The proposed project addresses critical gaps in the understanding of the strength, specificity and persistence of neurobehavioral adaptions that occur in the initial period of repeated consumption of a branded sugar sweetened beverage (SSB). Half of Americans consume SSBs on any given day.~Regular SSB intake is considered a contributing factor to excess energy intake, weight gain, and obesity, which impacts 70% of Americans. A contributing factor to repeated SSB consumption is sugar intake causes the release of dopamine (DA) and opioids in the striatum, providing positive reinforcement. As such, multiple brain-based models of food reward-driven obesity have been proposed, largely focusing on the striatum and executive functioning. These brain-based models of obesity have elucidated risk factors for overconsumption of high-sugar foods; however, data supporting these competing models rely heavily on observational studies in small samples.~Importantly, previous reports from the investigators lab and others directly implicate eating behavior patterns as a vital contributor to aberrant neurobehavioral responses to food stimuli. However, without experimental evidence, there are fundamental gaps in the investigators knowledge about the neurobehavioral adaptations that occur as an individual begins to regularly consume a SSB prior to weight change.~As observational data suggest, it is also crucial to examine individual difference factors that may exacerbate or protect against adaptations associated with regular SSB intake, as well as whether these adaptions are specific.
The proposed project will examine the strength, specificity and persistence of neurobehavioral adaptions that occur in the initial period of repeated consumption of a branded sugar sweetened beverage (SSB).