Food for thought

Health problems arising from poor food choices are a major socioeconomic burden. Magnifying this problem is the fact that foods rich in calories are often inexpensive and convenient. Understanding what affects our decision making with regard to food is imperative to find solutions and reshape relevant policies.

For this purpose, nine research teams from six countries have joined forces under the aegis of the project NUDGE-IT (The neurobiology of decision-making in eating - Innovative tools). This multidisciplinary consortium comprises leading experts in neurobiology, experimental psychology, functional brain imaging, behavioural economics, computational modelling and health policy.

Determinants of food choice include early-life experience, hereditary factors, stress and lifestyle, the environment, habit and impulsivity, as well as emotion. Understanding their impact and developing appropriate models will aid in evidence-based policymaking to promote healthy eating.

The project is in its first phase and significant inroads have already been made. Translational models are helping researchers determine food choice in early life and how they affect the brain's appetite control pathways. Tests are ongoing in rats and in low-income participants are being recruited for human studies on early-life impact.

Researchers imaged brains during food-related tasks in humans. Food choices were linked to certain brain regions, suggesting that alterations could result in obesity-causing behaviour modifications.

A first, studies in humans revealed the functional networks of the brain subregions that are involved in appetite control. Some key findings include the effect of pre-meal planning, memory for portion size and food variety on regulating our food intake.

NUDGE-IT is working to develop psychophysical tools and computational models to represent food-related decision making and body energy management.

Besides the project website, NUDGE-IT intends to disseminate research outcomes widely through interaction with the public and stakeholders via events such as the British Neuroscience Association's Festival of Neuroscience.

The NUDGE-IT massive open online course will focus on discussing obesity-causing factors, particularly to food and nutrition-related professional groups. This should aid in altering public opinion as well as public health policy. Study outcomes could thus promote healthy eating and improve our general health status.