Interactions between emotions and eating behaviors: Main issues, neuroimaging contributions, and innovative preventive or corrective strategies

Abstract

Emotional eating is commonly defined as the tendency to (over)eat in response to emotion.Insofar as it involves the (over)consumption of high-calorie palatable foods, emotional eating is a maladaptive behavior that can lead to eating disorders, and ultimately to metabolic disorders and obesity. Emotional eating is associated with eating disorder subtypes and with Accepted manuscript / Final version abnormalities in emotion processing at a behavioral level. However, not enough is known about the neural pathways involved in both emotion processing and food intake. In this review, we provide an overview of recent neuroimaging studies, highlighting the brain correlates between emotions and eating behavior that may be involved in emotional eating.Interaction between neural and neuro-endocrine pathways (HPA axis) may be involved. In addition to behavioral interventions, there is a need for a holistic approach encompassing both neural and physiological levels to prevent emotional eating. Based on recent imaging, this review indicates that more attention should be paid to prefrontal areas, the insular and orbitofrontal cortices, and reward pathways, in addition to regions that play a major role in both the cognitive control of emotions and eating behavior. Identifying these brain regions could allow for neuromodulation interventions, including neurofeedback training, which deserves further investigation.

Brain Responses to Food Choices and Decisions Depend on Individual Hedonic Profiles and Eating Habits in Healthy Young Women

“…PCA1, which explains the consumption of almost all WD food items, was associated with the emotional component of eating modulation, possibly revealing an anomaly in emotion regulation toward food in high consumers of WD food items. This is in line with a large bundle of evidence illustrating the tight connections between emotion regulation and eating behavior (31) or between diet and related disorders such as depression (36). The fMRI wanting task results suggest that the PCA1 characteristics are associated with a modulation of the reward system and decision-making processes.…”

“…Because the nucleus accumbens (Ac) is considered a hedonic hotspot (32), we investigated its FC during the resting state in relationship with the hedonic and consumption profiles of our volunteers, represented by the PCA1 values. PCA1 presented an inverse association with FC between Ac and the lateral OFC, suggesting that people who choose and consume WD food items more frequently present less FC between the OFC, involved in the hedonic valuation and stimulus-reward association, and the Ac, where food reward is perceived (31). This result is particularly interesting because it suggests that the neurocognitive process of decision-making is different and perhaps less efficient in high consumers than in low consumers of Western-type food items.…”

“…Consequently, differences in WD food consumption in a normal-weight and healthy young population can already shape the brain responses toward food choices and the type of cognitive conflict encountered during such decisions. The brain networks that are differently modulated during food choices and decisions might be of interest as potential early indicators of risky habits or EDs (31).…”

Association between eating behaviour and 13-year cardiovascular damages in the initially healthy STANISLAS cohort

“…Mediation analysis further showed that stress level is a mediator of the relationship between EmE and DD, explaining 31.9% of this relationship. According to Godet et al there is an effect of negative emotional situations and stress on the brain's responses to food, and this can influence food consumption (36). Indeed, stress level is associated with changes in appetite as well as food consumption, through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis upon increased glucocorticoid synthesis and glucose availability needed to fuel the metabolic demands of stress responses.…”

Foreword to the special issue on the neuroscience of obesity and related disorders

“…Godet et al's [10] review focuses on the brain correlates between emotions and eating behavior that may underpin emotional eating. The authors posit that prefrontal regions, the insula and reward pathways play a consequential role in both the cognitive control of emotions and in regulating subsequent eating behavior.…”