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Eating on impulse: the relation between overweight and food-specific inhibitory control
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|June 10, 2014
Summary
Overweight individuals exhibit impaired response inhibition specifically towards food cues, not general impulsivity. Weight loss interventions should target food-specific impulsivity for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Impulsivity is linked to overeating, overweight, and obesity.
- Ineffective response inhibition exacerbates eating behaviors, particularly with palatable food cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if overweight is associated with specific deficits in inhibiting food-related responses.
- To differentiate between general response inhibition and food-specific inhibition in overweight individuals.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-seven female participants completed two Stop-Signal tasks.
- One task assessed general response inhibition, the other assessed inhibition of food-related responses.
Main Results:
- Higher body mass index (BMI) correlated with reduced inhibitory control over food-related responses.
- No significant association was found between BMI and general response inhibition.
Conclusions:
- Overweight is characterized by impulsivity towards palatable food, not general impulsivity.
- Interventions for weight loss should focus on reducing food-specific impulsivity.
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