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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Eating Behavior
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1468984

Differential Exposure to Palatable Food and Its Effects on Binge-Like Eating Behavior in Adolescent Rats

Provisionally accepted
Maria Elena Chavez-Hernandez Maria Elena Chavez-Hernandez 1Luis Miguel Rodriguez Luis Miguel Rodriguez 2*Daniel Díaz-Urbina Daniel Díaz-Urbina 2Sinuhé Muñóz-Sánchez Sinuhé Muñóz-Sánchez 1Mario Humberto Buenrostro-Jáuregui Mario Humberto Buenrostro-Jáuregui 1*Rodrigo Erick Escartín-Pérez Rodrigo Erick Escartín-Pérez 2*
  • 1 Ibero American University, Mexico City, México, Mexico
  • 2 Faculty of Higher Education Iztacala, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Tlalnepantla, Mexico

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction. Consumption of palatable food (PF) can lead to chronic overconsumption and obesity. Furthermore, adolescents may be vulnerable to excessively reinforcing foods, which increases the probability of developing overweight and obesity in adulthood. The role of PF availability in binge-like intake among adolescents without caloric needs remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate which PF access protocol is the most sensitive to induce increased caloric intake and binge-like eating during adolescence. Methods. We used twenty-four male Wistar rats (30 postnatal days [PND]); standard food and water were provided ad libitum. Rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a) continuous, daily access to PF; b) intermittent, 1-day access/1-day no-access; or c) weekend, 3 daysaccess/4 days no-access. All groups had 1h access to PF (chocolate sandwich cookies). Access protocols were maintained for 6 weeks; afterward, rats underwent a 7-day withdrawal period, and were then evaluated on a binge-eating test. Results. Chronic restricted PF access induces binge-like intake, with intermittent access resulting in the highest binge index. Additionally, caloric intake of PF increases over time during adolescence, with differential effects of intermittent and weekend access. Conclusion. Chronic restricted access to PF during adolescence induces binge-like intake, with differences depending on PF availability. This can lead to chronic overconsumption under non-homeostatic conditions.

    Keywords: adolescence, palatable food, binge-like intake, Hedonic feeding, Overconsumption

    Received: 23 Jul 2024; Accepted: 12 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Chavez-Hernandez, Rodriguez, Díaz-Urbina, Muñóz-Sánchez, Buenrostro-Jáuregui and Escartín-Pérez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Luis Miguel Rodriguez, Faculty of Higher Education Iztacala, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Tlalnepantla, 54090, Mexico
    Mario Humberto Buenrostro-Jáuregui, Ibero American University, Mexico City, 01219, México, Mexico
    Rodrigo Erick Escartín-Pérez, Faculty of Higher Education Iztacala, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Tlalnepantla, 54090, Mexico

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.