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  • Original Article
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Obese adults have visual attention bias for food cue images: evidence for altered reward system function

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages 1063–1073 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background:

The major aim of this study was to investigate whether the motivational salience of food cues (as reflected by their attention-grabbing properties) differs between obese and normal-weight subjects in a manner consistent with altered reward system function in obesity.

Methodology/Principal Findings:

A total of 18 obese and 18 normal-weight, otherwise healthy, adult women between the ages of 18 and 35 participated in an eye-tracking paradigm in combination with a visual probe task. Eye movements and reaction time to food and non-food images were recorded during both fasted and fed conditions in a counterbalanced design. Eating behavior and hunger level were assessed by self-report measures. Obese individuals had higher scores than normal-weight individuals on self-report measures of responsiveness to external food cues and vulnerability to disruptions in control of eating behavior. Both obese and normal-weight individuals demonstrated increased gaze duration for food compared to non-food images in the fasted condition. In the fed condition, however, despite reduced hunger in both groups, obese individuals maintained the increased attention to food images, whereas normal-weight individuals had similar gaze duration for food and non-food images. Additionally, obese individuals had preferential orienting toward food images at the onset of each image. Obese and normal-weight individuals did not differ in reaction time measures in the fasted or fed condition.

Conclusions/Significance:

Food cue incentive salience is elevated equally in normal-weight and obese individuals during fasting. Obese individuals retain incentive salience for food cues despite feeding and decreased self-report of hunger. Sensitization to food cues in the environment and their dysregulation in obese individuals may play a role in the development and/or maintenance of obesity.

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Acknowledgements

We thank two anonymous reviewers for their contributions to improving this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Neuroimaging Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    E H Castellanos, E Charboneau, M S Dietrich, S Park & R L Cowan

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    E H Castellanos, E Charboneau, M S Dietrich & R L Cowan

  3. Vanderbilt Addiction Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    E Charboneau & R L Cowan

  4. Department of Nursing, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    M S Dietrich

  5. Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    S Park

  6. Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Emotion and Motivation Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    B P Bradley & K Mogg

  7. Department of Radiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    R L Cowan

  8. Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    R L Cowan

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  1. E H Castellanos
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Correspondence to R L Cowan.

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Castellanos, E., Charboneau, E., Dietrich, M. et al. Obese adults have visual attention bias for food cue images: evidence for altered reward system function. Int J Obes 33, 1063–1073 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.138

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.138

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