Hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle influence appetite control and eating behaviour. Energy intake varies during the reproductive cycle in humans and animals, with a periovulatory nadir and a luteal phase peak. Patterns of macronutrient selection show less consistency but a number of studies report carbohydrate cravings in the premenstrual phase, particularly in women with...

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is now available as a treatment for epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression. The vagus nerve plays a central role in satiety and short-term regulation of food intake and research suggests a relationship between VNS and weight loss. The underlying mechanisms of this relationship are unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether acute cervica...

BACKGROUND A common obesity-risk variant rs9939609 in the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene was recently shown to affect appetite, and the gene is sensitive to the regulation of amino acids. OBJECTIVE We examined the interaction between FTO genotype and protein intake on the long-term changes in appetite in a randomized controlled trial. DESIGN We genotyped FTO rs9939609 in 737 ov...

The study aimed to investigate the role of mental imagery in the experience of food cravings. A sample of 130 undergraduate students was first asked to recall and rate a previous food craving experience. Second, they were asked to imagine themselves eating their favourite food and to rate the involvement of different sensory modalities. It was found that mental imagery was a key element in both...

A crucial problem in studies involving food cravings is the lack of a psychometrically sound measure for use among overweight and obese populations. The degree to which the Food Cravings Questionnaires-Trait (FCQ-T) and State (FCQ-S) evidenced acceptable psychometric properties among overweight and obese participants was assessed. In study 1, 109 participants completed the FCQ-T and FCQ-S. Item...

The Power of Food Scale (PFS) is a new measure that assesses the drive to consume highly palatable food in an obesogenic food environment. The data reported in this investigation evaluate whether the PFS moderates state cravings, control beliefs, and brain networks of older, obese adults following either a short-term post-absorptive state, in which participants were only allowed to consume wate...

The goal of this paper is to examine whether individual differences in affect intensity predict people's responses to food advertisements. In doing so, we aim to uncover individual differences and situational factors that are associated with higher food cravings and other consumptionrelated responses. Studies 1 and 2 identified three mediators (emotional memories, weak impulse control, and the ...

The Food Cravings Questionnaires are the most commonly used instruments for the assessment of trait and state food craving. Chocolate is the most frequently craved food in Western societies. In the current studies, the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait-reduced (FCQ-T-r) and the Food Cravings Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S) were adapted to capture strong urges for chocolate. In study 1, students (n ...

Food cravings refer to an intense desire to eat specific foods. The Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) is the most commonly used instrument to assess food cravings as a multidimensional construct. Its 39 items have an underlying nine-factor structure for both the original English and Spanish version; but subsequent studies yielded fewer factors. As a result, a 15-item version of the FCQ-...

Trait impulsivity has been suggested as a risk factor for weight gain. However, it is implausible that a construct that does not cover energy intake or expenditure affects fat mass directly. Instead, it is likely that eating-related variables mediate the effect of impulsivity on body mass. In the current study, a serial mediation model tested two eating-related variables (trait food craving and...