Can(not) take my eyes off it: Attention bias for food in overweight participants

Werthmann, J, Roefs, A, Nederkoorn, C, Mogg, Karin, Bradley, Brendan P. and Jansen, A (2011) Can(not) take my eyes off it: Attention bias for food in overweight participants. Health Psychology, 30 (5), 561-569. (doi:10.1037/a0024291).

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate attention biases for food cues, craving and overeating in overweight and healthy weight participants. Specifically, it was tested whether attention allocation processes towards high-fat foods differ between overweight and normal weight individuals and whether selective attention biases for food cues are related to craving and food intake. Design: Eye movements were recorded as a direct index of attention allocation in a sample of 22 overweight/obese and 29 healthy weight female students during a visual probe task with food pictures. In addition, self reported craving and actual food intake during a bogus “taste-test” were assessed. Main outcome measures: Attention biases towards food cues in initial gaze direction, first fixation durations and total dwell time as indexed by recordings of eye-movements. Results: Overweight participants showed an approach-avoidance pattern of attention allocation towards high-fat food: Overweight participants directed their first gaze more often towards food pictures than healthy weight individuals, but subsequently showed reduced maintenance of attention on these pictures. For overweight participants, craving was related to initial orientation towards food. Moreover, overweight participants consumed significantly more snack food than healthy weight participants. Conclusion: Results emphasize the importance of identifying different attention bias components in overweight individuals with regard to craving and subsequent overeating.

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Contributors

Author: Brendan P. Bradley

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