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As a way of modeling healthier eating habits for their children, parents may intentionally avoid consuming sugary foods and drinks (SFDs) in their presence but consume these on other occasions (later referred to as parental secretive eating). This study aimed to 1) explore the prevalence of parental secretive eating, 2) investigate the associations between parental secretive eating and SFD consumption in parents and children, and 3) qualitatively explore the reasons for parental secretive eating. Participants were Finnish mothers (n = 362), fathers (n = 123), and their 3–6-year-old children (n = 403); this data was collected in 2017 as part of the baseline assessment of the DAGIS intervention. Parents reported how often they avoided eating SFDs in the presence of their child, completed food frequency questionnaires for themselves and their child, and responded to an open-ended question of explaining reasons for secretive eating. The overall prevalence of parental secretive eating was 68%. It was more common among mothers than fathers (p < 0.001) and most prevalent in chocolate (61%) and sweets (59%). Parental secretive eating was positively associated with SFD consumption both among mothers (ꞵ = 0.274, p < 0.001) and fathers (ꞵ = 0.210, p = 0.028) in linear regression models adjusted for parents' and child's age, child's gender, parental education level, and number of household members. Mothers' or fathers' secretive eating and child's SFD consumption were not associated (ꞵ = 0.031, p = 0.562; ꞵ = -0.143; p = 0.167). Three themes describing reasons for parental secretive eating were found: family food rules, avoiding child's requests, and aspiration for healthy modeling. In conclusion, parental secretive eating may play an important role in determining SFD consumption in families with preschoolers. Additional research is needed to determine whether parents can prevent their own eating habits from influencing their child through secretive eating. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress-induced eating is associated with various health risks like obesity and cardiovascular disease, exacerbated by the overconsumption of unhealthy foods. This study sought to investigate replacement coping strategies for stress-induced eating that participants can seek to implement using behaviour change techniques like implementation intentions. The study adopted a feasibility and acceptability design, with 258 participants (88.37% female) aged 17–75 years old who self-reported stress-induced eating. Participants were asked to identify cues for their stress-induced eating and evaluate the acceptability of eight potential replacement coping strategies. After selecting their preferred strategy, participants formed implementation intentions, linking the strategy with their previously identified cues. There were six themes of cues for stress-induced eating as identified by participants, including a range of external and internal stressors. Themes regarding the acceptability of the replacement coping strategies were organised based on constructs from integrated social cognition theories. Participant responses reflected cognitive and affective attitudes, and control and normative beliefs behind engagement in coping behaviour; further, automatic and volitional processes were described by participants as playing a role in whether a coping strategy was deemed as useful. Plans formulated by participants commonly detailed specific situations and strategies to utilise, though few described start times or durations of their plan. Action planning was found to significantly increase following formation of implementation intentions, and participants' descriptions supported the feasibility and acceptability of utilising implementation intentions to adopt alternative coping strategies to stress-induced eating. Future research should conduct a randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of the implementation intentions intervention in promoting uptake of replacement coping strategies to reduce stress-induced eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted eating is a basic caring practice and the means through which many individuals receive adequate nutrition. Research in this area has noted the challenges of helping others to eat while upholding their independence, though has yet to explicate how this caring practice is achieved in detail and across the lifespan. This paper provides an empirical analysis of assisted eating episodes in two different institutions, detailing the processes through which eating is collaboratively achieved between two persons. Data are video-recorded episodes of infants during preschool lunches and care home meals for adults with dementia, both located in Sweden. Using EMCA's multimodal interaction analysis, three core stages of assisted eating and their underpinning embodied practices were identified: (1) establishing joint attention, (2) offering the food, and (3) transferring food into the mouth. The first stage is particularly crucial in establishing the activity as a collaborative process. The analysis details the interactional practices through which assisted eating becomes a joint accomplishment using a range of multimodal features such as eye gaze, hand gestures, and vocalisations. The paper thus demonstrates