Functional MRI of food temptations: Effects of temptation exposure on the activation of reward and conflict areas in the brain.

In terms of self-regulation, people respond differently to weak and strong food
temptations. Strong temptations have been found to trigger defensive
self-regulation processes, assisting successful resistance of temptation. On
the contrary and quite paradoxically, weak temptations do not trigger
self-regulation and are therefore more easily indulged. Presumably, the
negative consequences of weak temptations with respect to the weight watching
goal are underestimated, thereby failing to trigger the *alarm system*. It is
yet unclear, however, at what level of cognitive processing a difference
appears between weak and strong temptations. Research on the brain regions
triggered by exposure to weak and strong food temptations can provide insights
into the mechanisms underlying temptation resistance vs. indulgence.

Our main objective is to compare the effects of weak and strong food
temptations on the activation of reward and conflict areas in the brain.

A randomized intervention study with two conditions: weak temptations vs.
strong temptations.

The study is non-therapeutic to participants, poses a minimal burden, and
involves no significant risks. Knowledge about brain activation in response to
food temptations is essential for our understanding of indulgence or resistance
of temptations. Young females compose a particularly suitable population for
this study, as they are known to be concerned about their weight (e.g., Wardle,
Haase, & Steptoe, 2006) and often adopting healthy eating as a subgoal to
achieve weight loss or maintenance (e.g., Serdula et al., 1999).