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1.
Demystifying wine tasting: Cognitive psychology's contribution.
Parr, WV
Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). 2019;:230-233
Abstract
Over recent decades, cognitive psychology has made a significant contribution to our understanding of wine-tasting phenomena. At the most fundamental level the discipline's contribution has made us aware that even an apparently 'simple' judgment, such as noting that a wine's odour reflects over-ripe fruit, involves not just our nose but sophisticated cognitive processing. With its information-processing model of how people interact with their surrounding world, and its methodologies and theories regarding how we perceive, conceptualise, remember, image, make judgments, and communicate our experiences, cognitive psychology has markedly advanced our understanding of wine tasting and wine tasters. This review highlights notable wine sensory research outcomes that make evident the importance of a taster's cognitive processes in their wine analysis and appreciation. These include data providing evidence for colour-flavour perceptual bias, prototypical thinking, knowledge-based wine judgments, the close links between olfactory memory, autobiographical memory and emotion, and the notion of wine expertise. Further, it will be argued that such data demonstrate how a consensus model, still dominant in much wine sensory analysis, is limited at best and inappropriate for sensory analysis of complex products such as wine in many contexts. Critical to this argument is appreciating that differences amongst tasters, reflecting each individual's physiology, experience and knowledge, are valid data in themselves rather than 'error in the machine' as they were conceptualised within traditional consensus models of sensory analysis. The article terminates with reference to a promise for even greater understanding of wine tasting phenomena that the future offers by links between cognitive psychology's behavioural data and recent technological advances in neuropsychology and neurophysiology (e.g., cerebral imaging techniques).
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2.
Individual differences in appeal of energy dense foods predicts lower body mass change during adolescence.
Sadler, JR, Stice, E, Shearrer, GE, Burger, KS
Appetite. 2019;:184-190
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Abstract
Highly energy dense foods are often synonymous with high palatability, excess intake and weight gain. However, food preferences show individual differences. Food preferences are closely related to food intake, which can impact weight change over time. We examined whether the energy density of food images rated as appetizing and unappetizing foods related to baseline BMI and change in BMI over 3-year follow-up (n = 117; 45% Male, Baseline BMI: 21.1 ± 1.9. Participants completed hedonic visual analog scales (-100 to 100) ratings of 103 food images, and reported dietary intake at baseline, and had their height and weight directly measured over 3-year follow-up. Energy density (ED) of the food depicted in each image was calculated. For each participant, food images (kcal/g) were categorized into appetizing (32 images) and unappetizing foods (32 images) based on each individual's hedonic ratings. We observed significant interaction between energy density and hedonic value driven by an inverse relation between unappetizing food energy density and BMI change (p = 0.008). Specifically, participants who rated higher energy dense foods as unappetizing showed less weight gain (β= -0.83; p = 0.00052). There was no significant relation between the energy density of appetizing foods and weight change (p = 0.67), suggesting that dislike of highly energy dense foods more strongly associates with lower weight gain than preference for low energy dense foods. Post-hoc analyses revealed that individuals with a higher preference for low energy density foods showed less weight gain over 3-years (β = - 0.007, p = 0.02). Results support the idea that individual hedonic ratings for foods varying in energy density is a determinant of weight change in adolescents and may represent an important intervention target for obesity prevention programs.
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Modelling positive consequences: Increased vegetable intakes following modelled enjoyment versus modelled intake.
