Fat and Carbohydrate Interact to Potentiate Food Reward in Healthy Weight but Not in Overweight or Obesity

Prior work suggests that actual, but not estimated, energy density drives the reinforcing value of food and that energy from fat and carbohydrate can interact to potentiate reward. Here we sought to replicate these findings in an American sample and to determine if the effects are influenced by body mass index (BMI). Thirty participants with healthy weight (HW; BMI 21.92 ± 1.77; M ± SD) and 30 participants with overweight/obesity (OW/OB; BMI 29.42 ± 4.44) rated pictures of common American snacks in 120-kcal portions for liking, familiarity, frequency of consumption, expected satiety, healthiness, energy content, energy density, and price. Participants then completed an auction task where they bid for the opportunity to consume each food. Snacks contained either primarily carbohydrate, primarily fat, or roughly equal portions of fat and carbohydrate (combo). Replicating prior work, we found that participants with HW bid the most for combo foods in linear mixed model analyses. This effect was not observed among individuals with OW/OB. Additionally, in contrast with previous reports, our linear regression analyses revealed a negative relationship between the actual energy density of the snacks and bid amount that was mediated by food price. Our findings support altered macronutrient reinforcement in obesity and highlight potential influences of the food environment on the regulation of food reward

The Addiction-Susceptibility TaqIA/Ankk1 Controls Reward and Metabolism Through D2 Receptor-Expressing Neurons

Background: A large body of evidence highlights the importance of genetic variants in the development of psychiatric and metabolic conditions. Among these, the TaqIA polymorphism is one of the most commonly studied in psychiatry. TaqIA is located in the gene that codes for the ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 kinase (Ankk1) near the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) gene. Homozygous expression of the A1 allele correlates with a 30% to 40% reduction of striatal D2R, a typical feature of addiction, overeating, and other psychiatric pathologies. The mechanisms by which the variant influences dopamine signaling and behavior are unknown. Methods: Here, we used transgenic and viral-mediated strategies to reveal the role of Ankk1 in the regulation of activity and functions of the striatum. Results: We found that Ankk1 is preferentially enriched in striatal D2R-expressing neurons and that Ankk1 loss of function in the dorsal and ventral striatum leads to alteration in learning, impulsivity, and flexibility resembling endophenotypes described in A1 carriers. We also observed an unsuspected role of Ankk1 in striatal D2R-expressing neurons of the ventral striatum in the regulation of energy homeostasis and documented differential nutrient partitioning in humans with or without the A1 allele. Conclusions: Overall, our data demonstrate that the Ankk1 gene is necessary for the integrity of striatal functions and reveal a new role for Ankk1 in the regulation of body metabolism.Altérations du système de récompense dans l'anorexie mentaleRole du biostatus en acides gras polyinsaturés dans les troubles de contrôle exécuti

Tempting tastes in focus: A picture set of high-fat/high-carbohydrate foods for the population of Finland (FinnFoodPics)

Background: Modern food items often contain high proportions of saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. Such dietary compositions contribute to the prevalence of obesity and metabolic disease. Food images are a valuable tool to study these diet effects on eating behavior and obesity development. Aims: Creating and validating a novel food picture set to facilitate studies on food choice and eating behavior for the Finnish population called “FinnFoodPics”. Material & Methods: We photographed 72 commonly consumed Finnish food items and classified them into one of three macronutrient categories: high in carbohydrates, high in fat, or high in carbohydrates and fat (combo). Sixty-two participants rated these items for liking, familiarity, frequency of consumption, expected satiety, perceived healthiness, energy content, and energy density. We used Bayesian ANOVAs to provide information on food characteristics, visual properties, and participant ratings across categories. Results: We found strong evidence of differences across macronutrient categories for all assessed parameters except for familiarity, which showed moderate uniformity across categories. Notably, foods in the carbohydrate category had higher fiber, and those in the fat category had higher protein content. Conclusion: “FinnFoodPics” provides a robust tool for local researchers to study food-related behavior and facilitates the replicability and comparability of studies using visual snack food stimuli in Finland