Hedonic Hunger Is Associated with Intake of Certain High-Fat Food Types and BMI in 20- to 40-Year-Old Adults

Abstract

Background: Hedonic hunger occurs in response to a desire to consume food for pleasure. The μ-opioid system regulates the hedonic impact of food and the opioid receptor mu 1 gene (OPRM1) polymorphism has been associated with fat intake.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether the intake of high-fat food is associated with hedonic hunger and the OPRM1 polymorphism and whether these variables are related to BMI.

Methods: Participants were 20- to 40-y-old women and men enrolled in Poznań, Poland in 2016-2018. The frequency of consumption of high-fat food was measured using a validated application for mobile devices. Hedonic hunger was assessed with the use of the Power of Food Scale (PFS). PFS1, PFS2, and PFS3 scores were generated for food available, food present, and food tasted, respectively. Genotyping of rs1799971 in the OPRM1 gene was performed using TaqMan probes. The associations were analyzed using linear regression or logistic regression, as appropriate.

Results: Hedonic hunger scores were not associated with total high-fat food intake. Total PFS was associated with snack intake (β: 0.16, P = 0.0066). PFS1 was positively associated with healthy high-fat food intake (β: 0.27, P = 0.0001) and PFS2 with sweet high-fat food and fast-food intake (β: 0.27, P = 0.0030). OPRM1 genotype and hedonic hunger interacted on fast-food intake (β: -0.17; P < 0.0154). Total PFS and PFS2 increased the chance of having a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.01; P = 0.0335 and OR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.37, 2.61; P = 0.0001, respectively), whereas PFS3 decreased it (OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.87; P = 0.0082).

Conclusions: Hedonic hunger is associated with the intake of selected types of high-fat food, but not with its total intake, in people aged 20-40 y. Associations between hedonic hunger and fast-food intake can be modified by OPRM1 genotype. Hedonic hunger is associated with BMI.

Keywords: OPRM1; food choice; gene polymorphism; hedonic hunger; high-fat products.