Tag: Emotional eating

Do Different Brain Neurons Control Eating for Need vs. Pleasure?

Posted on by CNP Staff
  • A study on mice published in Nature Metabolism examined how a group of GABAergic proenkephalin neurons in the diagonal band of Broca region of the brain responds to food presentation.
  • A subset of neurons linking to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus promoted eating when the mouse was hungry.
  • Another subset of neurons linking to the lateral hypothalamus inhibited eating behaviors when the mouse detected high-calorie food

Why We Eat When We Are Not Hungry

We have all probably experienced a situation where we wanted to eat something, although we knew we had recently eaten and were not hungry. This can happen when we see, smell, or taste something delicious, but also when we find ourselves in an environment where we usually eat or that we have learned to associate with eating, when we are in a social situation when eating is expected, when we feel sad or distressed, and in many other situations.

Two Types of Hunger: Homeostatic vs. Hedonic

Scientists believe there are at least two different processes responsible for hunger and the desire to eat food (Hedrih, 2023). One of these processes is homeostatic hunger, which serves the purpose of acquiring the nutrients our body needs to survive. Lack of specific nutrients triggers specific signals, leading to the experience of hunger that motivates the organism to seek and eat foods containing those nutrients.

The other process is hedonic eating. It arises primarily from the fact that our brain rewards us with pleasant experiences when we eat certain foods. For example, studies (primarily on rodents) have shown that neural pathways linking the digestive system to reward-processing areas in the brain (Hedrih, 2024a; McDougle et al., 2024) react to the presence of fat and sugar, producing pleasant experiences.

Moreover, people seem to learn to expect a certain degree of pleasure from the food they eat. If a meal they consume does not produce satiety, they will be more likely to overeat or eat more of another, more enjoyable food later (Hedrih, 2024c; Murphy et al., 2024).

How Hunger Cues and Emotional Eating Are Learned

However, the expectation of pleasant experiences from delicious food does not seem to be the only thing that triggers eating behaviors. Some researchers argue that humans learn to interpret specific signals from their body as hunger in childhood, primarily through interactions with their caregivers (Changizi et al., 2002; Hedrih, 2023).

For example, one recent study found substantial associations between the hunger experiences of young adults (Australian students participating in the study) and their caregivers (Hedrih, 2023; Stevenson et al., 2023). Another study found a substantial overlap between the broad eating patterns of children and their caregivers (Pickard et al., 2024). The results of that study showed that parents who were fussy eaters were more likely to have children who were also fussy eaters. Similarly, parents prone to emotional overeating tended to have children with similar eating behaviors.

In addition, humans can learn to anticipate eating at certain places and times so well that their bodies begin adjusting specific biochemical parameters, such as blood sugar levels, in anticipation of a meal (Isherwood et al., 2023). Many humans also learn to use food to regulate unpleasant emotions through emotional eating (Ha & Lim, 2023; Hedrih, 2024b; Ljubičić et al., 2023).

Brain Circuits Regulating Hunger and Pleasure

Study author Hailan Liu and her colleagues wanted to examine the role of a specific group of neurons called GABAergic proenkephalin (or Penk) neurons located in the diagonal band of Broca (DBB) region of the basal forebrain of male mice in regulating homeostatic and hedonic feeding (i.e., feeding to obtain the needed nutrients and feeding motivated by the expectation of rewarding experiences) (Liu et al., 2024).

The Penk neurons are neural cells that release the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the neuropeptides enkephalins. GABA is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning that it reduces the activity of neurons on which it acts. Penk neurons produce the protein proenkephalin. While still in the Penk neuron, this protein is divided into smaller protein-like signaling molecules called enkephalins. Enkephalins are released from the Penk neurons and modulate the activity of other neurons (see Figure 1).

