Retraining automatic action tendencies in obesity

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 192; pp. 50 - 58
• Main Authors: Mehl, Nora, Mueller-Wieland, Lara, Mathar, David, Horstmann, Annette
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2018
• Subjects: Approach bias; Approach-avoidance task; Cognitive bias modification; Eating behavior; Obesity; Obesity; Approach-avoidance task; Approach bias; Eating behavior; Cognitive bias modification
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.03.031

Eating behavior in obesity resembles addictive disorders in that individuals have difficulties inhibiting problematic eating behavior. They show an approach bias – a tendency to approach rather than avoid problematic stimuli. Here, we investigate the existence of such a bias towards healthy and unhealthy food in individuals with normal-weight and obesity. We further aimed to assess whether it is possible to retrain a bias, and whether training would differentially affect our two weight groups. 60 participants completed a training form of the Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) on three consecutive days. Using a joystick, they were implicitly trained to approach healthy and to avoid unhealthy food pictures. Prior to training, individuals with obesity showed stronger approach tendencies towards food pictures than normal-weight individuals. In individuals with obesity, approach tendencies could be diminished for unhealthy food through one training session and stayed weakened for the following days. In normal-weight participants, approach tendencies towards healthy food could be enhanced over the days of training. Findings indicate that automatic approach tendencies can be changed through training, thus offering possibilities for obesity treatment. Future studies should expand on these findings, for example by including pictures of neutral objects or a no-training control condition. •Obese and normal-weight individuals differ regarding automatic behavior towards food.•Obese vs. normal-weight individuals show an approach bias towards food in general.•Automatic behavior can be modified using the Approach-Avoidance Task.•Cognitive bias modification could be a useful tool for obesity treatment.