Chronic stress exposure may affect the brain's response to high calorie food cues and predispose to obesogenic eating habits

AbstractChronic stress is associated with impacting eating behavior, namely food choice and energy intake, with a shift towards more palatable and energy dense foods. Additionally, eating behavior is influenced by other psychological factors like mood and emotions. The categorization of people into eating types such as restrained, emotional, and external eaters has gained attraction. Reported changes in eating behavior due to psychological stress are only occasionally accompanied by measures of physiological hunger through ghrelin. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how chronic stress and acute cortisol reactivity affect active ghrelin secretion and how these outcomes account for different eating types. 16 healthy, young males (age: 23 ± 3 years, BMI: 22.5 ± 1.3kg/m2) with low (n = 8) and average-to-high (n = 8) chronic stress level were subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and a control version on two separate days. Active ghrelin, cortisol, glucose, and heart rate were measured throughout the test. Subjects rated their hunger by means of visual analog scale and current mood was assessed with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). In addition, participants filled out the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) to account for their subjective eating behavior. Overall ghrelin values where higher on the test day compared to the control day. Ghrelin values were also higher during the time leading up to the stress or control test (TSST) than during the conclusion of said tests. On both days, mean values for active ghrelin where higher in individuals with low chronic stress exposure compare to those with average-to-high chronic stress exposure. While values from test to control day decreased for lower stressed participants, they slightly increased for higher stressed participants. Cortisol responders displayed higher ghrelin values on test day than cortisol non-responders, but this association inverted for the control day. Results indicate that chronic stress influences acute stress response and further alters active ghrelin production, which in turn can influence eating behavior. Replication in a greater group of participants of differing weight and sex could yield a greater understanding of stress induced eating. Factors such as relaxation techniques and coping mechanisms could further improve our knowledge and evaluate treatment possibilities.

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Pair-housing of male and female rats during chronic stress exposure results in gender-specific behavioral responses

Hormones and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.01.004 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 620-628 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

C. Westenbroek ◽

T.A.B. Snijders ◽

J.A. den Boer ◽

M. Gerrits ◽

D.S. Fokkema ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Stress ◽

Behavioral Responses ◽

Female Rats ◽

Stress Exposure ◽

Male And Female ◽

Male And Female Rats ◽

Gender Specific

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Brain Connectivity, and Hormonal and Behavioral Correlates of Sustained Weight Loss in Obese Patients after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Cerebral Cortex ◽

10.1093/cercor/bhaa294 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yang Hu ◽

Gang Ji ◽

Guanya Li ◽

Peter Manza ◽

Wenchao Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Sleeve Gastrectomy ◽

Cognitive Control ◽

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy ◽

Cue Reactivity ◽

Structural Connectivity ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Food Cues ◽

Sustained Weight Loss ◽

High Calorie

Abstract The biological mediators that support cognitive-control and long-term weight-loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) remain unclear. We measured peripheral appetitive hormones and brain functional-connectivity (FC) using magnetic-resonance-imaging with food cue-reactivity task in 25 obese participants at pre, 1 month, and 6 month after LSG, and compared with 30 normal weight controls. We also used diffusion-tensor-imaging to explore whether LSG increases brain structural-connectivity (SC) of regions involved in food cue-reactivity. LSG significantly decreased BMI, craving for high-calorie food cues, ghrelin, insulin, and leptin levels, and increased self-reported cognitive-control of eating behavior. LSG increased FC between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) and increased SC between DLPFC and ACC at 1 month and 6 month after LSG. Reduction in BMI correlated negatively with increased FC of right DLPFC-pgACC at 1 month and with increased SC of DLPFC-ACC at 1 month and 6 month after LSG. Reduction in craving for high-calorie food cues correlated negatively with increased FC of DLPFC-pgACC at 6 month after LSG. Additionally, SC of DLPFC-ACC mediated the relationship between lower ghrelin levels and greater cognitive control. These findings provide evidence that LSG improved functional and structural connectivity in prefrontal regions, which contribute to enhanced cognitive-control and sustained weight-loss following surgery.

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Childhood obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influences

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/h07-046 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 635-645 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Lynn Roblin

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Fats And Oils ◽

Obese Children ◽

Physically Active ◽

School Based ◽

The Media ◽

High Calorie

The need has never been greater to support healthy eating and physical activity in children and youth; the numbers of overweight and obese children have doubled and tripled, respectively, over the past 3 decades. Poor eating habits, including inadequate intake of vegetables, fruit, and milk, and eating too many high-calorie snacks, play a role in childhood obesity. Grain products provide the highest percentage (31%) of daily calories, followed by “other foods,” which have limited nutritional value (22% of daily calories). Snacks account for 27% of total daily calories, which is more than the calories consumed at breakfast (18%) and lunch (24%), but not dinner (31%). For Canadians older than 4 years of age, more than 41% of daily snack calories come from other foods, such as chips, chocolate bars, soft drinks, fruit drinks, sugars, syrup, preserves, fats, and oils. Habits that protect against childhood obesity include eating more vegetables and fruit, eating meals with family, and being physically active. Children’s food habits and choices are influenced by family, caregivers, friends, schools, marketing, and the media. Successful interventions for preventing childhood obesity combine family- and school-based programs, nutrition education, dietary change, physical activity, family participation, and counseling.

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