 

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Figure 1. GABAergic proenkephalin (Penk) neurons

 

Study authors conducted a series of experiments on mice using various techniques, including optogenetics. Optogenetics is a group of techniques that genetically modify targeted neural cells, enabling them to respond to specific types of light. In this study, researchers applied optogenetics to their studied DBB Penk neurons. This allowed them to switch specific groups of those neurons on and off at will. They also used advanced imaging techniques to track the activity of these neurons in real-time. The study authors monitored the activity of these neurons when mice were exposed to different types of food and under various conditions.

Separate groups of DBB Penk neurons regulate homeostatic and hedonic feeding

Results showed that the studied Penk neurons could be divided into two groups. One group of these neurons projected to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus region in the brain. This region is involved in hunger regulation. When this group of neurons was activated, mice were more likely to eat regular mouse food. This was especially the case when they were hungry. Study authors concluded that the activity of these neurons promoted feeding driven by homeostatic hunger.

The other group of neurons projected to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) region of the brain. This region is involved in hedonic eating, which refers to eating for pleasure. When this group of Penk neurons was activated, mice decreased consumption of high-fat, high-sugar foods (high-calorie), even when these foods were freely available. Normally, mice (like humans) find food rich in both fats and sugar very appealing. This means that the group of DBB Penk neurons projecting to the lateral hypothalamus suppresses eating for pleasure (see Figure 2).

 

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Figure 2. Penk neurons and their effects on eating behavior

 

Disabling DBB Penk neurons creates a preference for high-calorie food

Further experimenting revealed that the first group of neurons is very active when a mouse is presented with food after it has not eaten for some time. On the other hand, the Penk neurons linked to the lateral hypothalamus become active when a mouse is presented with high-calorie food, thereby inhibiting the drive to eat it. When all of these neurons were completely disabled, and mice had a choice between regular and high-calorie food (food rich in both fats and sugar), they consumed more of the high-calorie food, gained weight, and developed obesity (see Figure 3).

 

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Figure 3. Penk Neurons Control Homeostatic and Hedonic Eating

 

Conclusion

Overall, the study identified two groups of GABAergic proenkephalin neurons located in the diagonal band of Broca region. One group projects to the area of the hypothalamus involved in hunger regulation, and their activity promotes eating when the mouse has not eaten for some time. The other group projects to the hypothalamus area involved in hedonic eating, and its activity inhibits this type of eating. Disabling these neurons makes mice prefer high-calorie food and gain weight.

This study contributes to the scientific understanding of neural mechanisms regulating food intake. These and similar findings may enable the development of more effective and targeted treatments for obesity in humans in the future.

The paper “Distinct basal forebrain-originated neural circuits promote homoeostatic feeding and suppress hedonic feeding in male mice” was authored by Hailan Liu, Jonathan C. Bean, Yongxiang Li, Meng Yu, Olivia Z. Ginnard, Kristine M. Conde, Mengjie Wang, Xing Fang, Hesong Liu, Longlong Tu, Na Yin, Junying Han, Yongjie Yang, Qingchun Tong, Benjamin R. Arenkiel, Chunmei Wang, Yang He, and Yong Xu.

 

References

Changizi, M. A., McGehee, R. M. F., & Hall, W. G. (2002). Evidence that appetitive responses for dehydration and food-deprivation are learned. Physiology and Behavior, 75(3), 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9384(01)00660-6

Ha, O.-R., & Lim, S.-L. (2023). The role of emotion in eating behavior and decisions. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1265074

Hedrih, V. (2023). Are Hunger Cues Learned in Childhood? CNP Articles in Nutritional Psychology. https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/are-hunger-cues-learned-in-childhood/

Hedrih, V. (2024a, February 19). Consuming Fat and Sugar (At The Same Time) Promotes Overeating, Study Finds. CNP Articles in Nutritional Psychology. https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/16563-2/

Hedrih, V. (2024b, May 6). Lonely Women Tend To Show More Maladaptive Eating Behaviors, Study Finds. CNP Articles in Nutritional Psychology. https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/lonely-women-tend-to-show-more-maladaptive-eating-behaviors-study-finds/

