Biobehavioral Reward Responses Associated with Consumption of Nutritionally Diverse Ultra-Processed Foods

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT My career goal is to develop an independent research program that utilizes a comprehensive, multi-method approach to investigate mechanisms by which ultra-processed foods (UPFs) directly contribute to overeating and obesity. My training as a clinical psychologist has provided me with a strong foundation in understanding

behavioral responses that may contribute to overeating and individual differences in problematic eating behavior. However, I have had no formal training in biological underpinnings that may drive UPF consumption and am seeking advanced training in evaluating reward processes and identifying behavioral phenotypes

within obesity. My training plan will build upon my skillsets and expand my knowledge in three areas: 1) adapting methods used to identify the reinforcing ingredients of rewarding substances to assess which attributes of UPFs contribute to their high reward potential; 2) investigating biological markers of individual

differences in food reward and physiological and metabolic responses to UPF consumption; and 3) identifying behavioral phenotypes within obesity in order to better understand differential susceptibility to UPF reward. In order to achieve these objectives, I will engage in a variety of training activities, guided by my mentorship

team, including regular supervision meetings, directed readings, attendance at classes, seminars, and scientific conferences, and in-lab methodological training. The proposed study will use a within-subjects design to address these training goals by evaluating differences in biobehavioral reward responses to UPFs high in

both fat + refined carbohydrates, compared to UPFs high in fat only or refined carbohydrates only or minimally processed foods. Participants will each attend four food consumption appointments, one for each aforementioned food type, where subjective indices of reward and metabolic responses will be assessed while

anticipating and eating the food. The present work is the first to elucidate the biological and behavioral experiences of consuming nutritionally diverse UPFs that may mechanistically contribute to overeating. Understanding which ingredients in UPFs are most reinforcing and the biobehavioral underpinnings will inform

novel intervention targets for weight management and problematic eating behavior. The environment at the Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science and state-of-the-art coursework and seminars at Drexel University are ideal for my training goals. My mentorship team will be led by Dr. Evan Forman (Professor,

Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Director, Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science) and includes training from Dr. Kelly Allison (Professor, Weight and Eating Disorders) in the biological underpinnings of food reward and Dr. Janet Audrain-McGovern (Professor, Addictions) in methodology used to

assess the reinforcing nature of substances. This interdisciplinary team will facilitate successful implementation of the proposed research and training plan and the development of an R01 application based on the findings from the present work.