Research paper
Epstein LH, Carr KA, Cavanaugh MD, Paluch RA, Bouton ME. Long-term habituation to food in obese and nonobese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Aug;94(2):371-6. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.009035. Epub 2011 May 18.
Why we cite it
First demonstration of long-term habituation to food in humans, extending the well-established within-meal habituation phenomenon to an across-meal timeframe. An RCT in which 32 premenopausal women (16 obese, 16 nonobese) ate macaroni and cheese five times — either daily for one week or once weekly for five weeks. Daily presentation produced faster habituation and lower energy intake in both groups; weekly presentation did not. This provides the mechanistic flip side of variety research: while variety disrupts habituation and increases intake (csv01, cpi23/csv02, csv03), monotony allows habituation to develop and reduces intake. Suggests that repeating the same meal daily could be a practical weight management strategy.
About the author
Leonard H. Epstein — SUNY Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo. Full profile in csv01. h-index ~106–121, ~40,000–51,000 citations. Pioneer of food reinforcement, behavioral economics of eating, and habituation research.
Mark E. Bouton — BA (Williams College, 1975). PhD (University of Washington, 1980). University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Vermont (entire career 1980–2023). World's foremost expert on extinction learning. Developed the framework for extinction as context-dependent new learning (not erasure of original associations). Identified and characterized the renewal effect. Robert B. Lawson Green & Gold Professor (2011–23). W. Horsley Gantt Medal, Pavlovian Society (2010). Past President, APA Division 6. Fulbright Scholar. Fellow: APA, APS, Society of Experimental Psychologists, Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences (Stanford). ~34,000 citations, 130+ publications. Role on this paper: provided the theoretical framework for habituation/extinction learning.
Katelyn A. Carr — BS Biomedical Sciences + BA Psychology (University at Buffalo, 2008). PhD Neuroscience (University at Buffalo, 2015). At time of paper: early graduate student in Epstein's lab. Currently Assistant Professor, Division of Behavioral Medicine, UB (2023–). ~1,125 citations.
Rocco A. Paluch — Career statistician/data manager in Epstein's lab, UB. Co-author on most Epstein lab publications. ~9,100 citations.