Hedrih, V. (2024c, July 9). When Our Eating Experience Falls Short, Do We Eat More to Compensate? CNP Articles in Nutritional Psychology. https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/when-our-eating-experience-falls-short-of-expectations-will-we-eat-more-to-compensate/

Isherwood, C. M., van der Veen, D. R., Hassanin, H., Skene, D. J., & Johnston, J. D. (2023). Human glucose rhythms and subjective hunger anticipate meal timing. Current Biology, 33(7), 1321-1326.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.005

Liu, H., Bean, J. C., Li, Y., Yu, M., Ginnard, O. Z., Conde, K. M., Wang, M., Fang, X., Liu, H., Tu, L., Yin, N., Han, J., Yang, Y., Tong, Q., Arenkiel, B. R., Wang, C., He, Y., & Xu, Y. (2024). Distinct basal forebrain-originated neural circuits promote homoeostatic feeding and suppress hedonic feeding in male mice. Nature Metabolism, 6(9), 1775–1790. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01099-4

Ljubičić, M., Matek Sarić, M., Klarin, I., Rumbak, I., Colić Barić, I., Ranilović, J., Dželalija, B., Sarić, A., Nakić, D., Djekic, I., Korzeniowska, M., Bartkiene, E., Papageorgiou, M., Tarcea, M., Černelič-Bizjak, M., Klava, D., Szűcs, V., Vittadini, E., Bolhuis, D., & Guiné, R. P. F. (2023). Emotions and Food Consumption: Emotional Eating Behavior in a European Population. Foods, 12(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040872

McDougle, M., de Araujo, A., Singh, A., Yang, M., Braga, I., Paille, V., Mendez-Hernandez, R., Vergara, M., Woodie, L. N., Gour, A., Sharma, A., Urs, N., Warren, B., & de Lartigue, G. (2024). Separate gut-brain circuits for fat and sugar reinforcement combine to promote overeating. Cell Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.014

Murphy, S. L., Van Meer, F., Van Dillen, L., Van Steenbergen, H., & Hofmann, W. (2024). Underwhelming pleasures: Toward a self-regulatory account of hedonic compensation and overconsumption. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000389

Pickard, A., Farrow, C., Haycraft, E., Herle, M., Edwards, K., Llewellyn, C., Croker, H., & Blissett, J. (2024). Associations between parent and child latent eating profiles and the role of parental feeding practices. Appetite, 201, 107589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107589

Stevenson, R. J., Bartlett, J., Wright, M., Hughes, A., Hill, B. J., Saluja, S., & Francis, H. M. (2023). The development of interoceptive hunger signals. Developmental Psychobiology, 65(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22374

 

 

 

 

 

Can Positive Emotions Boost Healthy Eating?

Posted on by CNP Staff
  • Participants of a qualitative study of individuals with metabolic syndrome published in Health Psychology Open indicated that eating healthfully increases their positive emotions and psychological experiences.
  • It also prevents negative emotions, they reported.
  • These individuals also believed that positive feelings lead to eating healthfully, creating an upward positive spiral between positive feelings and healthy eating.

In recent years, the number of people with obesity has increased worldwide. This led many authors to speak about an obesity epidemic (e.g., Wong et al., 2022). While people differ in their weight and how much fat their body has, there seems to be a specific point after which the risk of various diseases increases exponentially with further fat accumulation. Represented by body mass index (BMI), the ratio of weight in kilograms, and the square of height in meters, this cutoff point is the BMI value of 30. The World Health Organization declared this BMI the cutoff point for diagnosing obesity (Wilding, 2001). Obesity, paired with several other medical conditions that often co-occur with it, creates what is known as metabolic syndrome.

Obesity, paired with several other medical conditions that often co-occur with it, creates what is known as metabolic syndrome.

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that includes obesity, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels—that together increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes (Carrillo et al., 2022). This syndrome currently affects around 35% of U.S. adults (Hirode & Wong, 2020).

