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Childhood obesity is a major problem worldwide and a key contributor to adult obesity. This research explores caregivers' lay beliefs and food parenting practices, and their long-term, intergenerational effects on their children's food consumption and physiology. First, a cross-cultural survey reveals the link between parents' belief that tasty food is unhealthy and the use of extrinsic rewards to encourage their children to eat healthily, with adverse downstream consequences for the children's body mass indices. Next, two studies demonstrate the mechanism by which this strategy backfires, as providing extrinsic rewards ironically increases children's unhealthy food consumption, which in turn leads to an increase in their body mass indices. The final two studies demonstrate potential solutions for public policy and health practitioners, either by manipulating "unhealthy = tasty" beliefs directly or by breaking the association between these food beliefs and the use of extrinsic rewards through an intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been written about the multifaceted significance of food and eating from an anthropological perspective; the same can be said about the role of food in collective identity construction and nation building. In contrast, the nexus of food, memory, psychological trauma, and disordered eating has been less explored. The aim of this interdisciplinary article is to synthesize available knowledge on this topic by engaging with research literature in fields such as food history, anthropology, sociology, and psychiatry as well as autobiographical works, cookbooks, etc. One main section of the article focuses on the role of food and cooking in exile and refuge. Another section deals with the role of food in the aftermath of historical trauma, whereas a final section discusses various works on disordered eating in the wake of traumatic experiences. In sum, the dual nature of food and cooking—at once concrete and abstract, material and symbolic—offers an arena in which ambivalent memories of trauma can take on tangible form. The concept of postmemory may be useful in understanding how food and cooking can function both as a vehicle and as a remedy for intergenerational trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has examined the role of the traditional five sensory systems (visual, olfactory, haptic, auditory, and gustatory) and how they influence food evaluations. This research extends the boundaries of sensory marketing by examining the effects of the vestibular system, often referred to as the "sixth sensory system," which is responsible for balance and posture. The results of six experiments show that vestibular sensations related to posture (i.e. sitting vs. standing) influence food taste perceptions. Specifically, standing (vs. sitting) postures induce greater physical stress on the body, which in turn decreases sensory sensitivity. As a result, when eating in a standing (vs. sitting) posture, consumers rate the taste of pleasant-tasting foods and beverages as less favorable, the temperature as less intense, and they consume smaller amounts. The effects of posture on taste perception are reversed for unpleasant-tasting foods. These findings have conceptual implications for broadening the frontiers of sensory marketing and for the effects of sensory systems on food taste perceptions. Given the increasing trend toward eating while standing, the findings also have practical implications for restaurant, retail, and other food-service environment designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the complexity of taste and how it is influenced by biological, neurological and social factors including Gordon Shepherd's Neurogastronomy highlighting how taste perception depends not only on taste buds but also on smell, touch, sight and even hearing; it also argues that dietary practices contribute to the meaning and profundity of existence; and that any culinary experience may contribute to creative self-fashioning.

The article discusses the relationship between food and emotions including the cultural hierarchies surrounding food and the role of taste in aesthetics; the author argues that food is intertwined with fundamental emotions and that the hierarchy of food has been shaped by religion, culture and class; and It also explores how taste can be incorporated into aesthetics without compromising the autonomy of art.

Consumers' impulsive choices have traditionally been attributed either to contextual factors, such as product attributes and store environment, or to individual personality traits. In this article, the authors find that type of food consumed can also influence impulsive choice. Specifically, food that enhances the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin can reduce impulsive choice. To test the hypotheses on the influence of serotonin on postconsumption impulsive choice, the authors collected data on the eve of Thanksgiving. The occasion of Thanksgiving dinner provides a naturalistic setting in which people consume a tryptophan-rich meal (tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin). The authors replicate these findings and obtain converging evidence in a lab setting in which they give some participants a tryptophan-rich beverage and observe their postconsumption impulsive choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose that advertisement (ad) content for food products can affect taste perception by affecting sensory cognitions. Specifically, we show that multisensory ads result in higher taste perceptions than ads focusing on taste alone, with this result being mediated by the excess of positive over negative sensory thoughts. Since the ad effect is thoughts-driven or cognitive, restricting cognitive resources (imposing cognitive load) attenuates the enhancing effect of the multiple-sense ad. Our results are exhibited across three experiments and have many implications for cognition and sensory perception research within consumer behavior, as well as several practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across four experiments, the authors find that when information pertaining to the assessment of the healthiness of food items is provided, the less healthy the item is portrayed to be, (1) the better is its inferred taste, (2) the more it is enjoyed during actual consumption, and (3) the greater is the preference for it in choice tasks when a hedonic goal is more (versus less) salient. The authors obtain these effects both among consumers who report that they believe that healthiness and tastiness are negatively correlated and, to a lesser degree, among those who do not report such a belief. The authors also provide evidence that the association between the concepts of "unhealthy" and "tasty" operates at an implicit level. The authors discuss possibilities for controlling the effect of the unhealthy = tasty intuition (and its potential for causing negative health consequences), including controlling the volume of unhealthy but tasty food eaten, changing unhealthy foods to make them less unhealthy but still tasty, and providing consumers with better information about what constitutes "healthy." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Chronic pain and obesity are major public health concerns. Animal and human models have demonstrated that eating high-sugar nutrient-dense foods confers analgesic effects. Moreover, recent research suggests that people with chronic pain may "comfort eat" to cope with their pain. Given the harmful impact of obesity on chronic pain, it is critical to determine whether pain elicits comfort eating amongst individuals with chronic pain to ensure that this potentially maladaptive pain coping strategy is not overlooked in chronic pain treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to: determine whether chronic pain intensity predicts pain-induced comfort eating and identify mediators of this relationship; to determine whether pain-induced comfort eating predicts elevated BMI; and to establish whether BMI predicts chronic pain interference.Methods: This study utilised a cross-sectional online survey design and a sample of 151 adults with chronic pain.Results: Over three-quarters of this chronic pain sample reported engaging in pain-induced comfort eating. Chronic pain intensity did not significantly predict pain-induced comfort eating. However, there was a significant indirect effect of chronic pain intensity on pain-induced comfort eating through stress-but not experiential avoidance or pain catastrophising. As predicted, pain-induced comfort eating significantly predicted increased BMI, and BMI in turn significantly predicted greater chronic pain interference.Discussion: This study indicates that pain-induced comfort eating is both common and harmful amongst individuals with chronic pain, across the entire BMI spectrum. Pain-induced comfort eating and stress have emerged as promising chronic pain treatment targets. The findings are discussed and interpreted in light of extant research and theory, as well as limitations of the current study. Future research directions and clinical implications are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed that nostalgic labels strengthen the appeal of food items when the items are intrinsically nostalgic (e.g., related to one's childhood). Nostalgic labels do so by fostering a sense of food comfort (i.e., safety and security) among potential consumers. Experiment 1, testing a Chinese sample, confirmed that nostalgic (vs. descriptive) labels strengthen purchase intentions of food items when such items are intrinsically nostalgic. Experiment 2 showed that nostalgic (vs. descriptive) food labels strengthen purchase intentions of intrinsically nostalgic items, and do so by virtue of their capacity to elevate food comfort. This experiment tested a U.S. sample, thus broadening the cross-cultural generalizability of the findings. Experiment 3, testing a Chinese sample, replicated the Experiment 2 findings using nostalgic versus descriptive labels of a food item, and ruled out the influence of an alternative mediator, perceived food healthiness. Finally, Experiment 4, testing also a Chinese sample, revealed that restaurant dishes are more likely to be consumed when advertised with a nostalgic (than descriptive) label. The current work makes theoretical contributions to literature on food consumption and emotions, and has practical implications for harnessing nostalgia for dietary purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been increasing calls for triggering and sustaining a large-scale transition toward healthier and more sustainable food systems. To help materialize this transition, the present work aims to inform efforts for developing, marketing and promoting plant-based meals and plant-forward lifestyles, following a consumption-focused approach. The findings (Nparticipants = 1600, Portugal; 52.6% female, Mage = 48.30) allowed to identify trends and differences on three sets of variables - (a) current eating habits (i.e., meat, fish, and plant-based meals), (b) consumer willingness to change (i.e., reduce meat consumption, follow a plant-based diet, maintain the status quo), and (c) enablers for eating plant-based meals more often (i.e., capability, opportunity, motivation) -, considering consumer orientations toward consumption in general, and food consumption in particular. Taken together, the results suggested that some consumption orientations were aligned with the transition to more plant-based diets (e.g., food orientation toward naturalness), others were open to - but not yet materialized in - the transition (e.g., general orientation toward consumption as exploration), and still others were in tension with the transition (e.g., food orientation toward pleasure). The discussion calls for developing and testing pathways to reduce meat consumption and increase plant-based eating which capture and build upon a range of consumption orientations, rather than against them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food may be a particularly ambivalent stimulus, as it may be associated with high feelings of both positivity and negativity (objective ambivalence), in addition to feelings of conflict (subjective ambivalence). In this study we examine objective and subjective ambivalence toward healthy and unhealthy food, as well as nonfood objects. We show that food (particularly unhealthy food) images do elicit higher ambivalence than nonfood images, particularly due to increased negative feelings. Furthermore, individuals higher in eating restraint showed increased objective and subjective ambivalence to healthy food, suggesting that food may be a highly arousing, conflicting stimulus for constant dieters. Implications for treatment of eating disorders and for future research on food consumption are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conditioned eating in response to external food cues may contribute to obesity risk in young children.Objectives: To develop a brief, parent-reported scale to measure external food cue responsiveness for preschool-age children.Methods: Focus groups with parents of preschool-age children were conducted to create an initial pool of items reflecting children's behavioral responses to external food cues. Items were included in a nationally-distributed online survey of parents of preschool-age children (n = 456). Factor analysis was used to reduce the initial item pool, the scale's psychometric properties were assessed, and scores were correlated with reported snacking behaviors.Results: Nine items met inclusion criteria in the final scale, which had high internal consistency (alpha = 0.86). Final scores were the mean across the nine items. External food cue responsiveness was greater among children with, versus without, usual TV advertisement exposure. Furthermore, greater external food cue responsiveness mediated the relationship between children's usual TV advertisement exposure and snacking during TV viewing. Findings remained statistically significant when adjusted for food responsiveness as measured with the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire.Conclusions: Findings provide preliminary evidence that external food cue responsiveness is measurable by parental report in preschool-age children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discussions