of most stored-product insects, and when a flight has been assessed, it usually consists of a propensity for initiating flight. Despite a priori expectations of the importance of flight for moths, there are no data about the flight capacity and little on the flight behavior of the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). As a result, the objective of the current study was to (i) characterize the baseline flight capacity of E. kuehniella and (ii) determine how flight capacity is affected by the presence of kairomonal, pheromonal, or no stimuli. We found adult E. kuehniella flew a mean of 24-34 km in a 24-h period, and the distance flown per bout increased from 91 to 207 m in the presence of pheromones but decreased to 41 m when food was nearby compared to a negative control. The total number of flight bouts was 1.6-fold higher in the presence of pheromone compared to the negative control, but E. kuehniella flew significantly slower with pheromone and food cues present, suggesting they may be exhibiting an optimal foraging strategy. Our data on flight capacity results in qualitatively and quantitatively different conclusions about flight than those conclusions formed if only flight initiation is considered. Overall, this novel information is useful for understanding the spread within facilities and in the landscape (between facilities), as well as parameterizing ecological modeling.

Chemosensory behaviour of juvenile crown-of-thorns sea star (Acanthaster sp.), attraction to algal and coral food and avoidance of adult conspecifics.

Intraspecific and habitat-mediated responses to chemical cues play key roles in structuring populations of marine species. We investigated the behaviour of herbivorous-stage juvenile crown-of-thorns sea stars (COTS; Acanthaster sp.) in flow-through choice chambers to determine if chemical cues from their habitat influence movement and their transition to become coral predators. Juveniles at the diet transition stage were exposed to cues from their nursery habitat (coral rubble-crustose coralline algae (CCA)), live coral and adult COTS to determine if waterborne cues influence movement. In response to CCA and coral as sole cues, juveniles moved towards the cue source and when these cues were presented in combination, they exhibited a preference for coral. Juveniles moved away from adult COTS cues. Exposure to food cues (coral, CCA) in the presence of adult cues resulted in variable responses. Our results suggest a feedback mechanism whereby juvenile behaviour is mediated by adult chemical cues. Cues from the adult population may deter juveniles from the switch to corallivory. As outbreaks wane, juveniles released from competition may serve as a proximate source of outbreaks, supporting the juveniles-in-waiting hypothesis. The accumulation of juveniles within the reef infrastructure is an underappreciated potential source of COTS outbreaks that devastate coral reefs.

A brief bout of moderate intensity physical activity improves preadolescent children's behavioral inhibition but does not change their energy intake.

Children in rural communities consume more energy-dense foods relative to their urban peers. Identifying effective interventions for improving energy intake patterns are needed to address these geographic disparities. The primary aim of this study was to harness the benefits of physical activity on children's executive functioning to see if these improvements lead to acute changes in eating behaviors. In a randomized crossover design, 91 preadolescent (8-10y; M age = 9.48 ± 0.85; 50.5% female; 85.7% White, 9.9% Multiracial, 9.9% Hispanic) children (86% rural) completed a 20-minute physical activity condition (moderate intensity walking) and time-matched sedentary condition (reading and/or coloring) ~ 14 days apart. Immediately following each condition, participants completed a behavioral inhibition task and then eating behaviors (total energy intake, relative energy intake, snack intake) were measured during a multi-array buffet test meal. After adjusting for period and order effects, body fat (measured via DXA), and depressive symptoms, participants experienced significant small improvements in their behavioral inhibition following the physical activity versus sedentary condition (p = 0.04, Hedge's g = 0.198). Eating behaviors did not vary by condition, nor did improvements in behavioral inhibition function as a mediator (ps > 0.09). Thus, in preadolescent children, small improvements in behavioral inhibition from physical activity do not produce acute improvements in energy intake. Additional research is needed to clarify whether the duration and/or intensity of physical activity sessions would produce different results in this age group, and whether intervention approaches and corresponding mechanisms of change vary by individual factors, like age and degree of food cue responsivity.