Healthy behaviors, such as following a healthy diet or maintaining a healthy weight, are critical for preventing the progression of chronic diseases. However, most people with metabolic syndrome struggle to follow and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Dietary recommendations for people with metabolic syndrome emphasize the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins while avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and processed and fried foods. In contrast, only 1.7% of people with chronic conditions that could be affected by diet consume high-quality diets, and the share of people without these conditions following such diets is even lower – 1.1% (Chen et al., 2011) (see Figure 1).

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Figure 1. Metabolic Syndrome & Dietary Challenges

What makes people follow healthy diets?

Whether a person will eat a healthy diet depends on many factors. For some people, such diets might not be easily available or beyond what they can afford. For others, following a healthy diet would require a drastic lifestyle change and daily routine. In many cases, cultural factors such as traditional cuisine, eating habits, and even gender norms differ from the requirements of a healthy diet. In the context of socializing and celebrations, people also tend to eat more (Carrillo et al., 2022) and even engage in binge eating, i.e., eating large amounts of food in a short period of time.

In the context of socializing and celebrations, people tend to eat more.

In addition to these wider factors, an individual’s current mood also plays a role. Scientists have identified a type of behavior called emotional eating, which occurs when people eat not because their bodies need nutrients but to cope with negative emotions and stress (Dakanalis et al., 2023; Ljubičić et al., 2023). People tend to prefer highly palatable but unhealthy foods when practicing emotional eating.

Emotional eating occurs when people eat not because their bodies need nutrients but to cope with negative emotions and stress. 

The current study

Study author Alba Carrillo and her colleagues wanted to expand scientific knowledge about how positive moods and feelings are associated with a healthy diet in adults with metabolic syndrome (Carrillo et al., 2022). They conducted a qualitative study with the expectation that study participants would share their views about links between a healthy diet and positive psychological experiences and be able to talk about emotion-based motivation for healthy eating.

Study participants were primary care patients from academic medical center outpatient clinics who were willing to be contacted about research studies. They were required to be English-speaking adults with at least three metabolic syndrome risk factors and not meet the U.S. physical activity recommendations of moderate to vigorous activity for at least 150 minutes per week.

Ultimately, searching for participants resulted in 21 individuals completing the study interviews. They were mostly older adults with a mean age of 63 years. 62% were female, and all of them were obese.

The principal investigator of the study conducted semi-structured interviews in which study participants reported on their perceptions of health behaviors and diet, various positive psychological constructs (e.g., feelings of gratitude, optimism, etc.), and healthy eating (e.g., “Does healthy eating lead to an increase in PP constructs?”, “Do PP constructs lead to following a healthier diet?”). All interviews were conducted via phone between June and November 2017.

Eating a healthy diet leads to positive psychological experiences

Four main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) eating a healthy diet leads to more positive psychological experiences, (2) positive psychological experiences lead to eating more healthfully, (3) eating a healthy diet prevents negative emotions, (4) healthy behaviors (weight management and exercise) that participants associate with diet can help participants follow a healthy diet  (see Figure 2).

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Figure 2. Main themes of healthy diet and psychological experience

This indicated that participants believed there was an upward healthy spiral of behaviors where following a healthy diet led to more positive psychological experiences and emotions. These positive experiences, in turn, helped participants follow a healthy diet. When discussing healthy eating, participants noted that they experience what study authors referred to as behavioral bundling. Their lifestyle improvements happened together to allow them to continue to eat in a way that can improve their health.

‘Behavioral bundling’ is when participants’ lifestyle improvements happen together to allow them to continue to eat in a way that could improve their health

Exercising improved participants’ mood, leading to a healthier diet

Some participants noted that the relationship between diet and emotions was mediated or co-occurred with exercise. They reported feeling more positive as a consequence of doing exercises. This, in turn, led them to follow a healthier diet.

“I need to eat better to lose weight’. […] I tend to eat better when I do some form of exercise regularly. I even crave different kinds of food. So, I will crave salads more. I’ll look for a piece of fish and not a piece of steak just from doing the exercise,” one participant said.