how assisted eating becomes a caring practice through the active participation of both caregiver and cared-for person, according to their needs. The analysis has implications not only for professional caring work in institutional settings but also for the detailed analysis of eating as an embodied activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media is an increasingly important yet understudied context for eating behaviors in general and veganism in particular. In four studies, we first explored and described the information environment the platform Instagram presents related to veganism. Second, we examined how engaging with this environment is associated with offline eating intentions via psychological mechanisms. We scraped datasets of Instagram posts tagged with #vegan (44,316 posts in total) and employed network analysis with their hashtags (Study 1), as well as clustering with images and sentiment analysis with texts (Study 2). Studies 3 (N = 117) and 4 (N = 251) used online surveys to investigate associations between different forms of engaging with social media content, psychological constructs, and offline eating intentions. Posts about veganism were frequently related to food, health and fitness, cosmetics, and photography. Images most often depicted food (34.7%), non-food products (30.4%), people (7.9%), and animals (2.0%). The sentiment of most posts was positive. Being exposed to Instagram content about veganism was more strongly and consistently associated with eating intentions than active forms of engagement. Attitude and self-identity emerged as the most relevant mechanisms for these effects. Food is the most prominent yet not sole topic among posts about veganism on Instagram, and hashtags used in this context partially relate to motives for following a vegan diet. Exposure to this information environment might influence offline eating decisions via psychological mechanisms. With growing usage and its potential influence, social media should receive increasing attention in (health) psychological research and practice. • This study combines subjective experience with observable social media data. • Social media influences offline eating intentions via psychological mechanisms. • Attitude and self-identity appear to be the most relevant of these mechanisms. • Exposure to content shows a higher behavioral relevance than active engagement. • Posts show mostly positive sentiment and topics go beyond those found in surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary societies with diverse but often conflicting values attached to eating, it is important to scrutinise what eating well means to a given population. While such attempts have been pioneered, mostly in Western countries, Asia has been rarely explored. Moreover, food scholars in Western countries have called for in-depth analysis of the impacts of food modernisation on our everyday eating models, but empirical data about Asia and its implications for the plurality of food modernisation have been limited. To narrow this knowledge gap, we replicated Ueda's previous survey in Japan by utilising the same web-based questionnaire in a study of the Taiwanese population (n = 920, aged 20–69) to elucidate their eating model across all dimensions; that is, not only meal content but also the temporal, spatial, social, qualitative and affective facets. It was found that, similarly to other parts of the world, the Taiwanese have experienced the so-called 'destructuration' of their eating model, including two out of five habitually skipping meals; one out of four eating out 14 times or more in a week; and three out of five eating alone for breakfast. The destructuration also extended to their dietary norms, which marked a sharp contrast with other countries, such as Japan and France, where many eaters experience dilemmas due to high ideals and reality. We argue that this interesting phenomenon is due to the 'compressed' food modernity that Taiwan experienced. This study is the first attempt to provide comprehensive data about the eating model in Taiwan. Further empirical studies, particularly in other Asian regions, are expected to advance our thinking about a complex relationship between food modernity and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geometric and textural properties of food, like unit size, have previously been shown to influence energy intake. While mechanism(s) driving this effect are unclear, unit size may relate to intake by affecting eating microstructure (e.g., eating rate, bite size). In a randomized crossover study, we investigated relationships between unit size, eating microstructure, and intake. Adults (n = 75, 75% women) consumed an ad libitum snack three times in our laboratory. This snack was a 70-g portion (∼2.5 servings) of one of three sizes of pretzel (small, medium, large). Intake was measured in grams by difference in weight before and after the snack. Each session was video recorded to measure eating microstructure; snack duration (min) and number of bites were annotated and used to calculate mean eating rate (g/min) and mean bite size (g/bite). Results revealed unit size influenced intake (grams and kcal; both p's ≤ 0.001), such that participants consumed 31% and 22% more of the large pretzels (16.9 ± 2.3 g) compared to the small (12.9 ± 2.3 g) and medium sizes (13.8 ± 2.3 