{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T09:59:44Z","timestamp":1781776784553,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781740800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Frequent consumption of foods high in fat and sugar (HFS) has been linked to disrupted appetite regulation (via hippocampal dysfunction) and an increased tendency to continue desiring palatable foods, even when physiologically full. While we have previously shown that motivational drive for such foods can persist when full, it remains unclear whether attentional engagement (i.e., the visual attention captured by palatable foods) shows a similar sustained desire to consume palatable foods when full. Understanding whether attention persists is critical, as attention can powerfully shape food choice and overeating. Methods: This study investigates whether habitual HFS intake was associated with the maintenance of visual attention, motivational responses, and food consumption when satiated. Twenty-four adults aged 18\u201330 years completed a food frequency questionnaire and a bogus taste-rating task once when hungry and again after consuming a standardised meal. Using Tobii Pro Glasses 3 wireless eye-tracking glasses, we measured fixations on real snack foods, and participants rated wanting and liking for each item. Results: Eating a meal significantly reduced total fixations to snack foods, and wanting was more sensitive than liking to physiological state. Fixations were higher for \u2018healthy\u2019 snacks compared to \u2018unhealthy\u2019 snacks, with this effect more pronounced when participants were hungry. Notably, individuals in the low-fat\/low-sugar group showed strong alignment between post-meal decreases in visual attention and decreases in wanting and liking, whereas this coupling was diminished in the high-fat\/high-sugar group. Discussion: Extending previous work into the domain of attention, this study reveals diet-related differences in how visual attention interacts with motivational evaluations of food. The disrupted coupling associated with high-fat\/high-sugar intake suggests potential alterations in attentional and motivational processes supporting appetite regulation. Understanding how diet shapes these cognitive\u2013motivational interactions provides a valuable foundation for future neurocognitive research on overeating and obesity risk.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci16060648","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T08:59:38Z","timestamp":1781773178000},"page":"648","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Is High Fat and Sugar Intake Associated with Disrupted Attentional\u2013Motivational Coupling for Food? Evidence from an Eye Tracking Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0328-1066","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tuki","family":"Attuquayefio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2751, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Olivia Lauren","family":"Aguiar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2751, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bandal","family":"Boutros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2751, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Jacquier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney 2751, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2461-5777","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Richard J.","family":"Stevenson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gesualdo M.","family":"Zucco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2010.12.003","article-title":"Western Diet Consumption and Cognitive Impairment: Links to Hippocampal Dysfunction and Obesity","volume":"103","author":"Kanoski","year":"2011","journal-title":"Physiol. 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