Reward, dopamine and the control of food intake: implications for obesity

Volkow, Nora D.; Wang, Gene-Jack; Baler, Ruben D.

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2010.11.001

Cited by 1,400Regulation of Appetite and ObesityNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorEating Disorders and Behaviors

Reward, dopamine and the control of food intake: implications for obesity

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Volkow, Nora D., Wang, Gene-Jack, Baler, Ruben D.·2011·Trends in Cognitive Sciences

DOI 10.1016/j.tics.2010.11.001PMC PMC3124340

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Abstract

The ability to resist the urge to eat requires the proper functioning of neuronal circuits involved in top-down control to oppose the conditioned responses that predict reward from eating the food and the desire to eat the food. Imaging studies show that obese subjects might have impairments in dopaminergic pathways that regulate neuronal systems associated with reward sensitivity, conditioning and control. It is known that the neuropeptides that regulate energy balance (homeostatic processes) through the hypothalamus also modulate the activity of dopamine cells and their projections into regions involved in the rewarding processes underlying food intake. It is postulated that this could also be a mechanism by which overeating and the resultant resistance to homoeostatic signals impairs the function of circuits involved in reward sensitivity, conditioning and cognitive control.

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Over time, dopaminergic response to food cues becomes conditioned, so even sight, smell, or thought of food can trigger dopamine release and cravings.
“Over time, dopaminergic response to food cues becomes conditioned; eventually even the sight, smell, or thought of food can trigger dopamine release and cravings [15].”
From Smoking and its impact on eating behavior: A review (2026) · cites this paper as [15]
In “Food is a potent natural reward and conditioning stimulus” (page not supplied), the paper says repeated exposure transfers the dopamine response to associated cues such as food smells, and that food cues elicit striatal dopamine increases associated with desire to eat. It also discusses viewing food as a conditioned cue, but our copy does not say that merely thinking about food triggers dopamine release and cravings. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Foods high in sugar, fat and salt increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens and reinforce eating habits, especially during stress or boredom.
“Similarly, foods high in sugar, fat and salt also increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens. Similar to nicotine, highly palatable foods stimulate reward centers and reinforce the habit of eating, especially during stress or boredom.”
From Smoking and its impact on eating behavior: A review (2026) · cites this paper as [15]
The section “Food is a potent natural reward and conditioning stimulus” says that foods rich in sugar and fat are potent rewards that promote eating and conditioning. It also describes increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens on initial exposure to a food reward. Our copy does not extend those findings to salt or say that stress or boredom especially reinforces eating habits. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Both smoking and eating highly palatable foods stimulate the dopamine system, reinforcing these behaviors.
“Both smoking and eating, particularly highly palatable foods stimulate the dopamine system, reinforcing these behaviors.”
From Smoking and its impact on eating behavior: A review (2026) · cites this paper as [15]
In “Food is a potent natural reward and conditioning stimulus” (page not available), the paper says eating palatable food releases dopamine and links dopamine to food reward and motivation to eat. It does not establish the smoking-specific part of the claim; searches for smoking and nicotine found no passage addressing it. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Neuroimaging studies have identified some of the brain mechanisms associated with obesity and food addiction, demonstrating alterations in the core reward network (e.g. nucleus accumbens) and the extended reward network (i.e. emotion regulation, executive control, salience and somatosensory networks).
“Neuroimaging studies have identified some of the brain mechanisms associated with obesity and food addiction 39, 40, demonstrating alterations in the core reward network (e.g. nucleus accumbens) and the extended reward network (i.e. emotion regulation, executive control, salience and somatosensory networks) 41, 42, 43.”
From History of early life adversity is associated with increased food addiction and sex-specific alterations in reward network connectivity in obesity (2019) · cites this paper as [39]
The nucleus accumbens is a central part of the dopamine system, regulating reward sensitivity and controlling processes underlying food intake and food addiction.
“The nucleus accumbens is a central part of the dopamine system, regulating reward sensitivity and controlling processes underlying food intake and food addiction 39.”
From History of early life adversity is associated with increased food addiction and sex-specific alterations in reward network connectivity in obesity (2019) · cites this paper as [39]