Examining parents’ experiences and challenges of feeding preschool children with avid eating behaviour

Avid eating behaviours, including greater responsiveness to food cues and emotional over-eating, have been linked to child overweight and obesity. Parental feeding practices are modifiable components of a child's food environment and may be key levers for behaviour change in tailored interventions to support parents of children with avid eating behaviour. However, there is a lack of research examining parents' experiences in this context. This study aimed to explore parents' experiences of feeding children with avid eating behaviour and to understand any challenges experienced in this context. Semi-structured interviews with parents (N = 15) of a preschool child (3–5 years) identified as having an avid eating behaviour profile explored how children's avid eating manifests, the parental feeding practices used to manage avid eating, and the perceived effectiveness of these strategies. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four core themes were generated. Theme one, ‘Have they got worms? Children's insatiable hunger’, captures parents' interpretation of the complex ways in which avid eating behaviour manifests. Theme two, ‘Parenthood as a duty’, illustrates how parents' perceived responsibilities shape their feeding practices. Theme three, ‘Lifelong habits’, captures parents' use of responsive feeding practices to support children's healthy relationship with food. Theme four, ‘Picking battles’, captures the structure- and coercive-based feeding strategies commonly used to manage children's avid eating. This novel study provides an in-depth understanding of the complex ways that children's avid eating behaviour manifests, and the strategic and creative parental feeding practices used to manage these behaviours. Such findings are valuable for informing the development of future support resources for parents/caregivers to help their children with avid eating behaviours to develop a healthy relationship with food.

Ten Seconds Can Last Longer: Prevalence, Impact, and User Perceptions of Food Cues on Snapchat

Obesity is a global health crisis projected to affect one billion people worldwide by 2030. Previous research has emphasized the role of food cues in print media and television as contributing factors to the obesity epidemic. However, the influence of food cues shared by general users on social media platforms, particularly Snapchat, remains largely unexplored. To this end, this paper presents a comprehensive, large-scale study employing a multi-method approach to assess, measure, and mitigate the influence of food cues shared on Snapchat in three different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds: Saudi Arabia, the United States, and France. Our analysis of over 350K collected snaps reveals that food cues are prevalent among Snapchat users, with food content comprising approximately 20% of all collected snaps. Subsequently, we assessed the impact of exposure to Snapchat food content on appetite and examined whether it might inadvertently exacerbate cravings. Our experimental study, involving 37 participants, yields a significant finding: exposure to food snaps leads to a substantial increase in caloric intake. In light of these findings and as an effort to mitigate this impact, this paper sheds light on Snapchat users' perceptions of a proposed intervention design idea, which would allow them to customize their feed and hide food content to potentially reduce their exposure to it. According to our survey of 813 Snapchat users, the majority (57%) indicated they would be willing to hide food-related content from their feeds. In particular, being male and having a high body mass index (BMI) were both associated with a higher willingness to block food content from their Snapchat feed. While food snaps are intended to disappear after 24 hours, our results suggest that their impact can have a long-lasting effect on health and wellness.

Effects of message frames and visual cues on cell-cultured meat communication: sensation seeking as a moderator

Cell-cultured meat presents environmental and ethical advantages; however, negative public acceptance remains a significant hurdle. To generate more effective public engagement on this topic, we conducted two online experiments exploring the impact of message framing and food cues (Experiment 1) and the moderating role of an individual's personality trait, sensation seeking, (Experiment 2) on the perception of cultured meat news shared via social media. Our findings revealed that messages employing individual benefit-framing, as opposed to societal benefit-framing, resulted in more positive perceptions of cultured meat. Incorporating direct food cues in the communication led to reduced risk perception, a more favorable attitude, and increased intention to purchase cultured meat. Furthermore, sensation seeking was shown to be a significant moderator for the effects of the message features. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.

Social Isolation, Brain Food Cue Processing, Eating Behaviors, and Mental Health Symptoms

