Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Cognitive Science

Study finds some individuals display larger brain responses to food-related cues than to erotic images

by Eric W. Dolan
September 28, 2019
in Cognitive Science
(Photo credit: ArtFamily)

(Photo credit: ArtFamily)

[Subscribe to PsyPost on YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

New research published in Psychophysiology provides new insights into the neuropsychological underpinnings of obesity. The study indicates that some people have increased neural sensitivity to food‐related cues.

“Over 62,000 photos are shared worldwide each day under the hashtag #foodporn,” the authors of the study wrote. “These images glamorize the highly palatable, high‐calorie foods that are believed to promote the maladaptive eating patterns contributing to today’s obesity epidemic. A common assumption is that obese individuals have difficulty controlling food intake partly because food‐related stimuli elicit irresistible cravings by abnormally activating their brain’s appetitive systems.”

The study was based on 49 individuals from the Houston metropolitan area.

The researchers monitored the electrical brain activity of the participants as they viewed a series of images, including but not limited to erotica and food. During this task, chocolate M&M candies were delivered in a receptacle within arm’s reach from the participant after they had viewed a food image. The participants were instructed to either eat it or deposit it in a box.

The researchers were particularly interested in a neural marker called the Late Positive Potential (LPP), which provides a measure of how much someone is paying attention to visual stimuli.

Based on this neural marker, the participants were classified into two groups: those with larger LPPs to cues predicting food delivery than to erotic images and those with those with larger LPPs to erotic images than cues predicting food delivery.

The researchers found that individuals with larger LPPs to cues predicting food delivery than to erotic images ate more than twice as many chocolate candies.

“By contributing to the understanding of the biological basis underlying individual differences in vulnerability to cue‐induced eating, our findings represent a step toward identifying new targets for personalized weight control interventions aimed at regulating the intense motivation to eat that many individuals experience in the presence of cues associated with highly palatable foods,” the researchers concluded.

Some of the researchers associated with the current study have have previously used a similar procedure to identify smokers at elevated risk of relapse while trying to quit.

The study, “The reality of “food porn”: Larger brain responses to food‐related cues than to erotic images predict cue‐induced eating“, was authored by Francesco Versace, David W. Frank, Elise M. Stevens, Menton M. Deweese, Michele Guindani, and Susan M. Schembre.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePinSend

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

People exposed to phubbing by their romantic partner are less satisfied with their romantic relationship

Greedy people have more money but are less satisfied with their lives, according to new study

Young men rate their IQ as higher compared to age-matched women, but the reverse is true for older adults

Virtual reality can inoculate people against the allure of alternative romantic partners, study finds

Study finds harsh maternal discipline can leave daughters vulnerable to anxiety and depression

Listening in silence to someone with depression might increase their social anxiety, study suggests

RECENT

Those with dark personalities are more vulnerable to developing homonegative and transnegative views

Young men rate their IQ as higher compared to age-matched women, but the reverse is true for older adults

Social anxiety predicts body dysmorphic symptoms via appearance rejection sensitivity

Greedy people have more money but are less satisfied with their lives, according to new study

New research highlights the misinformation about misinformation research

People exposed to phubbing by their romantic partner are less satisfied with their romantic relationship

Psilocybin might help reduce rumination and suppressive thoughts in depressed patients

Study finds harsh maternal discipline can leave daughters vulnerable to anxiety and depression

Currently Playing

Paranormal beliefs are associated with worse sleep, study finds

Paranormal beliefs are associated with worse sleep, study finds

Paranormal beliefs are associated with worse sleep, study finds

Mental Health
Large-scale cross-cultural study provides insights into mating performance and singlehood

Large-scale cross-cultural study provides insights into mating performance and singlehood

Evolutionary Psychology
Disclosing victim status reduces online dating matches regardless of race or sex

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Dark Triad
Longitudinal study examines the effects of adversity on wise reasoning

New study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying Solomon’s paradox

Social Psychology
Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Cognitive Science
New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.