Choices between money and hyper-palatable food: Choice impulsivity and eating behavior

Choice impulsivity may influence eating behavior. The study tested whether choice impulsivity, termed delay discounting, may be related to food generally, or may be specific to hyper-palatable foods (HPF). The study also determined whether a discounting task with choices between money and food may have utility in predicting obesity-related outcomes.

Participants (N = 284) completed a task that assessed choices between smaller reward available immediately and larger reward available later. Single commodity conditions presented choices between amounts of HPF, non-HPF, or money (e.g., HPF now vs. HPF later). Cross-commodity conditions presented choices between money and food commodities (e.g., money now vs. HPF later; money now vs. non-HPF later).

There were no significant differences in discounting of HPF and non-HPF in single commodity conditions (Mean ln[k] difference = .40, p = .058). In the cross-commodity conditions holding money constant as the immediate reward, individuals discounted HPF significantly less than non-HPF (Mean ln[k] difference = .92; p = .0001). In regression analyses, individuals with excess HPF intake, greater HPF craving, and higher BMIs were more likely to choose HPF immediately, when money was the delayed reward (p values = .003 to .008).

Choice impulsivity may be specific to foods that are hyper-palatable. Results suggest that individuals with excess HPF intake, higher HPF craving, and higher BMIs may exhibit a general tendency toward impulsive decision making that may be exacerbated in an obesogenic environment that provides wide access to HPF. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).