Perceived social isolation is associated with negative health outcomes, including increased risk for altered eating behaviors, obesity, and psychological symptoms. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of these pathways are unknown. To investigate the association of perceived social isolation with brain reactivity to food cues, altered eating behaviors, obesity, and mental health symptoms. This cross-sectional, single-center study recruited healthy, premenopausal female participants from the Los Angeles, California, community from September 7, 2021, through February 27, 2023. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a food cue viewing task. The main outcomes included brain reactivity to food cues, body composition, self-reported eating behaviors (food cravings, reward-based eating, food addiction, and maladaptive eating behaviors), and mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression, positive and negative affect, and psychological resilience). The study included 93 participants (mean [SD] age, 25.38 [7.07] years). Participants with higher perceived social isolation reported higher fat mass percentage, lower diet quality, increased maladaptive eating behaviors (cravings, reward-based eating, uncontrolled eating, and food addiction), and poor mental health (anxiety, depression, and psychological resilience). In whole-brain comparisons, the higher social isolation group showed altered brain reactivity to food cues in regions of the default mode, executive control, and visual attention networks. Isolation-related neural changes in response to sweet foods correlated with various altered eating behaviors and psychological symptoms. These altered brain responses mediated the connection between social isolation and maladaptive eating behaviors (β for indirect effect, 0.111; 95% CI, 0.013-0.210; P = .03), increased body fat composition (β, -0.141; 95% CI, -0.260 to -0.021; P = .02), and diminished positive affect (β, -0.089; 95% CI, -0.188 to 0.011; P = .09). These findings suggest that social isolation is associated with altered neural reactivity to food cues within specific brain regions responsible for processing internal appetite-related states and compromised executive control and attentional bias and motivation toward external food cues. These neural responses toward specific foods were associated with an increased risk for higher body fat composition, worsened maladaptive eating behaviors, and compromised mental health. These findings underscore the need for holistic mind-body-directed interventions that may mitigate the adverse health consequences of social isolation.

Influencing Factors to Overeating in Restrained Eaters: An Analysis Based on Specific Occupation

Driven by the mainstream aesthetic in society, many people have begun to restrict their diet in pursuit of a better shape. Especially for specific occupations, such as dancers and figure skaters, the requirement of their careers has led to long-term restrained eating to keep a low BMI. However, a large proportion of people fail to restrict their diet or even develop eating disorders such as overeating at the end.Given the necessary restrained eating needs of specific occupation, the reasons why they may still break the dietary boundaries deserve to be investigated.Based on the definitions of restricted eating and overeating, this study summarizes previous research on overeating in restrained eaters, including psychological factors, attentional bias for food cues, lack of inhibitory control, and self-regulatory resource depletion. Then this study consider the particularity of specific occupations, including the influence of peer evaluation and repeated body surveillance, trying to conduct detailed analysis and reasonable inferences on specific influencing factors.Finally, based on the discussion, the study provides possible suggestions for the intervention of overeating and also directions for future empirical research.

How names and shapes correspond to the nature of products: an evaluation of auspicious foods

PurposeRestaurant operators often use auspicious connotations embedded in the names and shapes of dishes to increase consumers’ purchase intentions. However, the interaction effect of multiple auspicious cues (i.e. food name and shape) on purchase intentions has rarely been examined in the restaurant context. Thus, grounded in processing fluency theory, this study investigates the direct influence of the two-way interaction effect of food name (auspicious vs nonauspicious) and shape (auspicious vs. nonauspicious) on purchase intentions and its indirect influence via perceived auspiciousness and positive emotions.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing a 2 (food name: auspicious name vs. nonauspicious name) × 2 (food shape: auspicious shape vs. nonauspicious shape) between-subjects design, the authors conducted two experimental studies with 356 Chinese customers. In Study 1, which focused on a main dish, we investigated the two-way interaction effect food name × food shape on purchase intentions. In Study 2, we replicated this experimental study by focusing on a different food type (i.e. dessert) to test the direct and indirect influences of the two-way interaction of food name × food shape on purchase intentions through perceived auspiciousness and positive emotions.FindingsThe results reveal that the congruity condition of auspicious names and shapes significantly influences consumers’ purchase intentions. Congruity with auspicious food cues also indirectly affects purchase intentions through consumers’ perceived auspiciousness and positive emotions. These effects were consistently observed in two experimental studies analyzing different dish types (main dish and dessert).Practical implicationsRestaurateurs should consider utilizing auspicious food cues to attract customers. Specifically, they should combine both food name and shape to increase their perceived auspiciousness and sales.Originality/valueThis study tested processing fluency theory using auspicious food cues. This study contributes to the hospitality literature by improving our understanding of the congruence effect by exemplifying the conceptual alignment between food name and food shape.