Weight Stigma Effect on Neural Control of Appetite

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Appetitive Behavior

In brief

The limited data available suggest that exposure to weight-based stigmatization leads to overeating and increased desire for food. In the present study, overweight and obese individuals (BMI from 25-35 kg/m2) who are generally healthy will be randomized to read a weight-stigma article or control article and subsequently scanned to collect fMRI data. These procedures will be employed to accomplish two specific aims. Specific Aim 1: Determine the neural mechanisms involved in exposure to weight stigma on central control of appetite in overweight and obese individuals. To accomplish this aim we will collect fMRI data in study participants when viewing food and scenery pictures after being exposed to either a weight-stigma or control article. In addition, participants will complete validated questionnaires to measure perceived weight-stigma experiences and social support for eating and physical activity. Hypothesis: After reading an article depicting weight stigmatization, when shown pictures of food in the fMRI scanner, overweight/obese individuals that perceive themselves as having experienced higher levels of weight stigma and lower levels of social support, will have higher activations of brain regions that control appetite and food reward (amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, insula) and reduced activations in brain areas that regulate self-control and decision making (prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex respectively) compared to a control group that reads a non-weight stigma article. Specific Aim 2: To assess the relationship between activity in appetitive and self-control brain regions and self-reported, eating-related behavior. To accomplish this aim, participants will also complete questionnaires that measure self-reported food intake motivation (dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger), appetitive responses, and mood. Hypothesis: Higher activations in appetite and reward regions and lower activations in self-control brain regions will be correlated with higher levels of dietary disinhibition, hunger/appetite, and dietary restraint.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03934424

Run by

University of Missouri-Columbia

People needed

40

Starts

2019-04-10

Expected to finish

2019-07-25

Last updated by the study team

2020-10-27

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 55. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Generally healthy individuals aged from 18 to 55 years
• BMI 25-35 kg/m2 will be recruited

You may not qualify if…

• Being on a weight-loss or special diet
• Taking any medications or drugs known to affect appetite
• Have serious claustrophobia.
• Individuals with mental disorders (self-report) will be excluded.
• Due to MRI, any individuals with metallic objects in their body, including surgical staples left in the body following surgery, middle ear prosthesis, permanent eye liner, metal foreign objects lodged inside the eye, heart pacemakers, and/or pins inside the knee or other joints or who are pregnant or could be pregnant (assessed through a urine pregnancy test for women) will be excluded from this study because of the risk associated with the MRI scanner.

Where it is running

• University of Missouri-Columbia — Columbia, Missouri, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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