g), respectively. Unit size also influenced eating rate and bite size (both p's < 0.001); the largest pretzel size yielded the fastest eating rate and largest mean bite size. Further analysis revealed that after accounting for eating microstructure, the effects of unit size on intake were no longer significant, suggesting eating microstructure was driving these effects. Together, these findings indicate that unit size influences intake by affecting eating microstructure and that food properties like unit size can be leveraged to moderate snack intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies suggest that trait disinhibition as measured by the Three Factor eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) is related to selected measures of impulsivity and risk taking. However, the factor validity of the original trait disinhibition measure has been questioned, and a revised scale of uncontrolled eating consequently developed. To date few studies have revisited the relationship between impulsivity and the uncontrolled and emotional eating scales of the revised TFEQ. In the present study, 283 participants (208 women) completed the revised TFEQ alongside a battery of measures of impulsivity and risk taking in an online study. The total and all subscale scores on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale were significantly associated with scores on the uncontrolled, but not emotional or restrained, TFEQ scale. Likewise, risky behaviour indexed by the average number of pumps per trial on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task were also associated with uncontrolled, but not emotional or restrained, eating, and the same pattern of associations were also found for the novelty, but not intensity, subscales of the Arnetts Inventory of Sensation Seeking. Overall these data suggest that uncontrolled eating is related to wider personality traits of risky decision making, novelty seeking and wider cognitive impulsivity, which may in turn increase of future weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence suggests switching between foods during an eating event is positively associated with intake. However, it is unclear whether switching is a stable behavior that predicts consumption across multiple eating events. The current study explored whether switching is consistent within children and reliably associated with intake across varied eating events. We analyzed data from 88 (45 F), 7–8-year-old children without obesity participating in a 7-visit prospective cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03341247). Amount consumed and energy intake were measured at 4 separate meals of foods that varied by portion sizes served. Meals included macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, broccoli, and grapes (all 0.7–2.5 kcal/g). Children's intake was also assessed during 2 eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) paradigms separated by ≥ 1 year. The EAH paradigm included 9 sweet and savory snack foods (all 1.9–5.7 kcal/g). All eating events were video-recorded and switching was assessed by counting the number of times a child shifted between different food items. Results demonstrated that switching was reliably associated with intake at both the meals and the EAH paradigms (ps < 0.01). Specifically, at meals each additional switch was associated with 11.7 ± 1.3 kcal (7.7 ± 0.8 g) more consumed, and during EAH each additional switch was associated with 8.1 ± 2.1 kcal (2.1 ± 0.5 g) more consumed. Switching behavior was also moderately consistent across meals (ICC = 0.70) and EAH paradigms (ICC = 0.50). However, switching at meals was not related to switching at EAH paradigms. This study demonstrates the consistency of switching behavior and its reliable association with intake across eating events, highlighting its potential to contribute to chronic overconsumption and childhood obesity. • Switching between food items more frequently is reliably associated with greater intake across eating occasions. • Switching behavior is moderately consistent within children across similar eating events. • The context and characteristics of an eating event may significantly impact children's switching behavior. • Switching may contribute to an obesogenic eating phenotype, possibly serving as a target for pediatric obesity interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological data regarding the evolution of problems related to mastication and swallowing with age are lacking. This study aims to (i) describe changes in oral function with age, using data from a large French population, (ii) validate online, self-report uses of an ICF questionnaire in older persons, and (iii) assess whether impairment is related to avoidance of certain foods, xerostomia, body mass index (BMI) and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL). Volunteers aged ≥18 years with internet access completed a series of questionnaires on sociodemographic, anthropometric and oral health characteristics (oral function, Xerostomia Index (XI), OHRQoL, reasons for avoidance of certain food). Oral function was assessed using items derived from the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Five ICF items related to ingestion function and six items related to activities and participation were used. A validation study was undertaken to identify those with poor chewing ability and low salivary flow amongst older participants reporting impairment. 