of culinary authenticity have focused on the problematic sociopolitical implications of Euro‐Americans seeking authenticity in food perceived as ethnic. This article seeks to rehabilitate the concept of culinary authenticity. First, the author relates the issue of culinary authenticity to other philosophical debates concerning authenticity, arguing that the concept of authenticity is value‐neutral. Second, a general theory of culinary authenticity making use of the theoretical apparatus of Kendall Walton's "Categories of Art" is developed and defended against objections. Third, a variety of reasons that authenticity is valued are discussed, with an emphasis on aesthetic reasons. Ultimately, the author acknowledges that some ways of valuing culinary authenticity are objectionable but argues that this should not lead us to abandon our interest in authenticity altogether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our current environment is characterized by the omnipresence of food cues. The taste and smell of real foods—but also graphical depictions of appetizing foods—can guide our eating behavior, for example, by eliciting food craving and anticipatory cephalic phase responses. To facilitate research into this so-called cue reactivity, several groups have compiled standardized food image sets. Yet, selecting the best subset of images for a specific research question can be difficult as images and image sets vary along several dimensions. In the present report, we review the strengths and weaknesses of popular food image sets to guide researchers during stimulus selection. Furthermore, we present a recent extension of our previously published database food-pics , which comprises an additional 328 food images from different countries to increase cross-cultural applicability. This food-pics_extended stimulus database, thus, encompasses and replaces food-pics. Normative data from a predominantly German-speaking sample are again presented as well as updated calculations of image characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Contextual and individual variables have been shown to play a key role in shifting consumers' emotional reaction to food products. Socio-economic status (SES) influences consumer past and present experiences with food products, as well as the social and personal meanings attached to foods, which can strongly affect their emotional associations. In this context, the aim of the present work was to explore differences in food-related emotional associations with foods of Brazilian consumers from low and middle/high SES. A total of 300 Brazilian participants of different SES were asked to complete four free-listing tasks related to the emotions they associated with the foods they liked the most/least and the foods they associated with positive/negative emotions. Participants elicited a wide range of associations, most of which were related to moods and emotions. The identified moods and emotions have been included in word-based emotion questionnaires. Although similar terms were elicited by both SES groups, differences in their frequency of mention were found. In addition, SES groups also differed in the foods they associated with positive and negative emotions, which could be explained by differences in their eating patterns. Results stress the need to further study the influence of SES on food-related emotional associations. Highlights • Emotional associations of low and middle/high socio-economic status Brazilian consumers differed. • Differences in the foods associated with positive and negative emotions were also found. • Words that were neither moods nor emotions were more frequent for low- socio-economic status participants. • The elicited moods and emotions have been included in several questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We provide the first quantitative assessment of neurocognitive theories of obesity. • These results were obtained with quantitative meta-analyses of fMRI studies. • Overall, we provide support for an incentive sensitization theory of obesity. • Obese individuals have greater activation of reward regions for visual food cues. • The brain of obese individuals is more sensitive to hunger and less to satiety. Abstract The dysregulation of food intake in chronic obesity has been explained by different theories. To assess their explanatory power, we meta-analyzed 22 brain-activation imaging studies. We found that obese individuals exhibit hyper-responsivity of the brain regions involved in taste and reward for food-related stimuli. Consistent with a Reward Surfeit Hypothesis, obese individuals exhibit a ventral striatum hyper-responsivity in response to pure tastes, particularly when fasting. Furthermore, we found that obese subjects display more frequent ventral striatal activation for visual food cues when satiated: this continued processing within the reward system, together with the aforementioned evidence, is compatible with the Incentive Sensitization Theory. On the other hand, we did not find univocal evidence in favor of a Reward Deficit Hypothesis nor for a systematic deficit of inhibitory cognitive control. We conclude that the available brain activation data on the dysregulated food intake and food-related behavior in chronic obesity can be best framed within an Incentive Sensitization Theory. Implications of these findings for a brain-based therapy of obesity are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was focussed on the development of a methodology for the recognition of consumer preferences based on a combination of emotional, behavioural, and sensory trait information. A model of the impact of customers' sensory experiences on their attitudes towards food products and their behavioural intentions was analysed. Sensory and emotional analyses were used to describe five kinds of bread (wheat, rye, corn, wholemeal, and multigrain) and two types of chocolate (dark and milk). Acceptability and emotional response were rated by a consumer panel ( n  = 109) drawn from 21 to 24 age segments using the hedonic scores and a FaceReader software which detects six basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, disgusted, scared, surprised) and a neutral state were applied. For the products tested, expressions of happiness, anger, and sadness for each product were relatively high compared to the others, with the neutral state being the main expression. The chocolate products elicited the highest intensity of happiness, reducing the level of the neutral state. A different tendency was obtained during the testing of bakery goods: higher expression of the neutral state and sadness and low expression of happiness. The emotional/sensory experience model and consumer behavioural patterns comprise the method for the differentiation of products, which could be useful in the food industry as well as for the development of new methodologies for the prediction of changes in human emotional response to food related to psychological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colour affects many aspects of our lives. One area of particular interest in recent years has been the role of colour cues in the perception of food and drink. While the majority of this research has tended to focus on the impact of changing the colour of the product itself, there is now a growing body of scientifically-credible research (building on earlier anecdotal claims) that the colour of the background against which food and drink is served affects both people’s perception of it, and also their serving and consumption behaviour as well. In this review, the empirical evidence on this topic is summarized and the various mechanisms that have been put forward to account for such results outlined. Gaining a better understanding of when, and why, background colour impacts our food preferences, perception, and ultimately our behaviour, is likely to be important to chefs, food bloggers, restaurateurs, packaging designers, and those working on encouraging various special needs populations to consume more (or less). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of emoji questionnaires as a method in food-related consumer research is furthered by this methodological study aimed at exploring the extent to which they can be used with a range of population segments. In the first part of the paper, a web-based survey was implemented to assess differences in the interpretation of 33 facial emoji using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question. Results showed that while emoji interpretation was not influenced by age and frequency of emoji/emoticon use in computer-mediated communications, age-related differences existed for a few emoji. In the second part of the paper, differences in the completion of emoji questionnaires used to measure product-elicited emotional associations were assessed across four studies involving the evaluation of written stimuli and tasted food samples. Gender and age did not influence consumer ability to describe and discriminate between stimuli, eliciting emoji profiles that were highly similar. Among more frequent users of emoji/emoticon, the average number of emoji used to characterise the stimuli was significant higher than among less frequent users, and there was a tendency toward greater discrimination, but the differences were small and of little concern regarding ability of the less frequent emoji/emoticon users’ ability to perform the research task. The findings of this research provide preliminary evidence about the suitability of emoji surveys to measure product-related emotional associations with different consumer populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into consumers’ cooking competences mostly focuses on the nutritional qualities of the resulting meals and relies on non-cumulative measures of cooking skills. In response, the current article reports on several studies designed to construct and validate a set of cumulative scales to measure consumers’ cooking knowledge and experience as well as the link to consumers’ food-related life satisfaction. Expert interviews, focus groups, and previous research establish the themes and potential scale items. Then two surveys with representative samples of Danish food consumers serve to identify the critical scale items and assess the reliability and validity of the scales. The results demonstrate that the constructed knowledge and experience scales are cumulative, have high levels of reliability, and indicate the positive effects of such knowledge and experience on consumers’ food-related life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers’ emotional evaluation of food products has gathered interest among sensory scientists and food companies as a means to gain additional insights beyond hedonic measurements. While recent work shows that emotional profiling can also be performed with children and teenagers, concerns have been raised about the validity of emotional profiling when using traditional questionnaires, especially with children. Emoji have recently been proposed as an alternative approach, but empirical studies with this target group are scarce. Using 5 different samples of a biscuit (‘speculoos’), this study evaluates the use of emoji for emotional profiling with 149 children (11–13 years old). Overall liking and emotional profiling (with 33 emoji) were assessed for each sample, using the check-all-that-apply approach. Children’s actual food choice was also recorded. Results showed that, on average, 10% of the emoji were selected for each sample. The emoji were able to discriminate between the products, while less discrimination was obtained between hedonically similar samples. Also, results indicated that some emoji responses were influenced by consumption frequency. Furthermore, this study found that adding emoji measurements improves food choice prediction compared to the sole inclusion of overall liking measurements. This study suggests that emoji can be used as an alternative means of emotional profiling with children and their inclusion helps to better predict actual food choice. More research is needed to examine the use of emoji in sensory research with children, especially regarding the selection and number of emoji. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory perception begins before birth and enables us to interpret the biological relevance of stimuli in our near environment. In early life, the senses play a crucial role in informing acceptance and rejection of foods and beverages. Food preferences develop with experience based on associations formed between a foods flavour and the consequence of its consumption. In adulthood the role of the chemical senses is often simplified into simple ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’, but recent evidence highlights a more functional role in guiding eating behaviours and nutrition. A food’s perceptual properties are important for the detection of its nutrient content and through this, guide not only food choice but also habitual energy selection and consumption behaviour. As we age and the prevalence of chronic disease increases, sensory acuity often declines for taste, smell and texture perception, and this can have an impact on food perception, preference and food intake. This creates an opportunity to apply an understanding of sensory influences on choice and intake to stimulate appetite during periods where nutrient intakes may become compromised. This paper summarises current knowledge of the changing role of the senses during infancy and early childhood, through to adulthood, older age and illness. The aim is to highlight opportunities to improve health and wellness through a better understanding of how sensory factors can influence eating behaviours and nutrition at key time points across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of personal values and product type in an experimental study/survey concerning food origins. Two studies were conducted among young consumers (N = 1491) using three different types of products (vegetables, bread, and meat) and an experimental design where information about the food origin varied (neutral, domestic, local). The origin of the food had a positive effect on the product experience and food choices. Value orientations had an effect on the product experience and the likelihood of choosing the product, and this effect was dependent on the product type. More