Longitudinal prospective association between hedonic hunger and unhealthy food and drink intake in adolescents.

This 2020 study explored hedonic hunger (extreme responsiveness to food) as a prospective predictor of unhealthy food and drink consumption over time. A total of 3268 ninth grade high school students in the Los Angeles area were given surveys to complete across 4 annual waves: they were assessed on hedonic hunger at wave 1 and examined on unhealthy food and drink intake at waves 1-4. Hedonic hunger was the main effector in its relationship with unhealthy food and drink intake. On hedonic hunger’s association with unhealthy food and drink intake, the link was the strongest at wave 1 and then weakened over time. Across the four years, higher hedonic hunger reported greater intake of unhealthy foods and beverages. These findings identify the need for more interventions and prevention to address hedonic hunger during childhood and adolescence. [NPID: craving, hedonic hunger, high school, childhood, adolescence]

Year: 2020

Reference: Mason, T. B., Smith, K. E., Lavender, J. M., & Leventhal, A. M. (2020). Longitudinal Prospective Association between Hedonic Hunger and Unhealthy Food and Drink Intake in Adolescents. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(24), 9375. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249375