39 597 individuals were included. The prevalence of individuals with impairment for ICF items related to ingestion function and oral activity (eating, drinking and speaking), and the percentage of participants with poor OHRQoL increased significantly with age (p < 0.001). Each ICF item was significantly associated with OHRQoL (p < 0.001), XI (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001) and avoidance of certain food due to chewing or swallowing difficulties. Overall, 21.5% and 13.5% of the study population had chewing and/or biting impairments respectively, which might affect food selection and consumption. These findings raise individual and population-based issues. Further studies are needed to assess whether impairment in oral function might increase frailty in older individuals, and also to compare data with those from other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a substantial research base for addictive eating with development of interventions. The current 3-arm RCT aimed to investigate the efficacy of the TRACE (Targeted Research for Addictive and Compulsive Eating) program to decrease addictive eating symptoms and improve mental health. Participants (18-85 yrs) endorsing ≥3 addictive eating symptoms were randomly allocated to 1) active intervention, 2) passive intervention, or 3) control group. Primary outcome was change in addictive eating symptoms 3-months post-baseline measured by the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Depression, anxiety and stress were also assessed. A total of 175 individuals were randomised. Using Linear Mixed Models, from baseline to 3-months, there was significant improvement in symptom scores in all groups with mean decrease of 4.7 (95% CI: −5.8, −3.6; p < 0.001), 3.8 (95% CI: −5.2, −2.4; p < 0.001) and 1.5 (95% CI: −2.6, −0.4; p = 0.01) respectively. Compared with the control group, participants in the active intervention were five times more likely to achieve a clinically significant change in symptom scores. There was a significant reduction in depression scores in the active and passive intervention groups, but not control group [-2.9 (95% CI: −4.5, −1.3); −2.3 (95% CI: −4.3, −0.3); 0.5 (95% CI: −1.1, 2.1), respectively]; a significant reduction in stress scores within the active group, but not passive intervention or control groups [-1.3 (95% CI: −2.2, −0.5); −1.0 (95% CI: −2.1, 0.1); 0.4 (95% CI: −0.5, 1.2), respectively]; and the reduction in anxiety scores over time was similar for all groups. A dietitian-led telehealth intervention for addictive eating in adults was more effective than a passive or control condition in reducing addictive eating scores from baseline to 6 months. Trial registration: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12621001079831. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many diagnosed with cancer change their diet in response to the diagnosis, with a vegan diet being a common choice. There may be health benefits to this, but research has demonstrated that following a vegan diet can have negative social ramifications. These social ramifications seem to be experienced to a lesser extent by those who following a vegan diet for health versus moral reasons, but this is a heterogeneous group; people may choose the diet for a myriad of different health reasons. In two pre-reregistered studies, we examined the social experience of those who adopt a vegan diet following a cancer diagnosis. Study 1, an experimental study, demonstrated that omnivores responded more positively to a friend who was vegan for cancer reasons than animal or general health reasons, which was explained by increased empathy. In Study 2, a cross-sectional survey study, those who adopted a vegan diet due to cancer reported (overall) less negative social experiences than those following a vegan diet more generally. These participants reported that cancer represented a greater social challenge than their diet. Taken together, these findings suggest that "vegan due to cancer" is a unique social identity and a unique social experience, relative to that of those motivated by other reasons, including general health reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overeating associated with neurogenic obesity after spinal cord injury (SCI) may be related to how persons with SCI experience satiation (processes leading to meal termination), their eating frequency, and the context in which they eat their meals. In an online, cross-sectional study, adults with (n = 688) and without (Controls; n = 420) SCI completed the Reasons Individuals Stop Eating Questionnaire-15 (RISE-Q-15), which measures individual differences in the experience of factors contributing to meal termination on five scales: Physical Satisfaction, Planned Amount, Decreased Food Appeal, Self-Consciousness, and Decreased Priority of Eating. Participants also reported weekly meal and snack frequency and who prepares, serves, and eats dinner with them at a typical dinner meal. Analysis revealed that while Physical Satisfaction, Planned Amount, and Decreased Food Appeal were reported as the most frequent drivers of meal termination in both groups, scores for the RISE-Q-15 scales differed across the groups. Compared to Controls, persons with SCI reported