Appleton, KM, Barrie, E, Samuel, TJ
Appetite. 2019;:76-81
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Modelling has previously been demonstrated to encourage healthy eating, but the importance of modelling the behaviour versus modelling the positive consequences of the behaviour is unknown. This work investigated the impact of modelling carrot intake (the behaviour) and modelling carrot enjoyment (the positive consequences) on subsequent liking and consumption of carrots and sweetcorn. METHODS 155 children aged 7-10 years were randomized to hear a story where fictional characters consumed a picnic with either: no mention of carrot sticks (control) (N = 45); mention of carrot sticks that all characters ate (modelling intake) (N = 60); or mention of carrot sticks that the characters like (modelling enjoyment) (N = 50). Carrot and sweetcorn liking and intake were measured before and after the story during a 5 min task. RESULTS Carrot liking and intake after a story were higher following the story modelling carrot enjoyment compared to the stories not modelling enjoyment (smallest β = 0.16, p = 0.05), and in those with higher pre-story carrot liking and intake (smallest β = 0.25, p < 0.01). Sweetcorn liking and intake after a story were associated with pre-story sweetcorn liking and intake (smallest β = 0.28, p < 0.01), and sweetcorn intake was lower following the story modelling carrot enjoyment compared to the stories not modelling enjoyment (β = -0.17, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate a role for modelling enjoyment to encourage vegetable liking and intake, although effects sizes were small. These findings also suggest a benefit from modelling the positive consequences of a behaviour for encouraging healthy food intake in children, while limited effects were found for modelling the behaviour itself.
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A systematic review of practices to promote vegetable acceptance in the first three years of life.
Barends, C, Weenen, H, Warren, J, Hetherington, MM, de Graaf, C, de Vries, JHM
Appetite. 2019;:174-197
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BACKGROUND Although most children do not meet vegetable intake recommendations no clear universal guidelines exist on the best method of introducing and promoting vegetables in infants. OBJECTIVE To identify strategies to promote vegetable acceptance in children from the start of complementary feeding until 3 years of age. DESIGN A comprehensive search strategy was performed using the databases Scopus and Pubmed. Articles published before March 2018 measuring vegetable intake and/or liking were included. RESULTS 46 papers, 25 experimental (intervention) studies, and 21 observational studies were included. Intervention studies revealed that repeated exposure increased acceptance of the target vegetable, whereas exposure to variety was found to be particularly effective in increasing acceptance of a new vegetable. Starting complementary feeding with vegetables increased vegetable acceptance, whereas starting with fruits did not. Visual exposure to an unfamiliar vegetable increased the acceptance of that vegetable even without consuming it, while visual exposure to a familiar vegetable did not. A stepwise introduction of vegetables resulted in better initial acceptance of vegetables than introducing vegetables directly. Observational studies showed that vegetable consumption was associated with frequency of exposure, exposure to variety, and modelling. A majority of studies found a positive association between breastfeeding and vegetable acceptance, but only two out of seven studies found an association between age of vegetable introduction and their acceptance. CONCLUSIONS Based on the papers reviewed, we conclude that introducing vegetables at the beginning of complementary feeding, giving a different type of vegetable every day and ensuring repeated exposure to the same vegetable following an interval of a few days are the most promising strategies to promote vegetable intake in children starting complementary feeding until they are 3 years of age.
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Mobile Phone Text Message Intervention on Diabetes Self-Care Activities, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Awareness, and Food Choices among Type 2 Diabetes Patients.
Nepper, MJ, McAtee, JR, Wheeler, L, Chai, W
Nutrients. 2019;(6)
Abstract
This study examines the effects of educational text messages on diabetes self-care activities, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk awareness, and home food availabilities related to food choices among patients with type 2 diabetes. Quasi-experimental design was used with 40 patients (58.0 ± 10.6 years) in the intervention group and 39 (55.7 ± 12.2 years) in the control group. In addition to the usual care provided for all participants, the intervention group received three educational text messages weekly for 12 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention measures were collected for both groups. Ninety-four percent of the participants receiving text messages indicated the usefulness of this program. The intervention group either maintained the same level or demonstrated small improvements in diabetes self-care activities after the intervention. Significant increases in scores of CVD risk awareness (57% increase; p = 0.04) and availabilities of fresh fruits (320% increase; p = 0.01) and fresh vegetables (250% increase; p = 0.02) in the home and weekly total (16% increase; p = 0.02) and moderate/vigorous (80% increase; p = 0.006) physical activity levels were observed for the intervention group relative to the control group. The pilot results suggest the feasibility and usefulness of the text message program for diabetes education. The study is registered with Clinical Trials.gov (NCT03039569).
