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Myers KP, Temple JL. Translational science approaches for food insecurity research. Appetite 2024; 200:107513. [PMID: 38795946 PMCID: PMC11227396 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Food insecurity is a pervasive problem that impacts health and well-being across the lifespan. The human research linking food insecurity to poor metabolic and behavioral health outcomes is inherently correlational and suffers from a high degree of variability both between households and even within the same household over time. Further, food insecurity is impacted by societal and political factors that are largely out of the control of individuals, which narrows the range of intervention strategies. Animal models of food insecurity are being developed to address some of the barriers to mechanistic research. However, animal models are limited in their ability to consider some of the more complex societal elements of the human condition. We believe that understanding the role that food insecurity plays in ingestive behavior and chronic disease requires a truly translational approach, and that understanding the health impacts of this complex social phenomenon requires understanding both its psychological and physiological dimensions. This brief review will outline some key features of food insecurity, highlighting those that are amenable to investigation with controlled animal models and identifying areas where integrating animal and human studies can improve our understanding of the psychological burden and health impacts of food insecurity. In the interest of brevity, this review will largely focus on food insecurity in the United States, as the factors that contribute to food insecurity vary considerably across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Myers
- Department of Psychology, Animal Behavior & Neuroscience Programs, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Temple
- Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Epstein LH, Temple JL, Faith MS, Hostler D, Rizwan A. A psychobioecological model to understand the income-food insecurity-obesity relationship. Appetite 2024; 196:107275. [PMID: 38367912 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Food insecurity, defined by unpredictable access to food that may not meet a person's nutritional needs, is associated with higher BMI (kg/m2) and obesity. People with food insecurity often have less access to food, miss meals and go hungry, which can lead to psychological and metabolic changes that favor energy conservation and weight gain. We describe a conceptual model that includes psychological (food reinforcement and delay discounting) and physiological (thermic effect of food and substrate oxidation) factors to understand how resource scarcity associated with food insecurity evolves into the food insecurity-obesity paradox. We present both animal and human translational research to describe how behavioral and metabolic adaptations to resource scarcity based on behavioral ecology theory may occur for people with food insecurity. We conclude with ideas for interventions to prevent or modify the behaviors and underlying physiology that characterize the income-food insecurity-obesity relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard H Epstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Temple
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Myles S Faith
- Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - David Hostler
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ashfique Rizwan
- Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Morselli LL, Amjad R, James R, Kindel TL, Kwitek AE, Williams JS, Grobe JL, Kidambi S. Diet in Food Insecurity: A Mediator of Metabolic Health? J Endocr Soc 2024; 8:bvae062. [PMID: 38623381 PMCID: PMC11017326 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvae062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Food insecurity (FI) is associated with poor metabolic health. It is assumed that energy intake and diet quality underlie this association. We tested the hypothesis that dietary factors (quantity and quality) mediate the association of FI with excess weight, waist circumference and glycemic control [glycohemoglobin (A1C)]. Methods A mediation analysis was performed on data from the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey using FI as an independent variable; body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and A1C as metabolic outcome variables and total energy intake, macronutrients, and diet quality measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) as potential mediators. Results Despite a greater prevalence of obesity in participants experiencing FI, daily reported energy intake was similar in food-secure and -insecure subjects. In adjusted analyses of the overall cohort, none of the examined dietary factors mediated associations between FI and metabolic outcomes. In race-stratified analyses, total sugar consumption was a partial mediator of BMI in non-Hispanic Whites, while diet quality measures (HEI-2015 total score and added sugar subscore) were partial mediators of waist circumference and BMI, respectively, for those in the "other" ethnic group. Conclusion Dietary factors are not the main factors underlying the association of FI with metabolic health. Future studies should investigate whether other social determinants of health commonly present in the context of FI play a role in this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa L Morselli
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Rabia Amjad
- Center for Advancing Population Science, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Roland James
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Tammy L Kindel
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Anne E Kwitek
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Joni S Williams
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Center for Advancing Population Science, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Justin L Grobe
