Food perceptions related to appetite and weight management among individuals with different weight and diabetes status

Food perceptions play a critical role in shaping appetite control and eating behaviour, influencing food choices and energy intake. This study aimed to explore how individuals with varying weight and diabetes status perceive food in relation to appetite and weight management, specifically examining associations with hedonic overeating, successful weight management, healthiness, and satiating capacity. An online survey with 28 food images (7 from each of the combined food categories, i.e., high-fat/sweet, low-fat/sweet, high-fat/savoury, and low-fat/savoury was completed by 349 responders: 90 people with normal weight (NW), 137 with overweight or obesity (OW/OB), and 122 with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes (OW/OB + T2D). Individuals with OW/OB + T2D rated high-fat foods higher for their association with successful weight management compared to other groups, while those with OW/OB scored low-fat sweet foods higher than others. The OW/OB + T2D group generally perceived low-fat foods as less healthy, except for low-fat/sweet foods, where their ratings aligned with those of NW participants. Notably, NW participants rated foods as the most filling across categories, followed by OW/OB, with the OW/OB + T2D group giving the lowest ratings for satiating capacity. These findings suggest that weight and diabetes status influence food perceptions, particularly regarding their perceived healthiness, satiating capacity, and role in successful weight management. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between food perceptions, weight, and diabetes status, emphasizing the importance of tailoring dietary guidelines and interventions to suit the specific characteristics of different groups.