Exposure to written content eliciting weight stigmatization: Neural responses in appetitive and food reward regions

Objective Neural activity in food reward‐ and appetite‐related regions was examined in response to high‐calorie (HC), low‐calorie, and non‐food pictures after exposure to written weight stigma (WS) content. Relationships with eating behavior (by Three‐Factor Eating Questionnaire [TFEQ]), blood glucose, and subjective appetite were also explored. Methods Adults with overweight and obesity were randomized to read either a WS (n = 20) or control (n = 20) article and subsequently underwent brain scans while they rated pleasantness of food pictures. Fasting glucose, TFEQ, stigma experiences, and appetite were measured before reading the article, appetite after reading, and glucose and appetite again after the scan. Results A priori region of interest analyses revealed significant group differences in activation to HC > low‐calorie food cues in the caudate and thalamus whereas exploratory whole‐brain analyses suggested significant differences in regions including left insula, left thalamus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, and bilateral middle occipital gyrus and superior parietal lobule (p