Sensitization of the reinforcing value of food as a predictor of weight change in adolescents

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The adolescent brain is driven to seek out novel reinforcers, but the areas of the brain involved in impulse control and executive function remain immature until early adulthood. This may make adolescents particularly susceptible to overeating and weight gain. Motivation to eat, or reinforcing value, is a strong predictor of energy consumption and adiposity. Understanding factors that lead to higher levels of the reinforcing value of food is a critical first step toward developing novel treatment and prevention strategies for obesity. Our previous work has shown that repeated intake of snack foods, such as potato chips and chocolate candy, decreases the reinforcing value of that snack food in non-obese adults, but increases the reinforcing value of that snack food in a subset of obese adults. To date, this relationship has been demonstrated in cross-sectional studies. In addition, our preliminary data, presented in this application, suggest that individuals who increase responses for healthier snack foods (energy density