Neural vulnerability factors for obesity.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Obesity Research
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Neural vulnerability factors are theorized to increase overeating and weight gain risk.
• Early neuroimaging studies could not distinguish cause from effect regarding neural responsivity and overeating.
• Recent advanced human neuroimaging studies offer insights into obesity etiology and neural plasticity due to overeating.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence from rigorous human neuroimaging studies and animal experiments investigating neural vulnerability theories for overeating.
• To synthesize findings on neural responsivity, behavioral measures, and overeating etiologies.
• To evaluate support for different theories of neural vulnerability in obesity risk.

Main Methods:

• Review of prospective, repeated-measures, and experimental human neuroimaging studies.
• Integration of behavioral measures reflecting neural function.
• Inclusion of animal experiments examining neural vulnerability theories for overeating.

Main Results:

• Findings support the reward surfeit theory: individuals at risk for obesity show hyper-responsivity to high-calorie food tastes.
• Little support was found for the reward deficit theory (initial hypo-responsivity).
• Evidence supports incentive sensitization and dynamic vulnerability theories: overconsumption increases cue responsivity and decreases taste responsivity, but the latter may not drive escalation.
• Support exists for theories linking deficits in inhibitory control and immediate reward bias to overeating.

Conclusions:

• Interventions targeting reduced reward/attention region responsivity to food cues and enhanced inhibitory control show promise for reducing overeating and weight gain.
• These findings inform the development of targeted interventions for obesity prevention and management.
• Neural plasticity plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of overeating behaviors.