Conclusion

Overall, participants in this qualitative study clearly stated that positive emotions and psychological experiences motivated them to follow healthy eating patterns, which in turn made them feel more positive.

This indicates that helping people at high risk of developing chronic diseases recognize and cultivate positive emotions may help them improve their adherence to a healthy diet.

The paper “The role of positive psychological constructs in diet and eating behavior among people with metabolic syndrome: A qualitative study” was authored by Alba Carrillo, Emily H Feig, Lauren E Harnedy, Jeff C Huffman, Elyse R Park, Anne N Thorndike, Sonia Kim, and Rachel A Millstein.

References

Carrillo, A., Feig, E. H., Harnedy, L. E., Huffman, J. C., Park, E. R., Thorndike, A. N., Kim, S., & Millstein, R. A. (2022). The role of positive psychological constructs in diet and eating behavior among people with metabolic syndrome: A qualitative study. Health Psychology Open, 9(1), 20551029211055264. https://doi.org/10.1177/20551029211055264

Chen, X., Cheskin, L. J., Shi, L., & Wang, Y. (2011). Americans with Diet-Related Chronic Diseases Report Higher Diet Quality Than Those without These Diseases12. The Journal of Nutrition, 141(8), 1543–1551. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.140038

Dakanalis, A., Mentzelou, M., Papadopoulou, S. K., Papandreou, D., Spanoudaki, M., Vasios, G. K., Pavlidou, E., Mantzorou, M., & Giaginis, C. (2023). The Association of Emotional Eating with Overweight/Obesity, Depression, Anxiety/Stress, and Dietary Patterns: A Review of the Current Clinical Evidence. Nutrients, 15(5), 1173. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051173

Hirode, G., & Wong, R. J. (2020). Trends in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in the United States, 2011-2016. JAMA, 323(24), 2526–2528. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.4501

Ljubičić, M., Matek Sarić, M., Klarin, I., Rumbak, I., Colić Barić, I., Ranilović, J., Dželalija, B., Sarić, A., Nakić, D., Djekic, I., Korzeniowska, M., Bartkiene, E., Papageorgiou, M., Tarcea, M., Černelič-Bizjak, M., Klava, D., Szűcs, V., Vittadini, E., Bolhuis, D., & Guiné, R. P. F. (2023). Emotions and Food Consumption: Emotional Eating Behavior in a European Population. Foods, 12(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040872

Wilding, J. P. H. (2001). Causes of obesity. Practical Diabetes International, 18(8), 288–292. https://doi.org/10.1002/PDI.277

Wong, M. C., Mccarthy, C., Fearnbach, N., Yang, S., Shepherd, J., & Heymsfield, S. B. (2022). Emergence of the obesity epidemic: 6-decade visualization with humanoid avatars. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 115(4), 1189–1193. https://doi.org/10.1093/AJCN/NQAC005

 

A Vicious Cycle Between Memory and Food Intake Regulation Likely Maintains Obesity

Posted on by CNP Staff
  • A paper published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews shows that humans have a bidirectional relationship between memory and eating
  • Memory of recent meals limits subsequent food intake, and this memory is impaired in obese individuals
  • Excessive food intake likely disrupts the functioning of the part of the hippocampus that plays a role in food-related memory, forming a vicious cycle that promotes further increased food intake

Many factors influence our decisions about when and what to eat. To a degree, these decisions depend on our subjective feelings of hunger and fullness. Still, they also depend on whether food is available and what kind, our eating habits, desires and plans, food cues, and many other things.

One often overlooked but also important factor is the memory of recent meals. In the most basic scenario, if we remember that we just had lunch, we will not have it again. However, these decisions are part of a complex behavioral pattern regulating our food intake behaviors.

How do we regulate food intake?


