Temporal discounting modifies the effect of microtemporal hedonic hunger on food consumption: An ecological momentary...

Steeper delay discounting, or preference for small rewards sooner versus larger rewards later, has been linked to disinhibited eating and obesity. The overconsumption of food may also be motivated by hedonic hunger, or the drive to consume foods for pleasure rather than energy need. The present study hypothesized that hedonic hunger would modify the relation between temporal discounting and palatable food consumption.

Seventeen adolescents between the ages of 13-18 (M = 15.12,SD = 1.80) completed a temporal discounting measure at baseline followed by daily ecological momentary assessments of food intake (e.g., self-reported servings of sweet, starchy, fatty, fast foods) and hedonic hunger for 20 days on a mobile phone. Multilevel models examined between-person (BP) and within-person (WP) hedonic hunger, monetary temporal discounting, and their interactions, on food consumption.

The models for sweet, starchy, and fast food consumption had significant interactions between WP hedonic hunger and temporal discounting. For each of these interactions, those with average-or-lower temporal discounting rates were at less risk of consuming sweet, starchy, and fast foods when hedonic hunger was higher than typical while those with high rates of discounting were at higher risk of consuming these types of foods when hedonic hunger was elevated.

Increases in daily hedonic hunger may confer risk for sweet, starchy, and fast food consumption. However, preference for larger rewards later may serve as a protective factor against consumption of these palatable foods. Future studies should further investigate this and other reward-driven processes that may influence food consumption.