Physical Satisfaction and Planned Amount as drivers of meal termination less frequently, and Decreased Food Appeal and Decreased Priority of Eating more frequently (all p < 0.001). This suggests that persons with SCI rely less on physiological satiation cues for meal termination than Controls and instead rely more on hedonic cues. Compared to Controls, persons with SCI less frequently reported preparing and serving dinner meals and less frequently reported eating alone (all p < 0.001), indicating differences in meal contexts between groups. Individuals with SCI reported consuming fewer meals than Controls but reported a higher overall eating frequency due to increased snacking (p ≤ 0.015). A decrease in the experience of physical fullness, along with a dependence on a communal meal context and frequent snacking, likely contribute to overeating associated with neurogenic obesity after SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increasing evidence that childhood obesity may be related to impairments in executive function, the evidence supporting the relation between executive function (EF) and dietary intake, a key factor linked to obesity, is mixed. Although research from the obesity literature often interprets EF as a factor that may influence dietary intake, there is also evidence that dietary intake may influence EF. Drawing on a developmental perspective, this systematic review examines the literature on the link between executive function (i.e., inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) and dietary intake in youth through the inclusion of cross-sectional, longitudinal, and intervention studies aimed at altering either dietary intake or EF as a way to influence the other. In total, 5650 studies were screened for eligibility. Twenty-six studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Results indicated that the relation between executive function and dietary intake is equivocal. Although there is some support for a cross-sectional relation between executive function and dietary intake, the lack of longitudinal studies makes it difficult to make conclusions about directionality. Findings from intervention studies do not support the effectiveness of short-term manipulations on dietary intake to change subsequent EF, and few intervention studies exist that explicitly aim to "train" EF to change subsequent dietary intake. Furthermore, the wide variety of measures used to assess EF and dietary intake, and the lack of consideration of the role that weight status may play in the relation between EF and dietary intake, make overall interpretation of the literature more difficult. In sum, there is a need for more prospective research examining a variety of ages, domains of EF, and weight statuses, taking into account developmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suboptimal vegetable and fruit consumption by young children is common. Identifying predictors of vegetable and fruit intakes is important for informing strategies to promote sufficient intakes of these foods from early life. The aim of the present study was to examine predictors of toddlers' vegetable and fruit intakes at age 18 months. This study involved secondary analysis of data from 361 child-mother dyads participating in the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial in 2008-2010 at child ages four, nine and 18 months. Children's vegetable and fruit intakes were assessed at age 18 months using multiple 24-h dietary recalls. Data on potential predictor measures were collected via parent-completed questionnaires when children were four or nine months of age. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression models were used to test associations between children's average daily vegetable or fruit intake and potential predictors controlling for treatment arm and clustering by parent group. Multivariable models also controlled for covariates and potential confounders. Home availability of vegetables at age nine months was found to predict children's vegetable intake at age 18 months and remained significant (β = 20.19, 95% CI:7.23, 33.15, p = 0.003) in the multivariable model. Children's average daily fruit intake at age 18 months was predicted by maternal education at child age four months and the availability of fruits in their home at child age nine months. Maternal education remained significant (β = 30.83, 95% CI:12.17, 49.48, p = 0.002) in the multivariable model. Strategies to promote adequate vegetable and fruit intakes among young children should address known barriers to the availability of vegetables and fruits in the home from early in life. Additionally, messages encouraging fruit consumption may need to be tailored to mothers with lower levels of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children have been found to rely on others for food choice and food intake cues, but it is unclear whether a similar type of social modeling occurs for food portion selection, especially among young children. Given that portion size predicts energy intake, it is important to understand the role of social influence on portion selection behavior early in life. The present study aimed to determine preschoolers' conformity to food portion selection patterns of remote peers using a computerized Portion Selection Task and examined the role of parents' feeding styles in