specifically, a Self-Transcendence orientation was positively associated with the product experience in the context of vegetables and a Conservation orientation was positively associated with the product experience in the context of meat, however, the value orientations showed no effect in the context of bread. Individuals regarding Self-Transcendence as important, especially valued a local origin in the context of vegetables and meat. The findings regarding a Conservation orientation were less consistent. These findings indicate that knowing the origin adds some value to the product for young people. Even if the product is not necessarily in line with an individual’s values, the origin may in fact exceed the effect of the product type. The study provides further knowledge about the underlying factors explaining consumer choices on a personal level, especially when extrinsic information cues about food origin are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several statistical procedures have been proposed for the analysis of the data from a free sorting task. A straightforward strategy of analysis based on correspondence analysis and cluster analysis performed on the co-occurrence matrix is proposed herein. More specifically, two situations are considered depending on whether the aim is to depict the relationships among the stimuli or to investigate the agreement among the subjects. The approach of analysis is illustrated on the basis of free sorting data characterizing chocolate products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, offers a wide range of new possibilities within the food industry. From the realisation of complex food designs to the automated preparation of personalised meals, 3D printers promise many innovations in the food manufacturing, retail and catering sectors. Because the successful launch of foods made using a novel technology needs to be accompanied by targeted communication, a careful assessment of consumers’ perception, needs and apprehensions is required. The present study aims to explore consumers’ attitude formation and evolution toward this technology and resulting food concepts. Data were collected through a postal survey sent out to a sample of 2047 German-speaking residents from Switzerland, yielding a final sample size of N = 260. Participants’ attitudes were assessed at the beginning and end of the survey. Three consecutive multiple regression analyses helped analyse the initial attitude, the final attitude and the attitude change determinants that were assessed. Participants’ self-assessment revealed a varied but overall relatively low initial knowledge level of 3D-printed food. Because the first impression has been proven to be decisive in attitude formation, this lack of knowledge allowed us to test the effect of targeted information, and we succeeded in overcoming food neophobia and convincing consumers that this technology can support them in the preparation of healthy and individualised meals while adding a playful dimension to food preparation. The information given, however, failed to overcome food technology neophobia. Avenues for the development and testing of adapted communication concepts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questionnaires are popular in product-focused emotion research with consumers. Ease of implementation is paramount in this regard, as is versatility. In the presented studies, focus is directed to scaling variations as an element of methodological versatility, and a comparison is performed of CATA and RATA question formats (check-all-that-apply and rate-all-that-apply, respectively). Five studies, with a range of tasted products and food/beverage names were conducted, involving 908 consumers in New Zealand, China and Korea. Emoji questionnaires, recently established as a methodological variant in product-elicited emotion research, were used. The average percentage of emoji used for describing samples was similar for CATA and RATA questions when used in Central Location Tests with tasted samples, but higher for RATA than CATA questions in online surveys. Discriminative ability of CATA and RATA questions was linked to the characteristics of the focal samples. The recommendation for method choice is to use CATA emoji-questions when samples have distinct emotional associations, whereas RATA seems better able to discriminate between samples with more similar emotional profiles. Neither CATA nor RATA emoji-questions were regarded by consumers as difficult or tedious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meals and snacks are conceptualized differently. Meals are structured while snacking often is not. Food choices for meals, thus, are expectedly different from food choices for snacks. By using three approaches incorporating two psychological perspectives, top-down and bottom-up, this research project investigated motivations influencing foods and beverage choices for different eating occasions at various times of the day. The first approach used a modified online Eating Motivation Survey (TEMS) to examine motivations for individual food items within specific contexts of eating. The second approach employed the Food Choice Map technique to explore motivations for individual food choices for all eating within a typical week. The last approach again used a modified TEMS to investigate choices for eating occasions, without examining what foods were eaten specifically. Findings from all three approaches supported that food patterns for meal were different from those for snacks. Choosing foods and beverages for meals were the result of the interplay of more motivation factors than for snacks. Food decision was significantly influenced by the time of the day at which the eating occurred. Although liking was most important for all eating occasions, day-time eating was driven more by function-oriented factors and night-time eating was more because of psychological or emotion-oriented needs. Findings from this project advance and reinforce knowledge in the food choice domain and show that investigating food choice from different perspectives can provide similar information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) incidence has increased worldwide. However, a proportion of patients achieve inadequate weight loss and some experience weight regain. Little is known of the influence of eating beliefs and behaviours in response to cravings on early weight loss trajectory. This study aimed to identify the post-surgery eating cravings that predicted patients not achieving excess weight loss outcome (EWL) at 6-8 months post-LSG.Design: A total of 106 (80.7% female) participants who underwent LSG from four sites completed the questionnaires at 4-6 weeks post-bariatric surgery and 6 months post-LSG. Achieving <40% EWL at 6-month follow-up was included as the outcome variable, and the nine subscales of the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait version (FCQ-T) were included as potential predictors of that change.Methods: Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between EWL and the nine subscales of the FCQ-T (intentions to eat, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, lack of control, preoccupation with food, feelings of hunger, negative affect, emotions experienced before or during food cravings or eating, and guilty feelings).Results: Participants lost an average 64% EWL (SD = 21% EWL) 6-8 months after LSG surgery. Results indicated the overall model was significant and, of the nine variables, the emotional food craving subscale (adjusted OR = 4.19, p = .018) predicted a failure to achieve EWL.Conclusion: Emotional food cravings experienced 4-6 weeks following LSG may predict poor weight loss outcomes at 6 months. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The prevalence of obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Bariatric surgery is currently the most viable and cost-effective treatment for obesity and shows sustainability. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is now the most common procedure. Not all patients achieve excess weight loss outcome (EWL) following LSG. What does this study add? Emotional food cravings contribute to weight loss outcomes at 6 months' post-LSG surgery. Emotional food cravings may be a maladaptive coping mechanism that represents important area for early psychological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to verify a conceptual model of eating regulation based on the Self-Determination Theory. This model suggests that basic psychological needs satisfaction is related to general self-determined motivation and autonomous regulation toward eating, which in turn are associated with less disordered eating behaviors and attitudes and better satisfaction with life. Two hundred thirty-nine women without an eating disorder completed self-reported questionnaires. The hypothesized model was tested with a serial multiple mediation analysis using PROCESS macro. The overall indirect effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction on life satisfaction through the three mediators, i.e. general motivation, regulation of eating behaviors, and eating behaviors and attitudes, was significant. Results are coherent with the Self-Determination Theory and add to past research by suggesting that basic psychological needs satisfaction might be a key target when addressing women's disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective eating in children is commonly measured by parental report questionnaires, yet it is unknown if parents accurately estimate their child's selective eating behavior. The objectives of this study were to test the validity and stability of two measures of selective eating using observed child behavior. Low-income mother-child dyads participated in a videotaped laboratory eating protocol at two time points (baseline: mean child age = 5.9 years; follow-up: mean child age = 8.6 years), during which they were presented with a familiar and an unfamiliar vegetable. Videos were reliably coded for child selective eating behaviors: amount consumed, child hedonic rating of vegetables, child compliance with maternal prompts to eat, latency to first bite, number of bites, and negative utterances. Mothers completed the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire Food Fussiness (CEBQ FF) scale and the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) at both time points. Questionnaire validity, stability of measured behaviors, and discriminant validity of questionnaires were examined in the full sample. CEBQ FF scores and FNS scores were both inversely correlated with the quantity consumed, child hedonic rating, and compliance with prompts to eat for both familiar and unfamiliar vegetables at baseline and at follow up. CEBQ FF and FNS scores were inversely correlated with number of bites (for both foods), positively correlated with latency to first bite (for both foods), and inversely correlated with child negative utterances (for the familiar food only). Notably, FNS scores correlated with observed behavior for both familiar and unfamiliar foods, rather than demonstrating a specific association with unfamiliar foods only. This study supports the validity of the CEBQ FF and FNS in low-income early school-aged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effect of two craving reduction techniques, namely, cognitive defusion and guided imagery, on naturalistic food cravings. These techniques targeted the intrusion and elaboration stages of the craving process, respectively (Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005). Participants underwent a seven-day baseline period followed by a seven-day intervention period, during which they recorded their food cravings as they occurred using online diaries accessed via smartphone. In the intervention period, participants were randomly assigned to one of cognitive defusion, guided imagery or control conditions. Participants in the cognitive defusion and guided imagery conditions listened to three-minute audio clips containing their respective instructions every time they experienced a food craving, and rated their craving intensity before and after the intervention, while the control participants recorded their cravings as they did in the baseline week. Results showed that both cognitive defusion and guided imagery techniques reduced craving frequency, intensity, the likelihood of consumption following cravings, and craving-related calorie intake, consistent with predictions. These findings show that cognitive defusion and guided imagery are useful for dealing with naturally occurring cravings across a range of foods, and can reduce craving-related consumption in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suboptimal outcomes from behavioral weight loss (BWL) treatments are partially attributable to accumulated instances of non-adherence to dietary prescriptions (i.e., dietary lapses). Results identifying negative internal triggers for dietary lapses are inconsistent, potentially due to individual differences that impact how individuals respond to cues. Impulsivity is one factor that likely influences reactivity to internal states. We examined three dimensions of impulsivity (delay discounting, inhibitory control, and negative urgency) as moderators of the relation between affective and physical states and subsequent dietary lapses at the beginning of BWL. Overweight/obese adults (n = 189) completed behavioral and self-reported measures of impulsivity at baseline of BWL and an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol across the first two weeks of treatment to report on affective/physical states and instances of dietary lapses. Results indicated that baseline negative urgency, but not delay discounting or inhibitory control, was positively associated with overall lapse risk. Moderation analyses indicated that poorer inhibitory control strengthened the relation between momentary increases in stress and subsequent dietary lapse, and higher negative urgency strengthened the relation between increases in loneliness and dietary lapse. Negative urgency also moderated the impact of momentary hunger on subsequent dietary lapse risk in an unexpected direction, such that higher negative urgency weakened the relation between hunger and subsequent lapse. Results lend partial and tentative support for the moderating role of impulsivity on the relation between internal states and lapse