Attenuated interoceptive sensitivity in overweight and obese individuals

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Accurate perception of internal bodily signals, known as interoception, is vital for regulating food intake.
• Interoceptive sensitivity, the ability to detect these internal signals, is increasingly recognized as a key factor in satiety and behavior.
• However, whether interoceptive sensitivity differs in individuals with overweight and obesity remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate interoceptive sensitivity in individuals with overweight and obesity.
• To compare interoceptive sensitivity between normal weight and overweight/obese participants.
• To explore the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and interoceptive sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• A heartbeat detection task was employed to assess interoceptive sensitivity.
• Seventy-five overweight and obese men and women participated.
• A control group of normal weight individuals was included for comparison.

Main Results:

• Normal weight participants demonstrated significantly higher interoceptive sensitivity than overweight and obese participants.
• A negative correlation was observed between BMI and interoceptive sensitivity within the overweight and obese group.
• These findings support the hypothesis that overweight and obesity are associated with diminished interoceptive sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• Reduced interoceptive sensitivity is evident in individuals with overweight and obesity.
• This diminished sensitivity may impair the accurate detection of satiety signals, potentially affecting food intake regulation.
• Interoceptive sensitivity likely plays a crucial role in managing eating behaviors and weight management.