A systematic review and meta-analysis of attentional bias toward food in individuals with overweight and obesity

Hagan, Kelsey E.; Alasmar, Ahmed; Exum, Alexis; Chinn, Bernadette; Forbush, Kelsie T.

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2020.104710

Cited by 53 publications

(50 citation statements)

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“…In a more recent systematic review (Hagan, Alasmar, Exum, Chinn, & Forbush, 2020), the effects of different attentional bias paradigms were taken into account by conducting separate meta-analyses per task type (dot probe, emotional stroop, eye-tracking, ERPs). Studies using the dot probe task, eye tracking measures and ERPs were also separately aggregated based on the attentional component measured (e.g., stimulus presentations of ≤200 ms and ≥500 ms for the dot probe task) as a means of distinguishing between early and late attentional processing.…”

Section: The Relationship Between Food Ab and Obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Food-related attentional bias and its associations with appetitive motivation and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2021

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Theoretical models suggest that food-related visual attentional bias (AB) may be related to appetitive motivational states and individual differences in body weight; however, findings in this area are equivocal. We conducted a systematic review and series of metaanalyses to determine if there is a positive association between food-related AB and: (1.) body mass index (BMI) (number of effect sizes (k)=110), (2.) hunger (k=98), (3.) subjective craving for food (k=35), and (4.) food intake (k=44). Food-related AB was robustly associated with craving (r = .134 (95% CI .061, .208); p < .001), food intake (r = .085 (95% CI .038, .132); p < .001), and hunger (r = .048 (95% CI .016, .079); p = .003), but these correlations were small. Food-related AB was unrelated to BMI (r =.008 (95% CI-.020, .035); p = .583) and this result was not moderated by type of food stimuli, method of AB assessment, or the subcomponent of AB that was examined. Furthermore, in a betweengroups analysis (k = 22) which directly compared participants with overweight/obesity to healthy-weight control groups, there was no evidence for an effect of weight status on foodrelated AB (Hedge's g = 0.104, (95% CI-0.050, 0.258); p =.186). Taken together, these findings suggest that food-related AB is sensitive to changes in the motivational value of food, but is unrelated to individual differences in body weight. Our findings question the traditional view of AB as a trait-like index of preoccupation with food and have implications for novel theoretical perspectives on the role of food AB in appetite control and obesity.

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Section: The Relationship Between Food Ab and Obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Food-related attentional bias and its associations with appetitive motivation and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2021

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“…Two experiments sought to explore the existence of a mnemonic bias towards highcalorie food stimuli. Attentional biases to high-calorie food stimuli have previously been reported (Hagan et al, 2020;Mogg et al, 1998) and there are also mnemonic biases towards remembering the consumption and location (de Vries et al, 2020;New et al, 2007) of high-calorie foods. A bias towards high-calorie food stimuli could also facilitate the incentive value of food cues, thus resulting in overconsumption (Berridge et al, 2010).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…First, as previously stated, cues with high incentive value are thought to be particularly salient and attractive (Berridge et al, 2010). This has often been used as a theoretical explanation for attentional biases towards food stimuli particularly in overweight and obese populations described earlier (Hagan et al, 2020). Similar reasoning is used to explain data from neuroimaging studies suggesting these populations show elevated reactivity to food cues in a variety of different brain regions (Boswell & Kober, 2016;Jastreboff et al, 2014;Leyton & Vezina, 2013;Stice, Spoor, Bohon, Veldhuizen, & Small, 2008).…”