likelihood. With replication, the development and testing of personalized treatment components based on baseline impulsivity level may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Food-related personality traits’, or simply ‘food personality’, is emerging as a new stream of research that investigates individual differences in terms of food preferences. There have already been some attempts within the literature to conceptualize the multidimensional construct of food personality, and some outcomes of food personality have also been studied. However, we have limited knowledge of the psychological antecedents of food personality. In this short communication, using survey data from 1006 Turkish consumers, we conduct an exploratory study of the distal and proximal predictors (i.e. psychological traits and other individual differences stemming from traits) of one dimension of food personality, namely food neophilia. Our findings suggest that promotion focus and materialism are proximal predictors of food neophilia, and openness to experience, extraversion, need for cognition and need for touch are distal predictors that have indirect effects on food neophilia through promotion focus and materialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a major health concern, characterized by an automatically activated tendency to (over)-eat. Recent research suggests that an effective way to counteract automatic approach tendencies in unhealthy consumption behavior might be approach bias modification. Therefore, we investigated an approach-avoidance training for unhealthy food cues in 189 patients with obesity of a psychosomatic inpatient clinic who were participating in a nutrition advice program. Patients in the active training group were trained to make avoidance movements (pushing a joystick) in response to unhealthy food pictures and approach movements (pulling the joystick) in response to positive pictures, while the control group received sham training (approaching and avoiding both picture types). Approach-avoidance bias, body mass index, eating pathology and food-specific implicit associations were assessed before and after the training. In line with our hypothesis, approach-avoidance bias improved in the active training group after the training, in comparison to the sham training group. Moreover, this effect generalized to new, untrained stimuli. However, no effects of the training were found in a food-specific Single-Target Implicit Association Test, or on eating pathology questionnaires or body mass index. While the training results are promising, the effect of approach-avoidance bias modification on relevant behavior in obesity has yet to be established before it may be implemented as an add-on treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) plays a central role in the inhibition of eating, but also the modulation of conscious thought processes that might precede, accompany or follow initial food tasting. The latter might be particularly important to the extent that post-tasting cognitions may drive prolonged eating beyond the satiety point. However, we know very little about the effect of the dlPFC on conation following initial food sampling. This investigation compared the effects of dlPFC attenuation using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on social cognition following (Study 1) and prior to (Study 2) a food consumption opportunity.Methods: In Study 1, participants (N = 21; Mage = 21 years) were randomized to active or sham continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS; an inhibitory variant of rTMS) targeting the left dlPFC followed by an interference task. Participants subsequently completed measures of attitudes, norms and perceived control following a mock taste test. In Study 2, a second sample of right handed participants (N = 37; Mage = 21 years) were assigned to active or sham cTBS, followed by an interference task and two measures of attitudes (implicit and explicit), both assessed prior to the same taste test paradigm.Results: In Study 1, findings revealed a reliable effect of cTBS on post-tasting attitudes (t(1,19) = 3.055, p = .007; d = 1.34), such that attitudes towards calorie dense snack foods were significantly more positive following active stimulation than following sham stimulation. Similar effects were found for social norms (t(1,19) = 3.024, p = .007, d = 1.31) and perceived control (t(1,20) = 19.247, p < .001, d = 0.50). In Study 2, no effects of cTBS were observed on pre-consumption attitudes, despite reliable effects on interference scores and subsequent consumption.Conclusions: The left dlPFC may selectively modulate facilitative social cognition following initial food sampling (but not pre-consumption). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers' food choices are often driven by reasons of which consumers are not fully aware. Decision-making about food is influenced by a complex set of emotions, feelings, attitudes, and values that are impossible to assess simply by asking consumers their opinions. Indeed, traditional techniques, such as self-reports or interviews, mainly allow the measurement of conscious and rational reactions to a product or advertising. Recently, there has been a rapidly growing interest in the multidisciplinary field of “neuromarketing,” which takes advantage of neuroscientific techniques to study consumer behavior. This discipline applies neuroscientific methods and tools that allow the measurement of consumers' emotional and spontaneous reactions in a more objective and observable way. The aim of this paper is (a) to describe neuromarketing's underlying assumptions, techniques, and the advantages of this perspective, examining the scientific literature on the use of neuromarketing in food studies; and (b) to suggest best practices to apply this novel approach in the food marketing domain, with a specific focus on non-invasive methods. Finally, although the perception of nutritional elements has already been explored, the health content of labels, the presence of additives, and the evaluation of the information conveyed by food packaging remain other possible elements of interest in future food neuromarketing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the research on human delay and probability discounting involves the use of hypothetical outcomes, in which participants indicate preferences for outcomes but do not receive them. Research generally shows that hypothetical and potentially real outcomes are discounted at similar rates. One study, however, shows that potentially real cigarettes are discounted more steeply than hypothetical cigarettes in smokers, calling into question the generality of the finding that potentially real and hypothetical money are discounted at similar rates. Using a within-subject design, we tested the extent to which potentially real and hypothetical monetary (Experiment 1) and food-related (Experiment 2) outcomes were discounted at similar rates. We found mixed results for monetary outcomes, in that potentially real outcomes were discounted more steeply than hypothetical outcomes when all participants were included; however, this effect disappeared when only systematic responders were used. In