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. 2025 Apr 16;17(8):1356.
doi: 10.3390/nu17081356.

Discounting of Hyper-Palatable Foods Is Associated with Eating Motives and Binge Eating Behavior

Joseph S Bellitti  1   2 , Alexa M L'Insalata  1   2 , Tera L Fazzino  1   2
Affiliations

Discounting of Hyper-Palatable Foods Is Associated with Eating Motives and Binge Eating Behavior

Joseph S Bellitti et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: High delay discounting (DD), or the tendency to prefer immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards, has been associated with health risk behaviors. This study examined the DD of hyper-palatable foods (HPFs) and money, and their associations with eating motives and binge eating behavior. Methods: An adult sample (N = 296) completed a DD task with single- and cross-commodity conditions with rewards of money and/or HPF (e.g., HPF now vs. HPF later; HPF now vs. money later). Regression models tested the association between DD, and eating motives and binge eating. Results: DD in the HPF now vs. money later condition was positively associated with the reward enhancement motive (β = 0.291; p = 0.008) and binge eating behavior (β = 0.041; p = 0.017). There were no other significant associations. Conclusions: Decisional impulsivity specific to HPFs (and not decisional impulsivity in general) may be associated with reward-motivated eating and binge eating behavior.

Keywords: binge eating; choice; eating behaviors; food reward; loss of control; motivation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distributions of dependent variables.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect size plot for coping motive outcomes (small and large magnitude).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect size plot for reward enhancement motive outcomes (small and large magnitude). * p < 0.05.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect size plot for binge eating behavior outcomes (small and large magnitudes). ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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