# Noshing on Chocolate, I Can Do That: Increased Chocolate Consumption in the Chocolate‐Modified Bogus Taste Test With Better and Not Worse Inhibitory Control

## TL;DR

This study explores how people control their chocolate consumption using cognitive mechanisms during a taste test, finding that inhibitory control is better, not worse, in those with high chocolate cravings.

## Contribution

The study reveals that inhibitory control is enhanced in high chocolate cravers during a taste test, challenging assumptions about self-regulation in food cravings.

## Key findings

- Participants showed more controlled movement toward chocolate compared to neutral cues, with lower peak acceleration and velocity.
- Faster stopping latency was observed in response to chocolate cues, indicating better inhibitory control.
- Elastic net models underestimated food intake by at least 160 kcal, highlighting the complexity of predicting consumption behavior.

## Abstract

Chocolate is the most craved energy‐dense food. Yet, most individuals can limit their chocolate consumption. Here, we investigate the cognitive mechanisms underlying chocolate consumption in a chocolate bogus taste test in a cross‐sectional experimental design.

High chocolate cravers abstained from chocolate for a week, followed by a virtual reality chocolate exposure with biometric trajectory recordings of their stopping responses and an ad‐libitum bogus taste test of spontaneous chocolate intake. A single‐target implicit association task and a computerised stop‐signal task served as unstandardised control tasks 1–2 days before chocolate intake.

Associations of parameters from all tasks with chocolate intake were small (|r| < 0.23). Elastic net models misestimated food intake by min. 160 kcal (generalisation: 180 kcal) and feature selection was only possible with L1 penalty. At the group level, participants showed a more controlled and delayed movement towards chocolate relative to neutral cues, evidenced by lower peak acceleration and peak velocity and faster stopping latency.

The findings demonstrate the complex cognitive‐behavioural underpinnings of food intake, food craving and abstinence.