Getting to the heart of food craving with resting heart rate variability in adolescents

Background: There is an epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents. Research into the self-regulatory factors that drive eating behavior is of critical importance. Food craving contributes to overeating and difficulty with weight loss and is strongly correlated with self-regulation. High-frequency heart rate variability (HF HRV) reflects parasympathetic activity and is positively associated with self-regulation. Few studies of HF HRV and food craving have been conducted in adolescents. The current study examined the association between HF HRV and food craving in a large-scale sample of healthy adolescents. Method: Electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded in 134 healthy adolescents aged 10-17 during a 7-min resting state. Participants also completed the Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T). The relative power of HF HRV was calculated. Association between HF HRV and food craving was examined in the context of sex and age. Next, the relative significance of all food craving subscales was considered in relation to HF HRV. Results: HF HRV was inversely correlated with food craving, taking into account sex and age. Considering all the subscales of FCQ-T in relation to HF HRV, the "lack of control over eating" subscale accounted for the most significant variance. Conclusion: This was the first study to evaluate resting HRV and eating behaviors in a large-scale adolescent sample. HF HRV was negatively associated with food craving, with lower HF HRV correlating with higher food craving, especially in the context of diminished control over eating. HF HRV could be a potential biomarker for food craving and food-related self-regulation capacity, and therefore may aid weight management interventions.