The extended reward system involves regions associated with salience and cortical inhibition (prefrontal control) networks.
“The extended reward system involves regions associated with salience and cortical inhibition (prefrontal control) networks 39, 89, 90, 91.”
From History of early life adversity is associated with increased food addiction and sex-specific alterations in reward network connectivity in obesity (2019) · cites this paper as [39]
Food addiction has been implicated in obesity as a result of alterations in the extended reward network; the somatosensory network represents an important component of the extended reward network, playing a key role in interoceptive and sensory awareness and generating appropriate motor responses.
“Food addiction has been implicated in obesity as a result of alterations in the extended reward network 39, 40, 94; the somatosensory network represents an important component of the extended reward network, playing a key role in interoceptive and sensory awareness and generating appropriate motor responses 41, 100, 101.”
From History of early life adversity is associated with increased food addiction and sex-specific alterations in reward network connectivity in obesity (2019) · cites this paper as [39]
The basal ganglia are involved in a range of learning behaviours related to the anticipation and motivation associated with ingestive behaviours.
“The basal ganglia are involved in a range of learning behaviours related to the anticipation and motivation associated with ingestive behaviours 39, 104, 105.”
From History of early life adversity is associated with increased food addiction and sex-specific alterations in reward network connectivity in obesity (2019) · cites this paper as [39]
Anorexigenic peptides such as insulin, leptin, and PYY decrease the sensitivity of the brain reward system to food reward, whereas orexigenic peptides such as ghrelin increase it.
“anorexigenic peptides (e.g. insulin, leptin, PYY) decrease the sensitivity of the brain reward system to food reward, whereas orexigenic ones (e.g. ghrelin) increase it (see review (47)).”
From Obesity and addiction: Neurobiological overlaps (2013) · cites this paper as [47]
Anorexigenic peptides decrease brain reward system sensitivity to food reward, while orexigenic peptides increase it.
“Consistent with preclinical studies, imaging studies have also shown that anorexigenic peptides (e.g., insulin, leptin, peptide YY) decrease the sensitivity of the brain reward system to food reward, whereas orexigenic ones (e.g., ghrelin,) increase it [see review (44)].”
From The Addictive Dimensionality of Obesity (2013) · cites this paper as [44]

