Food reinforcement, energy intake, and macronutrient choice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Food is a powerful reinforcer that motivates people to eat. The relative reinforcing value of food (RRV(food)) is associated with obesity and energy intake and interacts with impulsivity to predict energy intake.

Objective

How RRV(food) is related to macronutrient choice in ad libitum eating tasks in humans has not been studied; however, animal research suggests that sugar or simple carbohydrates may be a determinant of reward value in food. This study assessed which macronutrients are associated with food reinforcement.

Design

Two hundred seventy-three adults with various body mass indexes were assessed for RRV(food), the relative reinforcing value of reading, food hedonics, energy intake in an ad libitum taste test, and usual energy intake derived from re

SUBMITTER: Epstein LH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3127525 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature