Weight Stigma Effect on Neural Control of Appetite

NCT03934424 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2013871
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Appetitive Behavior

Keywords

appetite; fMRI; overweight; obese; weight stigma

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in cerebral blood flow in appetite/reward regions

  BOLD contrast-Measures activity in the brain by detecting changes in cerebral blood flow

  ~1 hour

• Change in cerebral blood flow on self-control regions

  BOLD contrast-Measures activity in the brain by detecting changes in cerebral blood flow

  ~ 1 hour

• Score of perceived appetite

  Scale of 1 to 100 with higher scores indicating greater appetite

  Time 0, before and after fMRI scanning

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Score of Dietary Restraint

  Baseline

• Score of Disinhibition

  Baseline

• Score of perceived Hunger

  Baseline

• Score of Weight stigma experience

  Baseline

• Score of Social support

  Baseline

Study Arms (2)

Weight Stigma

EXPERIMENTAL

Weight stigma, read a weight stigma article for 5-10 minutes on one day

Behavioral: Weight stigma

Ethnic stigma

OTHER

Ethnic stigma, read an ethnic stigma article for 5-10 minutes on one day

Behavioral: Ethnic stigma

Interventions

Weight stigma BEHAVIORAL

Subject will read an article depicting discrimination against individuals with higher body weights for 5-10 minutes on one day

Weight Stigma

Ethnic stigma BEHAVIORAL

Subject will read a control article for weight stigma depicting discrimination against individuals from a minority ethnic group for 5-10 minutes on one day

Ethnic stigma

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Missouri-Columbia: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, Missouri, 65212, United States

Location

Related Publications (10)

• Levy BR, Pilver CE. Residual stigma: psychological distress among the formerly overweight. Soc Sci Med. 2012 Jul;75(2):297-9. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.007. Epub 2012 Apr 3.

  PMID: 22560867 BACKGROUND

• Araiza AM, Wellman JD. Weight stigma predicts inhibitory control and food selection in response to the salience of weight discrimination. Appetite. 2017 Jul 1;114:382-390. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.04.009. Epub 2017 Apr 14.

  PMID: 28416329 BACKGROUND

• Vartanian LR, Porter AM. Weight stigma and eating behavior: A review of the literature. Appetite. 2016 Jul 1;102:3-14. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.01.034. Epub 2016 Jan 29.

  PMID: 26829371 BACKGROUND

• Wu YK, Berry DC. Impact of weight stigma on physiological and psychological health outcomes for overweight and obese adults: A systematic review. J Adv Nurs. 2018 May;74(5):1030-1042. doi: 10.1111/jan.13511. Epub 2017 Dec 8.

  PMID: 29171076 BACKGROUND

• Wott CB, Carels RA. Overt weight stigma, psychological distress and weight loss treatment outcomes. J Health Psychol. 2010 May;15(4):608-14. doi: 10.1177/1359105309355339.

  PMID: 20460417 BACKGROUND

• Almeida L, Savoy S, Boxer P. The role of weight stigmatization in cumulative risk for binge eating. J Clin Psychol. 2011 Mar;67(3):278-92. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20749. Epub 2010 Dec 3.

  PMID: 21254056 BACKGROUND

• Blodorn A, Major B, Hunger J, Miller C. Unpacking the psychological weight of weight stigma: A rejection-expectation pathway. J Exp Soc Psychol. 2016 Mar 1;63:69-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jesp.2015.12.003.

  PMID: 26752792 BACKGROUND

• Wellman JD, Araiza AM, Newell EE, McCoy SK. Weight stigma facilitates unhealthy eating and weight gain via fear of fat. Stigma Health. 2018 Aug;3(3):186-194. doi: 10.1037/sah0000088. Epub 2017 Feb 9.

  PMID: 30221195 BACKGROUND

• Hunger JM, Major B, Blodorn A, Miller CT. Weighed down by stigma: How weight-based social identity threat contributes to weight gain and poor health. Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2015 Jun;9(6):255-268. doi: 10.1111/spc3.12172. Epub 2015 Jun 4.

  PMID: 29225670 BACKGROUND

• Dagher A. Functional brain imaging of appetite. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2012 May;23(5):250-60. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2012.02.009. Epub 2012 Apr 5.

  PMID: 22483361 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity among adults aged 20 and over

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Appetitive Behavior; Overweight; Obesity; Weight Prejudice

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior, Animal; Behavior; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Prejudice; Social Behavior

Study Officials

• Katherene O Anguah

  University of Missouri-Columbia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Research Professor

Model Details: Participants will be randomized to read a weight stigma article or control article and subsequently scanned for fMRI data

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 12, 2019
• First Posted: May 1, 2019
• Study Start: April 10, 2019
• Primary Completion: July 25, 2019
• Study Completion: July 25, 2019
• Last Updated: October 27, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)