children's susceptibility to others' food portion choices. Seventy-five 3-6 year old Singaporean children (M = 62 ± 0.72 months) were asked to make food portion selections of high-energy-density (ED) foods and low-ED foods both independently and after having viewed remote peers' portion selections of the same foods. In the unhealthy peers condition, children saw peers choose large portions of high-ED foods and small portions of low-ED foods, while in the healthy peers condition, children saw peers select large portions of low-ED foods and small portions of high-ED foods. Parents were surveyed about their child feeding practices. Results revealed that participants exhibited conformity to the portion sizes of remote peers for both high-ED and low-ED foods under the healthy peers condition, but only marginally for high-ED foods under the unhealthy peers condition. Parents' higher restriction of foods for child's health was marginally associated with lower conformity to peers' portion selections of unhealthy foods and higher conformity to peers' portion selections of healthy foods. This study provides support for social modeling of food portion selection among young children, but the extent of social modeling may be contingent on characteristics of the food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In print advertising, the use of static pictures depicting models eating food is common practice. However, less is known about how the depiction of models in different phases of consumption (holding food, moving food to mouth, taking a bite, chewing on food) affects consumers. Theories have proposed that not only do individuals mimic actions, but they also adopt the goals and the motivational patterns underlying these actions by observing others. Building on this view, we hypothesized that consumers' desire to eat a food product and their actual consumption of a food product would be greater when the model in the picture was close to engaging in consumption and that desire and actual consumption would be reduced when the model was shown in the process of finishing consumption. In two studies, we found that the participants experienced an increased desire to eat the depicted food (Study 1) and ate more of the advertised food (Study 2) when the model was shown to engage in eating food compared with when the model was shown during completion of a consumption episode. In addition, the results of Study 1 suggest that even subtle differences such as holding food compared with putting food into the mouth might affect consumers' desire to eat. Overall, our results suggest that advertisements may affect consumers' motivation to engage in food intake differently depending on which consumption state they show with the depiction of a model close to engagement in food consumption being most likely to trigger a desire for consumption and an actual engagement in food intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditioned flavor preference (CFP) learning is a form of associative learning in ingestive behavior. CFP Learning can be rapid and produces preferences of varying strengths that can be exceptionally persistent. We sought to establish a method to produce a robust long-lasting CFP in rats. Rats were given 48-h access (conditioning) to a CS+ flavor (grape or cherry 0.05% Kool-Aid, counterbalanced) mixed with 8% glucose and 0.05% saccharin. In order to determine the strength of conditioning rats were given 14 consecutive days of 24-h access to CS+ and CS- flavors mixed only with 0.05% Kool-Aid and 0.05% saccharin (extinction), then further tested 34 days after the last extinction test (48 days post conditioning) for 2 consecutive days with the CS+ and CS-. We found that not only did the learned CFP fail to extinguish over 14 days of testing, but it also persisted for at least 48 days after conditioning. These data provide a method to produce a robust, long lasting and persistent CFP for use in future ingestive behavior research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep duration in modern societies has been decreasing over the past decades and many environmental and behaviour factors contribute with. Evidence have shown that individuals with short sleep duration have worse eating behaviours and dietary intakes than those with adequate sleep. This study aimed to describe eating behaviours and dietary intakes of Brazilian adults and investigate their associations with self-reported sleep duration encompassing aspects of chrono-nutrition. Demographic, socioeconomic, anthropometric, lifestyle, sleep duration and dietary data were obtained from an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire of the cross-sectional population-based study, 2015 ISA-Capital, (n = 1081 adults, ≥20y). The independent associations between sleep duration (categories: ≤6 h, 7-8 h, and ≥9 h) and dietary variables were assessed after adjustment for covariates. Employment status, physical activity, number of chronic diseases and day of recalled intake were significantly associated with sleep duration categories (p < 0.05). Short duration sleepers (≤6 h) showed the largest probabilities of eating breakfast and snacks. Snacks contributed to 23% of total energy intake and provided the largest amounts of total and added sugar than other eating occasions among short duration sleepers. Long duration sleepers (≥9 