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Sensitivity to reward: implications for overeating and overweight.

Caroline Davis1, Shaelyn Strachan, Marni Berkson

  • 1Kinesiology and Health Sciences, 343 Bethune College, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ont., Canada M3J 1P3. cdavis@yorku.ca

Appetite
|March 11, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Sensitivity to reward (STR) is linked to overeating and higher body weight in women. Obese women showed reduced reward sensitivity, suggesting complex neuroadaptations in brain reward circuits.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Addiction Research
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Sensitivity to reward (STR), a personality trait linked to the mesolimbic dopamine system, is implicated in addiction risk.
  • Addiction research increasingly recognizes that natural rewards like food, not just drugs, can derange brain circuits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test a model where STR positively relates to overeating and higher body weight in women aged 25-45.
  • To explore the relationship between reward sensitivity, overeating, and body weight in a specific demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Correlational study examining Sensitivity to Reward (STR) and measures of overeating.
  • Comparison of reward sensitivity across normal weight, overweight, and obese women (BMI thresholds: >25, >30).

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Main Results:

  • STR positively correlated with emotional overeating.
  • Overweight women exhibited significantly higher reward sensitivity compared to normal-weight women.
  • Obese women (BMI >30) were more anhedonic (less sensitive to reward) than overweight women (BMI 25-30).

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest STR may be a risk factor for overeating and overweight, particularly in environments with abundant palatable, high-calorie foods.
  • Observed differences in reward sensitivity among weight categories may reflect neuroadaptations to chronic overactivity in brain reward circuits.