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Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is among the most prevalent eating disorders worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive consumption of palatable foods in short periods, accompanied by a sense of loss of control and distress around the episode, which tends to worsen over time. The mesolimbic dopaminergic system influences on reinforcement and reward-seeking behaviors is implicated in the disorder's pathogenesis. Animal models that replicate the clinical conditions observed in humans, including the disorder progression, are essential for understanding the underlying physiological mechanisms of BED. This study aimed to evaluate binge eating behavior induced by intermittent High Sugar and Butter (HSB) diet access in mice, their phenotypes, transcriptional regulation of mesolimbic dopaminergic system genes, and behavior. Thus, mice were subdivided into three groups: CHOW (maintenance diet only), HSB-i (maintenance diet with thrice-weekly access to HSB), and HSB (continuous access to HSB). Animals were subjected to marble-burying and light-dark box behavioral tests, and transcriptional regulation was evaluated by RT-qPCR. The results indicated that the HSB-i group established a feeding pattern of significantly more kilocalories on days when HSB was available and reduced intake on non-HSB days similar to human binge eating. Over time, binge episodes intensified, potentially indicating a tolerance effect. Additionally, these animals behave differently towards preferring the HSB diet and exhibited altered transcriptional regulation of the Drd1, Slc6a3, and Lrrk2 genes. Our study provides a mouse model that reflects human BED, showing a progression in binge episodes and mesolimbic dopamine pathway involvement, suggesting targets for future therapeutic interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence of food insecurity among child and adolescent athletics practitioners and to investigate factors associated with exercise performance, dietary habits, body composition, sleep, and socioeconomic status based on food security status., Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and exploratory study conducted in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, between June and July 2023. The convenience sample included children and adolescents (7-17 y old) of both sexes. We evaluated exercise performance, household food insecurity (HFI), dietary-related parameters, and other body composition, lifestyle, and social-related variables. Exercise performance was assessed using the counter movement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), horizontal long jump (HLJ), 50-m sprint test (50-m ST) and throwing strength test (TST). The assessment of HFI was conducted using the food insecurity experience scale (FIES). Comparisons and associations were investigated based on food security status., Results: The total sample size was comprised of 138 children (n = 42; 30.4%) and adolescents (n = 96; 69.6%). We found an association between food security status and sex (X 2 (138,1) = 4.42; P = 0.036). SJ was higher in the food security group than in the HFI group (t (117) = 2.112; P = 0.037; ES = 0.39). Sleep- and dietary-related factors did not differ between the groups., Conclusions: In summary, the prevalence of HFI among child and adolescent athletics participants was approximately 40%. Regarding exercise performance, SJ was better in the food security group than in the HFI group. Concerning dietary-related data, the HFI group had a lower number of meals per day than the food security group, and other dietary data did not differ between the groups. Body composition and sleep-related parameters were similar between the groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)