ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-04-10DOI: 10.1002/oby.70199
Kerstin Rohde-Zimmermann, Matthias Blüher
{"title":"Can Reprogramming Taste Modulate Excess Food Intake?","authors":"Kerstin Rohde-Zimmermann, Matthias Blüher","doi":"10.1002/oby.70199","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70199","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Taste may play a clinically relevant role in the development of obesity by influencing food preferences, appetite regulation, and energy intake (Figure 1). Alterations in suprathreshold perceived taste intensity and hedonic responses at food-relevant concentrations may lead to larger portion sizes and a preference for energy-dense, sweet foods to achieve sensory satisfaction. Additionally, taste perception interacts with hormonal and neural pathways involved in reward and satiety. Although data from preclinical models suggest that higher body weight is associated with decreased taste papilla density, in humans, the evidence regarding associations between body weight and fungiform papilla density is heterogeneous, without a clear consensus that reduced papilla density is linked to heightened reward-driven eating [<span>1</span>]. Importantly, a direct connection between obesity and taste perception in humans has not been formally proven.</p><p>Taste perception is initiated when nonvolatile chemicals in food are placed in the mouth and activate taste receptor cells (TRCs) in taste buds that recognize five primary taste sensory qualities: sweet, umami, bitter, salty, and sour [<span>1</span>]. TRCs are morphologically classified into types I, II, and III, which can be subcategorized based on differences in TRC function, molecular markers, or both. Taste information from TRCs is integrated in the brain with gustatory, olfactory, and chemesthesis-related (trigeminal) signals to create the perception of flavor [<span>1</span>]. Lingual taste buds are highly dynamic and plastic structures because TRCs exhibit extensive transcriptional regulation associated with rapid and continuous turnover. This intrinsic cellular renewal renders taste buds particularly responsive to environmental influences, including dietary composition. Understanding how environmental cues modulate transcriptional states within taste buds offers new insights into the mechanisms linking diet, sensory processing, overeating, and metabolic outcomes. For example, sweet preference is innate and develops before birth, and consuming sweets triggers satisfaction through central reward pathways [<span>1</span>].</p><p>Importantly, taste receptors are neither exclusively expressed in oral TRCs nor uniquely tied to conscious taste perception. Many chemosensory receptors are also expressed in extraoral tissues, where accumulating evidence suggests roles in metabolism and internal nutrient sensing [<span>1</span>]. Therefore, epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional changes in chemosensory receptors may influence food intake and metabolic outcomes through pathways that are not mediated by altered gustatory perception per se.</p><p>Taste buds exhibit a highly organized molecular architecture composed of multiple, functionally distinct cell types that together enable the detection and transduction of gustatory stimuli. Each cell type is defined by unique transcriptional signatures,","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1193-1195"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.70199","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-04-05DOI: 10.1002/oby.70169
Michael Lim, Pooja Gokhale, Akwasi Akosah, Lorenzo Villa-Zapata
{"title":"Weight Loss With GLP-1 Agonists in Nondiabetic Adults: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis","authors":"Michael Lim, Pooja Gokhale, Akwasi Akosah, Lorenzo Villa-Zapata","doi":"10.1002/oby.70169","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70169","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) (semaglutide and liraglutide) and one dual agonist (tirzepatide) are FDA-approved for weight loss in adults with obesity without type 2 diabetes mellitus. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of these agents against each other.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A comprehensive search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library was conducted from inception to May 2025. Phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adult patients (≥ 18 years) with at least one arm of tirzepatide, semaglutide, or liraglutide were included. A frequentist random-effects network meta-analysis was performed using R 4.3.3.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Of 1420 articles identified, 15 RCTs with 14,059 patients were included. All agents significantly reduced body weight compared to placebo. The largest reduction occurred with the maximum tolerated dose of tirzepatide, followed by tirzepatide 15 mg and 10 mg, semaglutide 2.4 mg, tirzepatide 5 mg, and liraglutide 3 mg. Tirzepatide and semaglutide were associated with a higher risk of any adverse event compared with placebo, whereas liraglutide was not.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tirzepatide, particularly at higher doses, provides the greatest weight reduction in adults without diabetes. Future studies should evaluate discontinuation, weight regain, metabolic outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and patient preferences.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1210-1229"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.70169","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147625120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-04-28DOI: 10.1002/oby.70204
Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Kimberly Drews, Jamy D. Ard, Tracey L. McLaughlin, Melissa N. Harris, Alexandra Lee, Gary D. Foster, Hyun Jung Lee, Timothy C. Dunn, Corby K. Martin, Frank L. Greenway, Michelle I. Cardel
{"title":"Virtual Weight Management and Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial","authors":"Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Kimberly Drews, Jamy D. Ard, Tracey L. McLaughlin, Melissa N. Harris, Alexandra Lee, Gary D. Foster, Hyun Jung Lee, Timothy C. Dunn, Corby K. Martin, Frank L. Greenway, Michelle I. Cardel","doi":"10.1002/oby.70204","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70204","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examined the effectiveness of behavioral weight management integrated with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) among adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This was a two-arm, parallel, randomized clinical trial. Participants (<i>n</i> = 151) were randomly assigned to intervention (INT; <i>n</i> = 75) or usual care (UC; <i>N</i> = 76). INT participants received a behavioral weight management program tailored for type 2 diabetes and CGM. UC participants received a session with a dietitian and educational materials. The primary outcome was 6-month change in HbA1c%. Additional outcomes included changes in weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, CGM metrics, diabetes stress, and treatment satisfaction.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>INT reduced HbA1c% (−0.87%; 95% CI: −1.17%, −0.57%) more than UC (−0.41%; −0.72%, −0.10%) (difference: −0.46%; −0.89%, −0.03%; <i>p</i> = 0.037). INT had greater reductions in percent body weight compared to UC (difference: −3.2%; −4.9%, −1.5%; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Several CGM metrics improved significantly more in INT than UC, and INT had significantly greater improvements in diabetes treatment satisfaction and regimen-related diabetes stress relative to UC.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Integrating CGM with a digital weight management program produced significantly greater improvements in HbA1c%, body weight, and other glucose metrics compared to UC among adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Trial Registration</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <div>ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05935514\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1254-1264"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147793514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-05-05DOI: 10.1002/oby.70197
Amanda E. Staiano, Paul A. Estabrooks, Gabriela Buccini, Stephen R. Cook, Ann M. Davis, Kirsten Davison, Lauren Fiechtner, William J. Heerman, Jennie L. Hill, Thomas H. Inge, Elissa Jelalian, Aaron S. Kelly, Corby K. Martin, Gabriella M. McLoughlin, Leanne M. Redman, Cara Ruggiero, Justin Ryder, Asheley C. Skinner, Brooke Sweeney, Peter T. Katzmarzyk
{"title":"Disseminating and Implementing the Science of Pediatric Obesity Treatment and Prevention","authors":"Amanda E. Staiano, Paul A. Estabrooks, Gabriela Buccini, Stephen R. Cook, Ann M. Davis, Kirsten Davison, Lauren Fiechtner, William J. Heerman, Jennie L. Hill, Thomas H. Inge, Elissa Jelalian, Aaron S. Kelly, Corby K. Martin, Gabriella M. McLoughlin, Leanne M. Redman, Cara Ruggiero, Justin Ryder, Asheley C. Skinner, Brooke Sweeney, Peter T. Katzmarzyk","doi":"10.1002/oby.70197","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70197","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Pennington Biomedical Research Center convened a scientific symposium in March–April 2025, which brought together leaders in dissemination and implementation science to identify what is known and what is needed to foster the rapid dissemination and implementation of evidence-based, guideline-backed pediatric obesity prevention and treatment interventions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The primary aim of the symposium was to identify effective dissemination and implementation strategies, contextual factors related to strategy selection, and mechanisms of successful intervention reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Through this symposium, the overarching goal was to accelerate the rate of translation of evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity into practice while advancing dissemination and implementation science in settings including health care, schools, and the community.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results and Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This article summarizes the state of the scientific evidence discussed at the symposium, identifies exemplars of implementation-effectiveness trials, and provides recommendations for disseminating and implementing evidence-based pediatric obesity prevention and treatment interventions into typical clinical and community settings.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1196-1209"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-05-14DOI: 10.1002/oby.70200
