Neural correlates of dietary self-control in healthy adults: A meta-analysis of functional brain imaging studies

Self-control is known to influence food intake and body weight. Neuroimaging studies have used tasks that tap into different aspects of self-control. Here we conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging studies to identify brain regions associated with dietary self-control. Additionally, we tested the effect of task by comparing two widely used paradigms that require either (1) voluntary suppression of an appetitive response to cues, predominantly assessing inhibitory control or (2) food decision-making, where cognitive value modulation is targeted. Core brain regions related to dietary self-control included the anterior insula, inferior and middle frontal gyrus, supplementary motor cortex and parietal cortices. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was among regions that showed reduced activation during self-control as a function of body mass index. In addition, the two types of dietary self-control tasks recruited common brain regions making up the core self-control network as well as distinctive regions belonging predominantly to cingulo-opercular or fronto-parietal network. Taken together, our findings provide evidence for the presence of core brain regions related to dietary self-control as well as the involvement of distinct areas depending on the target process of self-control.