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Comprehensive Rodent Metabolic Phenotyping Core, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Srividya Kidambi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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Wilbrecht L, Lin WC, Callahan K, Bateson M, Myers K, Ross R. Experimental biology can inform our understanding of food insecurity. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246215. [PMID: 38449329 PMCID: PMC10949070 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Food insecurity is a major public health issue. Millions of households worldwide have intermittent and unpredictable access to food and this experience is associated with greater risk for a host of negative health outcomes. While food insecurity is a contemporary concern, we can understand its effects better if we acknowledge that there are ancient biological programs that evolved to respond to the experience of food scarcity and uncertainty, and they may be particularly sensitive to food insecurity during development. Support for this conjecture comes from common findings in several recent animal studies that have modeled insecurity by manipulating predictability of food access in various ways. Using different experimental paradigms in different species, these studies have shown that experience of insecure access to food can lead to changes in weight, motivation and cognition. Some of these studies account for changes in weight through changes in metabolism, while others observe increases in feeding and motivation to work for food. It has been proposed that weight gain is an adaptive response to the experience of food insecurity as 'insurance' in an uncertain future, while changes in motivation and cognition may reflect strategic adjustments in foraging behavior. Animal studies also offer the opportunity to make in-depth controlled studies of mechanisms and behavior. So far, there is evidence that the experience of food insecurity can impact metabolic efficiency, reproductive capacity and dopamine neuron synapses. Further work on behavior, the central and peripheral nervous system, the gut and liver, along with variation in age of exposure, will be needed to better understand the full body impacts of food insecurity at different stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-1650, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Wan Chen Lin
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kathryn Callahan
- Psychiatric Research Institute of Montefiore and Einstein, Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Melissa Bateson
- Bioscience Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Kevin Myers
- Department of Psychology and Programs in Animal Behavior and Neuroscience, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
| | - Rachel Ross
- Psychiatric Research Institute of Montefiore and Einstein, Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, NY 10467, USA
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Booker JM, Cabeza de Baca T, Treviño-Alvarez AM, Stinson EJ, Votruba SB, Chang DC, Engel SG, Krakoff J, Gluck ME. Dietary Adherence Is Associated with Perceived Stress, Anhedonia, and Food Insecurity Independent of Adiposity. Nutrients 2024; 16:526. [PMID: 38398850 PMCID: PMC10892668 DOI: 10.3390/nu16040526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
We examined whether perceived stress, anhedonia, and food insecurity were associated with dietary adherence during a 6-week intervention. Sixty participants (23 m; 53 ± 14 y) completed psychosocial measures and were provided with full meals. Individuals with obesity were randomized to a weight-maintaining energy needs (WMENs) (n = 18; BMI 33 ± 4) or a 35% calorie-reduced diet (n = 19; BMI 38 ± 9); normal-weight individuals (n = 23; BMI 23 ± 2) were assigned to a WMENs diet. Adherence scores were determined via weekly assessments and daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) of real-time behavior in a natural environment. Perceived stress and anhedonia were associated with % body fat (all r-values > 0.25, all p-values < 0.05), but food insecurity and adherence were not. Higher perceived stress (r = -0.31, p = 0.02), anhedonia (r = -0.34, p = 0.01), and food insecurity (r = -0.27, p = 0.04) were associated with lower adherence scores, even after adjusting for age, sex, and % body fat. In all adjusted models, % body fat was not associated with adherence. Higher measures of stress, anhedonia, and food insecurity predicted lower adherence independently of body fat, indicating that psychosocial factors are important targets for successful adherence to dietary interventions, regardless of body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jetaun M. Booker
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | - Tomás Cabeza de Baca
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | - Andrés M. Treviño-Alvarez
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | - Emma J. Stinson
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | - Susanne B. Votruba
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | - Douglas C. Chang
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | | | - Jonathan Krakoff
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
| | - Marci E. Gluck
- Obesity and Diabetes Clinical Research Section, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; (J.M.B.); (A.M.T.-A.); (E.J.S.); (S.B.V.); (D.C.C.); (J.K.); (M.E.G.)
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Bateson M, Pepper GV. Food insecurity as a cause of adiposity: evolutionary and mechanistic hypotheses. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220228. [PMID: 37661744 PMCID: PMC10475876 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Food insecurity (FI) is associated with obesity among women in high-income countries. This seemingly paradoxical association can be explained by the insurance hypothesis, which states that humans possess evolved mechanisms that increase fat storage to buffer against energy shortfall when access to food is unpredictable. The evolutionary logic underlying the insurance hypothesis is well established and experiments on animals confirm that exposure to unpredictable food causes weight gain, but the mechanisms involved are less clear. Drawing on data from humans and other vertebrates, we review a suite of behavioural and physiological mechanisms that could increase fat storage under FI. FI causes short-term hyperphagia, but evidence that it is associated with increased total energy intake is lacking. Experiments on animals suggest that unpredictable food causes increases in retained metabolizable energy and reductions in energy expenditure sufficient to fuel weight gain in the absence of increased food intake. Reducing energy expenditure by diverting energy from somatic maintenance into fat stores should improve short-term survival under FI, but the trade-offs potentially include increased disease risk and accelerated ageing. We conclude that exposure to FI plausibly causes increased adiposity, poor health and shorter lifespan. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Bateson
- Centre for Healther Lives and Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Gillian V. Pepper
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
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