Jonathan P. Bennett, Michael C. Wong, Yong En Liu, Nisa N. Kelly, Brandon K. Quon, John A. Shepherd
{"title":"Consumer Technologies for Personalized Health: Feasibility of Five-Compartment Body Composition Self-Assessment Using Mobile Devices","authors":"Jonathan P. Bennett, Michael C. Wong, Yong En Liu, Nisa N. Kelly, Brandon K. Quon, John A. Shepherd","doi":"10.1002/oby.70200","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70200","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Monitoring body composition is essential for assessing nutritional status and detecting early muscle loss, yet most methods require clinical settings. This study evaluated a self-assessment model that uses consumer technologies for personalized and data-driven body composition monitoring.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We developed a consumer-accessible five-compartment model that integrates body volume from smartphone-based three-dimensional optical imaging with total body water from smartwatch-based bioelectrical impedance analysis. Body volume and total body water were calibrated against air displacement plethysmography and a clinical-grade bioimpedance system, then combined within a five-compartment framework to estimate fat-free mass and fat mass. Estimates from the accessible model were compared with corresponding five-compartment estimates derived from reference laboratory methods using linear regression and root mean square error.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In 30 adults, smartphone body volume (<i>r</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup> = 0.97, RMSE = 2.65 L) and smartwatch total body water (<i>r</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup> = 0.98, RMSE = 1.54 L) showed strong agreement with laboratory measures but required offset corrections to remove biases. After calibration, fat-free mass and fat mass estimates closely matched the laboratory-derived five-compartment model (<i>r</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup> > 0.96, RMSE = 2.10 kg).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Properly calibrated smartphones and smartwatches can yield multicompartment body composition estimates that closely match laboratory standards and support precise, low-cost monitoring in remote and resource-limited settings.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1243-1253"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147944307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-05-10DOI: 10.1002/oby.70201
Max Treu, Liliana Orellana, Bridget Kelly, Florentine Martino, Kathryn Backholer
{"title":"Effect of Social Media Advertisements on Adolescents' Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Choices: A Randomized Field Experiment","authors":"Max Treu, Liliana Orellana, Bridget Kelly, Florentine Martino, Kathryn Backholer","doi":"10.1002/oby.70201","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70201","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to quantify the impact of adolescents' exposure to unhealthy food marketing in real-world digital environments.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We conducted a single-blinded randomized field experiment including 121 Australian adolescents aged 16–17. A latent class analysis was used to identify personas, and participants were randomized (1:1) to an intervention or control group. Using retargeting pixels, the intervention group was exposed to advertisements for a fictitious sugar-sweetened beverage “Clu” embedded in their feed for 2 weeks. The control group was not exposed to Clu advertisements. An exit survey collected data on purchase intention for Clu. Exposure effect on purchase intention was estimated using logistic regression, reported as a risk ratio.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An intention to purchase Clu was reported by 26.2% of participants (<i>n</i> = 16) in the control and 71.6% in the intervention group (<i>n</i> = 43). Participants in the intervention group were 2.73 times more likely to report intention to purchase Clu than those in the control (RR = 2.73; 95% CI: 1.74–4.28).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Social media advertisements for sugar-sweetened beverages significantly influence adolescents' purchase intentions of the beverages, highlighting digital advertising as a modifiable commercial determinant of dietary risks. These findings underscore the need for policy interventions that address unhealthy food digital marketing to reduce obesity-related behaviors among adolescents.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1322-1330"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.70201","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147871116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-05-05DOI: 10.1002/oby.70214
Keigo Tomoo, Yi Zhang, Ariana Zoe Diaz Portalatin, Gregory C. Henderson
{"title":"The Plasma Free Fatty Acid Carrier Proteome is Altered in Diet-Induced and Genetically Obese Mice","authors":"Keigo Tomoo, Yi Zhang, Ariana Zoe Diaz Portalatin, Gregory C. Henderson","doi":"10.1002/oby.70214","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70214","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We aimed to examine the effect of obesity on the plasma free fatty acid (FFA) carrier proteome in mice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>From 6 to 20 weeks of age, male and female C57BL/6J wild-type mice were fed either a low-fat diet (10% of kilocalories from fat) or a high-fat diet (60% of kilocalories from fat), and leptin-deficient ob/ob mice were fed a low-fat diet. Plasma FFA carrier proteins were isolated using a fatty acid pulldown assay and detected by proteomics. Plasma proteins and lipoprotein particles were separated by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Hepatic gene expression was quantified by qPCR.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In each sex, 284 FFA carrier proteins were detected, with dozens of differentially abundant proteins between lean and obese groups. We identified eight proteins that exhibited altered abundance in both models of obesity for both sexes, with the majority transcribed in the liver. Interestingly, proteins with lower or higher abundance in the plasma FFA carrier proteome in obesity showed correspondingly altered gene expression in the liver. Furthermore, FFAs coeluted with lipoprotein particles in FPLC fractions, with accentuated FFA levels in the low-density lipoprotein fractions in obesity.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Obesity remodels the spectrum of plasma FFA carriers, potentially via changes in gene expression and lipoprotein abundance.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1300-1313"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.70214","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147848088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ObesityPub Date : 2026-06-02Epub Date: 2026-04-13DOI: 10.1002/oby.70177
Jenna R. Cummings, Ashley N. Gearhardt
{"title":"Can We Change How We Think Food Will Make Us Feel?","authors":"Jenna R. Cummings, Ashley N. Gearhardt","doi":"10.1002/oby.70177","DOIUrl":"10.1002/oby.70177","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The standard approach to reducing obesity is providing information on healthy eating. However, we know from 40+ years of psychological research that a major reason why people overeat—particularly foods high in energy, fat, sugar, and/or salt (HFSS)—is because they want to feel differently emotionally, even when aware of costs to their physical health. Simultaneously, the food industry continues designing novel HFSS and advertisements that stimulate positive emotions. In this Perspective, we share the science behind food-related emotional expectancies and discuss how we might change these expectancies to improve physical and mental health.</p><p>According to expectancy theory, predictions about how a behavior makes one feel motivates that behavior; for example, expecting alcohol use makes one feel positive emotions leads to more frequent and heavier drinking [<span>1</span>]. Food-related emotional expectancies are predictions about how food intake will make one feel [<span>2</span>]. Since population health could improve if people ate less HFSS and more nutrient-rich foods like fruit and vegetables, our group has investigated expectancies that HFSS intake will make one feel happy, comforted, etc., and fruit and vegetable intake will make one feel down, bored, etc. Across three cross-sectional studies (<i>n</i>'s = 108–718), greater positive HFSS expectancies were associated with eating behavior, including low diet quality assessed by 24-h dietary recalls [<span>2</span>]. Increasing positive HFSS expectancies in an experiment (<i>n</i> = 200) caused greater HFSS intake in the laboratory [<span>2</span>].</p><p>Expectancies form through personal learning [<span>1</span>], so each time we eat a new food we create an expectancy based on how we feel. Ingesting industry-formulated HFSS engages neural reward circuitry and alters gut-brain signaling, bodily systems underlying positive emotional responses [<span>3</span>]. Industries ensure HFSS are accessible where we experience other positive emotions (e.g., cinemas), which further associates positive emotions with HFSS intake. Moreover, alcohol expectancies are observed in children who have never had a sip of alcohol, demonstrating the power of social learning in expectancy formation [<span>1</span>]; this is concerning because advertisements teach us early on about the emotional benefits of HFSS intake. “Once you pop, the fun don't stop” and “Comfort in every bar” are just a few examples of campaigns targeting consumers' positive HFSS expectancies, and there are ones concurrently targeting negative expectancies for eating nutrient-rich foods including “Eat like a man” and “You're not you when you're hungry.” A meta-analysis (<i>N</i> = 371) showed brain responses to food advertising are observed in areas related to emotional processing [<span>4</span>]. Therefore, beyond creating products that reinforce eating via post-ingestion effects, the food industry creates product environments and advertise","PeriodicalId":215,"journal":{"name":"Obesity","volume":"34 6","pages":"1190-1192"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.70177","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147679855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}