Food reinforcement, dietary disinhibition and weight gain in nonobese adults. (29th May 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carr, Katelyn A.; Lin, Henry; Fletcher, Kelly D.; Epstein, Leonard H.
• Is Part Of: Obesity. Volume 22:Number 1(2014:Jan.)
• Page Start: 254
• Page End: 259
• Publication Date: 2013-05-29
• Subjects: Obesity -- Periodicals; 616.398005
• DOI: 10.1002/oby.20392
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1930-7381

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="oby20392-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Food reinforcement is cross‐sectionally related to BMI and energy intake in adults, and prospectively predicts weight gain in children, but there has not been any research studying food reinforcement as a predictor of adult weight gain.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby20392-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design and Methods</title> <p>This study examined whether the relative reinforcing value of food versus sedentary activities, as measured on a progressive ratio schedule, predicts 12‐month weight gain in a sample of 115 nonobese (BMI < 30) adults. Dietary disinhibition and dietary restraint were also examined as potential moderators of this relationship.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby20392-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>In a hierarchical regression controlling for baseline age and weight, dietary hunger, income, sex, and minority status, food reinforcement and predicted weight gain (<italic>P</italic> = 0.01) significantly increased the variance from 6.3% to 11.7% (<italic>P</italic> = 0.01). Dietary disinhibition moderated this relationship (<italic>P</italic> = 0.02) and increased the variance an additional 4.7% (<italic>P</italic> = 0.02), such that individuals with high food reinforcement had greater weight gain if they were also high in disinhibition.</p> </sec> <sec id="oby20392-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>These results suggest that food reinforcement is a significant contributor to weight change over time, and food reinforcement may have the biggest effect on those who are most responsive to food cues.</p> </sec> </abstract>