Link Between Anhedonia, Reward Dysfunction, and Eating Behavior Across Mental and Physical Health Conditions: A Narrative Review

Background/Objectives: Anhedonia, the inability to derive pleasure from typically enjoyable activities, is prevalent in psychiatric and neurological disorders, and is linked to conditions such as obesity and eating disorders. Simultaneously, characteristics of altered eating behavior have been observed amongst these segments, yet the link between anhedonia and eating behavior, and its mechanisms remain underexplored. Methods: This current narrative review synthesizes evidence for a relationship between pleasure perception and eating behavior among individuals with anhedonic traits, emphasizing the role of reward processing and its variations across different segments. Results: Our narrative review identified specific segments with anhedonic traits and described the link to characteristics of their eating behavior. Conclusions: This research can significantly contribute to a better understanding of the differences in the relationship between pleasure and eating behavior amongst individuals with anhedonic traits, which is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies for individuals affected by anhedonia and disturbed eating.