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Biobehavioral Reward Responses Associated With Consumption of Nutritionally Diverse Ultra-Processed Foods
Sponsor: Oregon Research Institute
Summary
The changing food environment, with increasingly abundant ultra-processed food (UPF) options, may directly contribute to rising rates of obesity, though it is unknown which ingredients in UPF elevate their reinforcing nature in a way that may lead to overconsumption. The proposed study is the first to systematically examine differences in the rewarding characteristics of and physiological and metabolic responses to UPFs that are high in fat, refined carbohydrates (like sugar), or both. Understanding the biobehavioral underpinnings that enhance the reinforcing potential of ingredients in UPF (e.g., fat vs. refined carbohydrates) can inform novel intervention targets for the treatment of overeating and obesity.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
50
Start Date
2023-02-20
Completion Date
2027-03-31
Last Updated
2026-02-12
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Intake of nutritionally diverse ultra-processed foods
All participants will attend four food consumption assessment visits where, at each visit, they will be asked to consume a standardized snack portion of: 1) ultra-processed foods (UPFs) high in both fat and refined carbohydrates (UPF+FRC), 2) UPF high in fat (UPF+F), 3) UPF high in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar) (UPF+RC), or 4) minimally processed foods. The order of the four food consumption assessment visits will be randomized and counterbalanced across participants, who will each consume all the test snacks across the four appointments.
Locations (1)
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States