Food Liking but Not Wanting Decreases after Controlled Intermittent or Continuous Energy Restriction to ≥5% Weight Loss in Women with Overweight/Obesity

Abstract

Food reward (i.e., liking and wanting) has been shown to decrease after different types of weight management interventions. However, it is unknown whether specific dietary modalities (continuous (CER) vs. intermittent (IER) energy restriction) have differing effects on liking and implicit wanting after weight loss (WL) and whether these changes are sustained after 1-year of no-contact. Women with overweight or obesity (age 18–55 years) were randomly allocated to controlled-feeding CER (25% daily energy restriction) or IER (alternating ad libitum and 75% energy restriction days). Study visits were conducted at baseline, post-WL (to ≥5% WL within 12 weeks) and 1-year post-WL. The main outcomes were liking and implicit wanting for 4 categories of common food varying in fat and taste assessed by the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire. Linear mixed models were conducted on the 30 participants achieving ≥5% WL and 15 returners. After an initial WL of −5.1 ± 0.2 kg, after 1-year 2.6 ± 0.5 kg were regained. Liking but not wanting decreased after WL. Food reward after 1-year did not differ from baseline, but the high loss to follow-up prevents generalization. IER and CER did not differ in their effects on food reward during WL or at 1-year follow-up.

Food Reward after Bariatric Surgery and Weight Loss Outcomes: An Exploratory Study

“…Other studies also suggest a return of dietary preferences to prior patterns with increasing time since surgery [37,46,47]. Using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire, Oustric et al also observed such a backward step after weight loss programs [48]. Prospective and long-term assessments (after 2 years of follow-up) of food rewards are necessary to better understand if those modifications are sustained and/or if they are related to the weight regain that occurs in 20% of patients within 1 to 3 years after surgery [49].…”

Alterations in Food Reward Regarding Bariatric Surgery Type and Weight Loss Outcomes: An Exploratory Study

“…Other studies also suggest a return of dietary preferences to prior patterns with increasing time since surgery [37,45,46]. Using the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire, Oustric et al also observed such a backward step after weight loss programs [47]. Prospective and long-term assessments (after 2 years of follow-up) of food rewards are necessary to better understand if those modifications are sustained and/or if they are related to the weight regain that occurs in 20% of patients within 1 to 3 years after surgery [48].…”

Changes in food reward and intuitive eating after weight loss and maintenance in former athletes with overweight or obesity

“…There are few studies exploring changes in food reward after WL and during its maintenance. Recently, Oustric et al (23) studied the effects on food reward after WL (≥5%) and after a WL maintenance period in women with overweight or obesity. After a period of follow‐up, participants regained part of their lost weight, and no differences were found on food reward between baseline and after 1 year.…”

“…Furthermore, being under a caloric deficit leads to increased psychological distress (19), potentially creating a compensatory drive to overeat (20,21), which might endanger the maintenance of a reduced weight. Therefore, components of eating behavior such as food reward and intuitive eating have started to be studied in WL interventions (20,22,23).…”