Scientists believe that our food intake behaviors are primarily regulated by the activities of neurons located in the hypothalamus region of the brain. For example, studies on rodents identified a set of neurons called agouti-related protein neurons that, when artificially triggered, make a rodent start eating (Hedrih, 2024; Sternson & Atasoy, 2014). These neurons are part of a complex system that involves hormones like leptin and ghrelin and various neural pathways that react to the presence or absence of nutrients in our body.

Our food intake decisions do not depend solely on the presence or absence of specific nutrients. Most individuals living in organized societies with sufficient food availability have established habits of having meals at specific times of day. Studies indicate that our bodies anticipate those times and prepare for food intake, e.g., by modifying glucose levels in the blood (Isherwood et al., 2023). We also tend to feel hungry when our usual meal time arrives (see Figure 1). For example, food anticipation can trigger a preparatory response in the body, leading to a mild increase in glucose levels as the brain signals the pancreas to release insulin. This response helps the body manage the expected influx of nutrients from the upcoming meal (Teff, 2011).

 

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Figure 1. Body changes in anticipation and preparation of food intake 

 

Often, we can develop a desire to eat if we see, smell, or taste delicious food. Sometimes, even thinking about food can make us want to eat it. In scientific terms – food cues can motivate us to eat (Hedrih, 2023). People also tend to eat when they feel bad. This is called emotional eating (Dakanalis et al., 2023; Ljubičić et al., 2023).

 

We can develop a desire to eat if we see, smell, or taste delicious food

 

Memory and food intake regulation


One of the factors important for regulating food intake is memory. Classic studies of patients with amnesia revealed that their memory dysfunction also affects appetite (Parent et al., 2022). In simple words, individuals who are unable to remember whether they had their regular meal or not might decide to have it again.

More recent studies indicate that impaired memory might play a role in the development of obesity and that specific diets known to lead to obesity also tend to produce memory impairments (Hayes et al., 2024; Hsu et al., 2015).

 

One of the most important factors for regulating food intake is memory

The current review


Marise B. Parent and her colleagues reviewed a series of studies on humans and rodents examining the links between memory and eating behaviors (Parent et al., 2022). They aimed to demonstrate a bidirectional relationship between memory functions and eating behaviors. Bidirectional, in this case, means that memory affects eating behaviors and that eating habits affect memory.

Disrupted memory and food intake


They start by reiterating the findings of classic case studies of patients with amnesia. For example, in the 1980s, a group of researchers conducted an experiment on a patient, H.M., who suffered from memory loss after undergoing brain surgery to treat epilepsy. This patient hardly ever mentioned being hungry or thirsty, even after not eating or drinking anything for quite some time. At one point, researchers offered him a meal 1 minute after he had just eaten and forgotten the previous meal. He readily accepted it and ate it. Twenty minutes after this, he could not remember having eaten anything.

However, this one patient might have been specific. His hunger ratings did not seem to depend on whether he had just eaten. In studies by these same researchers, 3 out of 4 patients with similar amnesia would report lower hunger levels after a meal. On the other hand, a different experiment a decade later reported about a patient with amnesia who would refuse an additional meal only after eating two 3-course meals one after another. Other researchers reported similar findings in later years, indicating that this link between memory of the previous meal and eating might be a somewhat general occurrence.

Studies in the 21st century tested the link between memory and food intake by diverting participants’ attention from the meal with a secondary activity while eating (e.g., playing games or watching TV) in the hope that this will prevent them from memorizing the food eaten. Results showed that after eating while being distracted, participants tended to take more snacks in a later test. On the other hand, studies that had participants focus on the food they eat showed that they take less food later (see Figure 2).

 

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Figure 2. Distracted eating vs. focused eating

 

Studies on rodents showed that a group of neurons in the brain’s hippocampus region (dorsal hippocampal glutamatergic neurons) likely mediates the ability of memories about previous meals to stop later intake. Their activity immediately after a meal seems to be critical for this.

Obesity is associated with impaired memory


The authors of this review note that many studies in both rodents and humans report specific aspects of cognition to be impaired in obese individuals. This is particularly the case with certain memory functions. This association is present even in young, otherwise healthy adults. The authors also cite research findings that link obesity with changes in areas of the brain known to play a role in memory processes. There is also a finding that obese individuals tend to have lower global brain volume.