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It's all in the timing: The effect of a healthy food cue on food choices from a pictorial menu.
Tonkin, M, Kemps, E, Prichard, I, Polivy, J, Herman, CP, Tiggemann, M
Appetite. 2019;:105-109
Abstract
The contemporary food-rich environment has been consistently linked to unhealthy eating. Emerging research suggests that changing the presentation context of unhealthy foods by introducing a subtle nudge in the form of a healthy food cue may promote healthier dietary choices. This study investigated the effect of the timing of a healthy food cue (before or simultaneously with food options) on food choices. Participants (n = 210) were presented with a pictorial café-style menu displaying a healthy food cue (basket of fruit and vegetables) either on the menu cover or inside the menu, or they received a control menu. Participants were asked to make one choice from each of three menu sections (meals, beverages, afters), and then completed a measure of dietary restraint. As predicted, participants chose a greater proportion of healthy food from the healthy-cue-before menu compared to both the healthy-cue-simultaneous and control menus. Furthermore, this effect was stronger for restrained eaters. The findings demonstrate that the timing of presentation of a healthy food cue is critical, and could be used to inform the design of menus in real-world environments, such as cafés and fast-food outlets, to promote healthier dietary choices.
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Hydration status affects thirst and salt preference but not energy intake or postprandial ghrelin in healthy adults: A randomised crossover trial.
Carroll, HA, Templeman, I, Chen, YC, Edinburgh, R, Burch, EK, Jewitt, JT, Povey, G, Robinson, TD, Dooley, WL, Buckley, C, et al
Physiology & behavior. 2019;:112725
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BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the effect of hydration status on appetite for food in healthy adults. Prior work suggests hydration status does not alter appetite or energy intake, with mixed findings regarding appetite hormone secretion. However, an extensive investigation into both the psychological and physiological appetitive responses to hydration status has never been conducted. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of hydration status on multiple facets of appetite. DESIGN After 3 days pre-trial standardization, a range of appetite tasks were conducted when hypohydrated (HYPO) and euhydrated (EUHY) in 16 healthy participants (8 men). Hydration status was manipulated via dehydration in a heat tent for 60 min and subsequent fluid restriction (HYPO) or replacement (EUHY). The next day, a food reward computer task was completed followed by an ad libitum pasta meal. Pre- and post-prandial visual analogue scales assessing hunger, fullness, and flavour desires (sweet, salty, savoury and fatty) were additionally completed. Blood samples were taken the previous day before the hydration interventions in a euhydrated state, and in the fasted and post-prandial state during HYPO and EUHY. RESULTS HYPO induced -1.9 ± 1.2% body mass change, compared to -0.2 ± 0.6% , with accompanying changes in markers of hypohydration which were not seen during EUHY. A higher desire for foods was associated with a higher water content but the association was weaker in EUHY compared to HYPO, (β= -0.33 mm/g of food water content, p < 0.001) in the food reward task. Visual analogue scales showed similar hunger and fullness between interventions, but during HYPO there was consistently higher thirst (average range in difference 27-32 mm across all time points) and lower fasted desire for salt (-23, 95% CI -10, -35 mm). Ad libitum energy intake (HYPO 1953 ± 742 kJ, EUHY 2027 ± 926 kJ; p = 0.542) and post-prandial ghrelin concentrations (HYPO 180 ± 65 pg mL-1, EUHY 188 ± 71 pg mL-1; p = 0.736) were similar by hydration status. CONCLUSIONS An acute manipulation to hydration status altered desire for salt and foods of differing water contents, but did not influence energy intake at an ad libitum pasta meal. Further research should investigate whether these appetites would alter food choice.
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Two observational studies examining the effect of a social norm and a health message on the purchase of vegetables in student canteen settings.