addition, potentially real and hypothetical monetary outcomes were significantly correlated. For food-related outcomes, we found robust and consistent effects that potentially real and hypothetical food outcomes are discounted similarly and that they correlate strongly. Generally, these findings suggest that using hypothetical outcomes generate similar levels of discounting, in particular for food, which is useful for researchers interested in characterizing food-related impulsivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by excessive evening and/or nocturnal eating episodes. Studies indicate an attentional bias towards food in other eating disorders. For NES, however, evidence of attentional food processing is lacking. Attention towards food and non-food stimuli was compared using eye-tracking in 19 participants with NES and 19 matched controls without eating disorders during a free exploration paradigm and a visual search task. In the free exploration paradigm, groups did not differ in initial fixation position or gaze duration. However, a significant orienting bias to food compared to non-food was found within the NES group, but not in controls. A significant attentional maintenance bias to non-food compared to food was found in both groups. Detection times did not differ between groups in the search task. Only in NES, attention to and faster detection of non-food stimuli were related to higher BMI and more evening eating episodes. The results might indicate an attentional approach-avoidance pattern towards food in NES. However, further studies should clarify the implications of attentional mechanisms for the etiology and maintenance of NES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an analysis of Zina Saro-Wiwa's food interventions, this essay re-visits the idea of entanglement (Hofmeyr 2004; Kiewiet 1957; Mbembe 2001; Wenzel 2009; Nuttall 2009). This concept, I argue, is embedded in Saro-Wiwa's work, reflecting neo-colonial circuits of trade, resource extraction and labour exploitation. Its poetic and political potency engages with food and people and their intricate relations to land, particularly in the Niger Delta. Zina Saro-Wiwa's art resonates with the poetry of her father, the writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Her work points to her father's significant role in the continued struggles of the Ogoni against the historical devastation caused by oil industries. Drawing from discourses about food and capitalist predation in the African continent, I argue that entanglement in Zina Saro-Wiwa's work presents a paradox between an intended emancipatory aesthetic and neo-colonial entrapments in the art-oil economy. Food, in this work, is symbolic of interlaced systems of production, reproduction and artistic creation, which are offered by the artist as possibilities of redeeming sometimes inconsonant new 'senses of being'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the psychometric properties, validity and reliability of a newly developed measure of food insecurity, the Household Food and Nutrition Security Survey (HFNSS), among an Australian population.Design: Cross-sectional study.Setting: Metropolitan areas of Melbourne, Australia, identified as very high, high or medium vulnerability in the 2008 Vulnerability Assessment for Mortgage, Petrol and Inflation Risks and Expenditure index.Subjects: A convenience sample of 134 adults (117 females and fifteen males, aged over 18 years).Results: Rasch modelling and factor analysis identified four items for exclusion. The remaining items yielded excellent reliability among the current sample and assessed three underlying components: the adult experience of food insecurity (component one), initial/periodic changes to children's food intakes (component two) and progressive/persistent decreases in children's food intakes (component three). Compared with the widely used US Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module, the HFNSS identified a significantly higher proportion of food insecurity; this is likely due to the HFNSS's identification of food insecurity due to reasons other than (and including) limited financial access.Conclusions: The HFNSS may be a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of food insecurity among the Australian population and provides a means of assessing multiple barriers to food security beyond poor financial access (which has been identified as a limitation of other existing tools). Future research should explore the validity and reliability of the tool among a more representative sample, as well as specifically among vulnerable population subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in the development of new technologies that capitalize on our emerging understanding of the multisensory influences on flavor perception in order to enhance human-food interaction design. This review focuses on the role of (extrinsic) visual, auditory, and haptic/tactile elements in modulating flavor perception and more generally, our food and drink experiences. We review some of the most exciting examples of recent multisensory technologies for augmenting such experiences. Here, we discuss applications for these technologies, for example, in the field of food experience design, in the support of healthy eating, and in the rapidly growing world of sensory marketing. However, as the review makes clear, while there are many opportunities for novel human-food interaction design, there are also a number of challenges that will need to be tackled before new technologies can be meaningfully integrated into our everyday food and drink experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has found an association between dislike of messy play and higher levels of food neophobia in children. The aim of the present study was to pilot and assess a five week intervention with preschool children, to examine whether engagement in tactile sensory tasks leads to increased fruit acceptance. Interventions were carried out to examine whether weekly sessions of sensory play combined with fruit exposure, would increase acceptance and enjoyment of fruits to a greater extent than two non-sensory play conditions featuring fruit exposure or normal play activities alone. One hundred children aged 18 months to four years were recruited from ten playgroups in the Midlands area of the United Kingdom (UK) of which 83 completed the interventions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: combined sensory play (fruit and non-food), non-food sensory play, fruit taste exposure, and control play. There were baseline differences in child fruit acceptance, so this was entered as a covariate into subsequent analyses. It was found that children in both the combined sensory play and non-food sensory play conditions enjoyed significantly more fruits at follow up than children in the control play condition, whilst children in the non-food sensory play group also enjoyed significantly more fruits than the fruit exposure group. These findings suggest that sensory play, with fruit and/or non-food substances, combined with exposure may be an effective strategy to increase tasting and fruit acceptance in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]