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Enhanced resting activity of the oral somatosensory cortex in obese subjects
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Associatively Learned Representations of Taste Outcomes Activate Taste-Encoding Neural Ensembles in Gustatory Cortex
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Should I Stay or Should I Go?
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Synaptic plasticity and depression: new insights from stress and rapid-acting antidepressants
Duman, R. S., Aghajanian, G. K., Sanacora, G., & Krystal, J. H. (2016) · Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/nm.4050 · Cited by 1,750 · see citing works
Gut feelings: the emerging biology of gut-brain communication
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Food cue reactivity and craving predict eating and weight gain: A meta-analytic review
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Food and Drug Reward: Overlapping Circuits in Human Obesity and Addiction
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Energy intake and exercise as determinants of brain health and vulnerability to injury and disease
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Common cellular and molecular mechanisms in obesity and drug addiction
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Anhedonia requires MC4R-mediated synaptic adaptations in nucleus accumbens
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The Addictive Dimensionality of Obesity
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Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Obesity
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Nucleus accumbens response to food cues predicts subsequent snack consumption in women and increased body mass index in those with reduced self-control
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Neural Correlates of Stress- and Food Cue–Induced Food Craving in Obesity
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Role of Adiposity-Driven Inflammation in Depressive Morbidity
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Lower striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor availability in obese compared with non-obese subjects
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The Executive Functions in Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review of Neuropsychological Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies
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“Therefore, our interpretation of diminished DA levels with obesity is consistent with current hypotheses that obesity is a state of reduced DA signaling in reward and motivation circuits (1).”
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Latest approaches for the treatment of obesity
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Positive and negative emotional eating have different associations with overeating and binge eating: Construction and validation of the Positive-Negative Emotional Eating Scale
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Altered structural and effective connectivity in anorexia and bulimia nervosa in circuits that regulate energy and reward homeostasis
Frank, G. K. W., Shott, M. E., Riederer, J., & Pryor, T. L. (2016) · Translational Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/tp.2016.199 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Central insulin modulates food valuation via mesolimbic pathways
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Hindbrain nucleus tractus solitarius glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor signaling reduces appetitive and motivational aspects of feeding
Alhadeff, A. L., & Grill, H. J. (2014) · American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology · doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00179.2014 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Intranasal Insulin Modulates Intrinsic Reward and Prefrontal Circuitry of the Human Brain in Lean Women
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A Role for GLP-1 in Treating Hyperphagia and Obesity
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A Distinct Brain-Gut-Microbiome Profile Exists for Females with Obesity and Food Addiction
Dong, T. S., Mayer, E. A., Osadchiy, V., Chang, C., Katzka, W., Lagishetty, V., Gonzalez, K., Kalani, A., Stains, J., Jacobs, J. P., et al. (2020) · Obesity · doi:10.1002/oby.22870 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Epigenetic control and the circadian clock: Linking metabolism to neuronal responses
Orozco-Solis, R., & Sassone-Corsi, P. (2014) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.01.043 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the Integration of Neural and Endocrine Responses to Stress
Diz-Chaves, Y., Herrera-Pérez, S., González-Matías, L. C., Lamas, J. A., & Mallo, F. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12113304 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Fear as a translational mechanism in the psychopathology of anorexia nervosa
Murray, S. B., Strober, M., Craske, M. G., Griffiths, S., Levinson, C. A., & Strigo, I. A. (2018) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.013 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Overweight and Obesity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Critical Review Investigating the Etiology, Development, and Maintenance of this Relationship
Matheson, B. E., & Douglas, J. M. (2017) · Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s40489-017-0103-7 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Patterns of brain structural connectivity differentiate normal weight from overweight subjects
Gupta, A., Mayer, E. A., Sanmiguel, C. P., Van Horn, J. D., Woodworth, D., Ellingson, B. M., Fling, C., Love, A., Tillisch, K., & Labus, J. S. (2015) · NeuroImage: Clinical · doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2015.01.005 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
What Is Food Noise? A Conceptual Model of Food Cue Reactivity
Hayashi, D., Edwards, C., Emond, J. A., Gilbert-Diamond, D., Butt, M., Rigby, A., & Masterson, T. D. (2023) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu15224809 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Changes in neural responsivity to highly palatable foods following roux‐en‐<scp>Y</scp> gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or weight stability: An f<scp>MRI</scp> study
Faulconbridge, L. F., Ruparel, K., Loughead, J., Allison, K. C., Hesson, L. A., Fabricatore, A. N., Rochette, A., Ritter, S., Hopson, R. D., Sarwer, D. B., et al. (2016) · Obesity · doi:10.1002/oby.21464 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Towards a comprehensive theory of obesity and a healthy diet: The causal role of oxidative stress in food addiction and obesity
Tobore, T. O. (2020) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112560 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
A Neural Circuitry Linking Insulin Resistance to Depressed Mood
Ryan, J. P., Sheu, L. K., Critchley, H. D., & Gianaros, P. J. (2012) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0b013e31824d0865 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Insula tuning towards external eating versus interoceptive input in adolescents with overweight and obesity
Mata, F., Verdejo-Roman, J., Soriano-Mas, C., & Verdejo-Garcia, A. (2015) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.03.024 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Genome-wide meta-analysis of macronutrient intake of 91,114 European ancestry participants from the cohorts for heart and aging research in genomic epidemiology consortium
Merino, J., Dashti, H. S., Li, S. X., Sarnowski, C., Justice, A. E., Graff, M., Papoutsakis, C., Smith, C. E., Dedoussis, G. V., Lemaitre, R. N., et al. (2019) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-018-0079-4 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Towards a “Metabolic” Subtype of Major Depressive Disorder: Shared Pathophysiological Mechanisms May Contribute to Cognitive Dysfunction
Liu, C., Carvalho, A., & McIntyre, R. (2015) · CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets · doi:10.2174/1871527313666141130204031 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Links between traumatic experiences in childhood or early adulthood and lifetime binge eating disorder
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Pilot randomized trial demonstrating reversal of obesity-related abnormalities in reward system responsivity to food cues with a behavioral intervention
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Authors: Volkow, N. D., Wang, G.-J., & Baler, R. D.
Affiliations: National Institutes of Health (US)
Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
Corresponding author: Volkow, Nora D.
ORCID: Volkow, Nora D.
Wang, Gene-Jack
Venue: Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2011-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Pages: 37-46
ISSN: 1364-6613 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.11.001
PMC: PMC3124340
OpenAlex: W1993305928
Cited by: 1,400
References: 110
Citations by year: 2026: 82 · 2025: 87 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 64 · 2022: 90 · 2021: 109 · 2020: 158 · 2019: 111 · 2018: 104 · 2017: 101 · 2016: 86 · 2015: 97 · 2014: 87 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 53
FWCI: 4.43
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Trends in Cognitive Sciences (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (ZIAAA000550)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
Keywords: food reward, dopamine, food intake regulation, obesity, overeating, homeostatic regulation, neuropeptides, hypothalamus, dopaminergic pathways, cognitive control, energy balance
MeSH terms: Brain, Cognition, Conditioning, Psychological, Dopamine, Eating, Humans, Obesity, Reward

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Reward, dopamine and the control of food intake: implications for obesity

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