Looking at possible mechanisms through which obesity might lead to changes in the brain and memory impairments, the authors of this review propose that these might be inflammation of the brain and insulin resistance.

Conclusion – the vicious cycle


Based on all the findings, the authors of this review propose that there is a vicious cycle between memory and obesity. Obesity likely leads to memory and other cognitive impairments by stimulating inflammatory processes in the brain and insulin resistance. On the other hand, impaired memory disrupts the food intake regulation mechanism, leading to increased food intake, maintaining or even exacerbating obesity (see Figure 3).

 

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Figure 3. Memory-obesity vicious cycle

 

Because of this, future research and obesity prevention programs need to be aware of this bidirectional relationship and devise ways to break the vicious cycle if they are to prevent or treat obesity successfully.

The paper “Memory and eating: A bidirectional relationship implicated in obesity” was authored by Marise B. Parent, Suzanne Higgs, Lucy G. Cheke, and Scott E. Kanoski.

 

References

Dakanalis, A., Mentzelou, M., Papadopoulou, S. K., Papandreou, D., Spanoudaki, M., Vasios, G. K., Pavlidou, E., Mantzorou, M., & Giaginis, C. (2023). The Association of Emotional Eating with Overweight/Obesity, Depression, Anxiety/Stress, and Dietary Patterns: A Review of the Current Clinical Evidence. Nutrients, 15(5), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051173

Hayes, A. M. R., Lauer, L. T., Kao, A. E., Sun, S., Klug, M. E., Tsan, L., Rea, J. J., Subramanian, K. S., Gu, C., Tanios, N., Ahuja, A., Donohue, K. N., Décarie-Spain, L., Fodor, A. A., & Kanoski, S. E. (2024). Western diet consumption impairs memory function via dysregulated hippocampus acetylcholine signaling. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 118, 408–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2024.03.015

Hedrih, V. (2023). Are Hunger Cues Learned in Childhood? CNP Articles. https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/are-hunger-cues-learned-in-childhood/

Hedrih, V. (2024, March 4). Researchers Identify Neural Pathways Transmitting Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Hunger. CNP Articles in Nutritional Psychology. https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/researchers-identify-neural-pathways-transmitting-anti-inflammatory-effects-of-hunger/

Hsu, T. M., Konanur, V. R., Taing, L., Usui, R., Kayser, B. D., Goran, M. I., & Kanoski, S. E. (2015). Effects of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup consumption on spatial memory function and hippocampal neuroinflammation in adolescent rats. Hippocampus, 25(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.22368

Isherwood, C. M., van der Veen, D. R., Hassanin, H., Skene, D. J., & Johnston, J. D. (2023). Human glucose rhythms and subjective hunger anticipate meal timing. Current Biology, 33(7), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.005

Ljubičić, M., Matek Sarić, M., Klarin, I., Rumbak, I., Colić Barić, I., Ranilović, J., Dželalija, B., Sarić, A., Nakić, D., Djekic, I., Korzeniowska, M., Bartkiene, E., Papageorgiou, M., Tarcea, M., Černelič-Bizjak, M., Klava, D., Szűcs, V., Vittadini, E., Bolhuis, D., & Guiné, R. P. F. (2023). Emotions and Food Consumption: Emotional Eating Behavior in a European Population. Foods, 12(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12040872

Parent, M. B., Higgs, S., Cheke, L. G., & Kanoski, S. E. (2022). Memory and eating: A bidirectional relationship implicated in obesity. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 132, 110–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.051

Sternson, S. M., & Atasoy, D. (2014). Agouti-related protein neuron circuits that regulate appetite. Neuroendocrinology, 100, 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1159/000369072

Teff, K. L. (2011). How neural mediation of anticipatory and compensatory insulin release helps us tolerate food. Physiology & Behavior, 103(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.01.012

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