Biobehavioral Reward Responses Associated With Consumption of Nutritionally Diverse Ultra-Processed Foods

The changing food environment, with increasingly abundant ultra-processed food (UPF) options, may directly contribute to rising rates of obesity, though it is unknown which ingredients in UPF elevate their reinforcing nature in a way that may lead to overconsumption. The proposed study is the first to systematically examine differences in the rewarding characteristics of and physiological and metabolic responses to UPFs that are high in fat, refined carbohydrates (like sugar), or both. Understanding the biobehavioral underpinnings that enhance the reinforcing potential of ingredients in UPF (e.g., fat vs. refined carbohydrates) can inform novel intervention targets for the treatment of overeating and obesity.

NCT Number	NCT05437809
Lead Sponsor	Oregon Research Institute Collaborators: Oregon Research Institute Community and Evaluation Services
Conditions	Obesity, Overeating, Food Addiction
Enrollment	50 participants
Start Date	2023-02-20
Primary Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-03-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-12