Hedonic eating refers to the consumption of food just for pleasure and not for energetic needs. Endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related compounds play an important role in food-related reward and are likely involved in hedonic eating.

In a previous study we found that in normal weight healthy subjects plasma levels of 2 arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) decreased progressively after food ingestion in both hedonic and non-hedonic eating condition, but they were significantly higher in hedonic eating. Plasma levels of anandamide (AEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), instead, progressively decreased in both eating conditions without significant differences.

In order to investigate the physiology of endocannabinoids in obesity, we assessed the responses of AEA, 2-AG, OEA and PEA to hedonic and non-hedonic eating in obese individuals.

Fourteen satiated obese patients consumed favorite (hedonic eating) and non-favorite (non-hedonic eating) foods in two experimental sessions. During the tests, blood was collected to measure peripheral levels of AEA, 2-AG, OEA and PEA.

Plasma levels of 2-AG progressively decreased in non-hedonic eating whereas they gradually increased after hedonic eating. Plasma levels of AEA decreased progressively in non-hedonic eating, whereas they initially decreased after the exposure to the favorite food and then returned to baseline values after its consumption. The responses of OEA and PEA to favorite and non-favorite food did not show significant differences.

These findings demonstrate that, compared to normal weight healthy subjects, obese subjects exhibit different responses of peripheral endocannabinoids to the ingestion of food for pleasure and this could have implications for the onset/maintenance of obesity.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.