Associations between hedonic hunger and BMI during a two-year behavioural weight loss trial

In this 2021 study, participants were randomized to a 12-week or 52-week behavioral weight management intervention or a brief self-help intervention. The objective was to determine if hedonic hunger decreases during this behavioral weight management program. Another target was to find out if hedonic hunger predicts BMI. The participants were UK-based adults, mostly with obesity (82.5%). The results revealed that hedonic hunger decreased at the 3-month point of the intervention, and this reduction remained at 24 months. Higher hedonic hunger scores at 3 months predicted higher BMI at 12 months but not at 24 months. After 12 months, the participants taking part in the 52-week behavioral weight management intervention had lower BMI than those participating in the 12-week program as well as those in the brief self-help intervention program. Hedonic hunger dropped during the weight management program irrespective of which intervention. The early reductions in hedonic hunger appeared to be related to lower BMI in the medium term. [NPID: hedonic hunger, BMI, weight management, behavior, UK]

Year: 2021

Reference: Mead, B. R., Boyland, E. J., Christiansen, P., Halford, J., Jebb, S. A., & Ahern, A. L. (2021). Associations between hedonic hunger and BMI during a two-year behavioural weight loss trial. PloS one, 16(6), e0252110. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252110