Collins, EIM, Thomas, JM, Robinson, E, Aveyard, P, Jebb, SA, Herman, CP, Higgs, S
Appetite. 2019;:122-130
Abstract
There is some evidence from laboratory-based studies that descriptive social-norm messages are associated with increased consumption of vegetables, but evidence of their effectiveness in real-world settings is limited. In two observational field studies taking an ecological approach, a vegetable-related social norm (e.g. "Did you know that most students here choose to eat vegetables with their meal?"), and a health message (e.g. "Did you know that students who choose to eat vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease?") were displayed in two different student canteens. Purchases were observed during three stages: baseline, intervention (when the posters were displayed) and immediate post-intervention (when the posters had been removed). Study 1 (n = 7598) observed the purchase of meals containing a portion of vegetables and Study 2 (n = 4052) observed the purchase of side portions of vegetables. In Study 1, relative to baseline, the social-norms intervention was associated with an increase in purchases of vegetables (from 63% to 68% of meals; OR = 1.24, CI = 1.03-1.49), which was sustained post-intervention (67% of meals; OR = 0.96, CI = 0.80-1.15). There was no effect of the health message (75% of meals at baseline, and 74% during the intervention; OR = 0.98, CI = 0.83-1.15). In Study 2, relative to baseline, there was an effect of both the social norm (22.9% of meals at baseline, rising to 32.5% during the intervention; OR = 1.62, CI = 1.27-2.05) and health message (rising from 43.8% at baseline to 52.8%; OR = 0.59, CI = 0.46-0.75). The increase was not sustained post-intervention for the social norm intervention (22.1%; OR = 0.59, CI = 0.46-0.75), but was sustained for the health intervention (48.1%; OR = 0.83, CI = 0.67-1.02). These results support further testing of the effectiveness of such messages in encouraging healthier eating and indicate the need for larger-scale testing at multiple sites using a randomised-controlled design.
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9.
Movie violence acutely affects food choices in young adults.
Mattar, L, Farran, N, Abi Kharma, J, Zeeni, N
Eating behaviors. 2019;:7-12
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extensive research has been conducted to investigate the effects of media violence on attitudes, behaviors, and cardiovascular health; however, only few studies have examined its effect on appetite, eating behavior and food preferences. Little attention has been given to understand how movie genre manipulates the physiology and the eating behavior of individuals. The present study aimed at investigating the acute effect of violence content in movies on appetite perception, heart rate and blood pressure, along with food preferences and intake in young individuals. METHODS Participants (n = 84) were randomly assigned to either watch a violent movie or a non-violent narrative movie. Measurements including anthropometry, heart rate, blood pressure and grip strength were taken and appetite as well as stress perception were assessed. Subjects were then provided with an individual snack tray containing various items to be consumed ad libitum. RESULTS Post intervention, the experimental group (EG) had a higher consumption of fatty (t (82) = 2.28, p = 0.025, d = 1.52) and salty (t (82) = 2.61, p = 0.01, d = 0.71) food items compared to the control group (CG). Out of the 42 participants in the EG 62% consumed >2 fatty items and 71.4% consumed >2 salty food items. No significant difference in the consumption of sugary items was observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION Movie violence affects eating behavior and may promote weight gain.
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10.
The role of taste in alcohol preference, consumption and risk behavior.
Thibodeau, M, Pickering, GJ
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2019;(4):676-692
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is widespread, and high levels of use are associated with increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. Thus, understanding the factors that influence alcohol intake is important for disease prevention and management. Additionally, elucidating the factors that associate with alcohol preference and intake in non-clinical populations allows for product development and optimisation opportunities for the alcoholic beverage industry. The literature on how taste (orosensation) influences alcohol behavior is critically appraised in this review. Ethanol, the compound common to all alcoholic beverages, is generally aversive as it primarily elicits bitterness and irritation when ingested. Individuals who experience orosensations (both taste and chemesthetic) more intensely tend to report lower liking and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Additionally, a preference for sweetness is likely associated with a paternal history of alcohol use disorders. However, conflicting findings in the literature are common and may be partially attributable to differences in the methods used to access orosensory responsiveness and taste phenotypes. We conclude that while taste is a key driver in alcohol preference, intake and use disorder, no single taste-related factor can adequately predict alcohol behaviour. Areas for further research and suggestions for improved methodological and analytical approaches are highlighted.