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Food craving predicts the consumption of highly palatable food but not bland food
As obese people have been characterized by their lower executive functions and enhanced food cravings,
Massicote et al. (2019) set out to determine if executive functions were linked to food cravings in the context of obesity. Another objective of this study was to find factors that predict highly palatable food intake and bland food consumption. Executive function was tested using a delayed discounting task (assesses impulsivity towards food and money) as well as the color-word interference test (CWIT; inhibition/flexibility). The participants were also shown images in addition to real food, before gaining access to unrestricted amounts of both highly palatable and bland foods. The researchers had hypothesized that executive functions would be negatively associated with food craving. The inhibition/flexibility condition of the color-word interference test (CWIT) did inversely correlate with food craving. Moreover, highly palatable food consumption was significantly predicted by food craving following induction, although bland food intake was not. This study has revealed a relationship between lower inhibition/flexibility and greater vulnerability to experience food cravings, which may have huge implications in managing obesity. The findings also supported the link between food craving and consumption, particularly connecting food craving with highly palatable foods but not bland foods. These conclusions could lead to interventions aimed at reducing food cravings being developed in the future to help people lose weight. [NPID: behavior, craving, executive function, obesity, impulsivity, inhibition, flexibility]
Year: 2019