Section: Is There a Memory Bias For High-calorie Food Images?mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Others have explored whether or not attentional biases to food stimuli are more pronounced in individuals with overweight and obesity compared to individuals with normal Body Mass Index (BMI). While a number of studies have reported that attentional biases to food cues are heightened in individuals with overweight and obesity (Castellanos et al, 2009;Nijs, Muris, Euser, & Franken, 2010;Werthmann et al, 2011), others have not (Loeber et al, 2012;Pothos, Tapper, & Calitri, 2009), and the effect appears to be heavily influenced by the attentional bias task used (for reviews and meta-analyses, see Hagan, Alasmar, Exum, Chinn, & Forbush, 2020;Hendrikse et al, 2015;Werthmann, Jansen, & Roefs, 2015). While the exact parameters needed to observe this effect and its particular effect size are yet to be fully understood, the existence of a general attentional bias towards high-calorie food stimuli seems at the least, quite plausible and is supported by a number of studies.…”

Section: Is There a Memory Bias For High-calorie Food Images?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is there a memory bias for high calorie food images?

Bm¹,

Equita²,

Aj³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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It is unclear if, and to what extent, the human memory system is biased towards food and food relevant stimuli. Drawing upon existing demonstrations of attentional biases to high calorie food images, and findings that evolutionarily relevant stimuli are preferentially remembered, we hypothesized that images of high calorie foods would be better remembered than images of low calorie foods and nonfood items. Investigating this is important because a general bias towards remembering high calorie images might facilitate greater incentive learning towards these images which could result in cue-induced overconsumption. We tested this in two pre-registered, within-subject studies (ns = 38). In Experiment 1, using a rapid stream visual presentation procedure and recognition memory test, we found no effect of image type (high calorie, low calorie, nonfood) on recognition for previously seen images (F < 1.0). However, we did observe fewer correct rejections (i.e. more false memories) for novel low calorie images. In Experiment 2, we used a longer encoding procedure and free recall memory test and similarly failed to observe an effect of image type on recall (F < 1.0). We did discover several other factors that correlate with image memory which we discuss along with the implications of these results and directions for future research.

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“…For instance, though much work has shown memory deficits are associated with obesity, and that memory for recent eating moderates future eating, to our knowledge, no studies have examined how participant BMI interacts with this latter pattern. Similarly, while attentional biases to food and food cues are observed in participants with obesity (Hagan, Alasmar, Exum, Chinn, & Forbush, 2020;Werthmann, Jansen, & Roefs, 2015), it remains untested whether mnemonic biases for these items are also observed and more or less pronounced in those with obesity. How memory of eating differs in normal versus overweight and obese populations may be particularly interesting, given serum levels of leptin and ghrelin differ in these populations (Klok, Jakobsdottir, & Drent, 2007) and are also implicated in mnemonic processes (Suarez et al, 2019).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eating Behavior as a New Frontier in Memory Research

Seitz¹,

Tomiyama²,

Blaisdell³

2020

Preprint

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The study of memory is commonly associated with neuroscience, aging, education, and eyewitness testimony. Here we discuss how eating behavior is also heavily intertwined—and yet considerably understudied in its relation to memory processes. Both are influenced by similar neuroendocrine signals (e.g., leptin and ghrelin) and are dependent on hippocampal functions. While learning processes have long been implicated in influencing eating behavior, recent research has shed light on how memory of recent eating modulates future food consumption. In humans, overweight and obesity is associated with impaired memory performance, and studies in rodents (and to a lesser extent humans) show that dietary-induced obesity causes rapid decrements to memory. Lesions to the hippocampus not only disrupt memory, but also induce obesity, highlighting a cyclic relationship between obesity and memory impairment. Enhancing memory of eating has been shown to reduce future eating and yet, very little is known about what influences memory of eating or how memory of eating differs from memory for other behaviors. We discuss recent advancements in these areas and highlight fruitful research pursuits afforded by combining the study of memory with the study of eating behavior.

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A systematic review and meta-analysis of attentional bias toward food in individuals with overweight and obesity

Cited by 53 publications

References 58 publications

Food-related attentional bias and its associations with appetitive motivation and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Food-related attentional bias and its associations with appetitive motivation and body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Is there a memory bias for high calorie food images?

Eating Behavior as a New Frontier in Memory Research

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