The Impact of Negative Social Feedback on Wanting and Liking of Food Pictures in Anorexia Nervosa.

OBJECTIVE

Negative emotional states have been found to predict food cravings and consumption in the general population. People with a persistent tendency to restrict food intake, however, might be eating less when sad, angry, or stressed. In this study, the impact of inducing a negative emotional state through social exclusion on wanting and liking of food pictures was explored in patients with anorexia nervosa.

METHOD: 43 patients with anorexia nervosa and 22 healthy controls completed a computerised social rejection and food appraisal task. Participants viewed short videos in which a stranger made either a negative comment directed toward them or a neutral comment. After each video, participants rated their affective state, as well as their wanting and liking for pictures of high-calorie foods.

RESULTS

Participants in both groups experienced greater negative affect after viewing the negative videos compared to the neutral ones. They also reported lower wanting for high-calorie foods following negative videos, while no significant effects were observed for liking scores. Interestingly, patients with higher body mass index exhibited a greater reduction in both food wanting and liking following negative videos.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that negative social interactions can exacerbate restrictive behaviours, especially in patients who are recovering weight during treatment.