h) exhibited lower probability of consumption of the three main meals, lower energy and nutrient intakes in the morning, lower eating frequency and shorter eating period. Irrespective of sleep duration, the largest contribution to total energy intake was in the afternoon (43-46%), followed by the evening (30-32%) and morning (22-25%) periods. In conclusion, sleep duration was associated with different dietary intakes and eating behaviours among Brazilian adults. The largest energy intakes in the afternoon and evening periods signalize the relevance to consider the timing of food consumption aside sleep duration as a target to nutritional counseling for prevention of circadian misalignment and related metabolic disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of comfort food is heterogeneous and encompasses many different aspects that have been difficult to define. Here, we propose that a situational approach may provide a new perspective for categorizing comfort foods. Using a web-based survey, 322 respondents first provided their lay definition of comfort foods. These definitions included the components of emotions, unhealthiness, nostalgia, tastiness, and ease of preparation. Although some participants listed each of these components, half of the participants listed only one of these components, suggesting that most lay definitions of comfort food are rather sparse. Next, respondents evaluated each of 8 scenarios (illness, celebration, reward, stress, break-up, culture, lonely, and remembrance) in which comfort foods may develop. Each of these categories was endorsed by at least 19% of the sample. Subsequent analyses compared the scenarios that represented negative emotion situations (stress, break-up, lonely, and remembrance) or positive emotion situations (celebration, reward, culture, and remembrance). On the basis of these analyses, we propose a situational taxonomy of comfort food that includes 5 categories: negative emotion (stress, break-up, and lonely), positive emotion (celebration and cultural), illness, reward, and remembrance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific attributes of a food product can cause it to be spontaneously but wrongly perceived as healthier than it really is (i.e., the health halo effect). Notably, there is preliminary evidence that individuals evaluate organic food as less caloric than regular, non-organic food. However, explanations regarding the cognitive mechanisms underlying the health halo effect remain scarce. Drawing from the implicit cognition literature, we hypothesize that this effect could be due to (a) the reactivation in memory of implicit positive evaluations and/or (b) the reactivation of a semantic association between the concepts "organic" and "non-caloric". We first conducted a 2 (Product label: organic versus non-organic) × continuous (Valence-IAT score) × continuous (Calorie-IAT score) study (N = 151) to test these hypotheses, and conducted a conceptual replication in a second study (N = 269). We computed Bayesian analyses alongside frequentist analyses in order to test for potential null hypotheses, as well as frequencies and Bayesian meta-regression including both datasets. Both methods provided consistent results. First, Bayesian analyses yielded extremely strong evidence in favor of the hypothesis that the organic label leads to an underestimation of caloric value. Second, they provided strong evidence that this effect is not moderated by implicit evaluations. Hence, we replicated the organic halo effect but showed that, surprisingly, it does not arise from implicit associations. We discuss these findings and propose directions for future research regarding the mechanisms underlying calories (under)estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study examined whether different sleep health parameters (duration, timing, and quality) are associated with obesity-related eating behaviors including emotional overeating, food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, satiety responsiveness, and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), during toddlerhood.Design: Among 134 low-income 33-month-old children, parents reported on child sleep parameters, including sleep quality (Children's Sleep Wake Scale; CSWS) and usual bedtimes and wake times on weekdays and weekends (weeknight sleep duration, weekday-to-weekend bedtime delay). Child eating behaviors were assessed using both observed and parent-report measures. Child Emotional Overeating, Food Responsiveness, Enjoyment of Food, and Satiety Responsiveness were measured by parent report using the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire-Toddler. Observed child EAH was evaluated by measuring kilocalories of palatable foods consumed following a meal. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the associations between sleep parameters and eating behaviors.Results: Poorer child sleep quality was associated with greater Emotional Overeating (standardized β = -0.20 (SE 0.09), p < .05) and greater Food Responsiveness (β = -0.18 (SE 0.09), p < .05). Shorter child nighttime sleep duration was associated with greater EAH kcal consumed (standardized β = -0.22 (SE 0.09), p < .05). Child bedtime delay was not associated with any of the eating behaviors, and no child sleep variables were associated with either Enjoyment of Food or Satiety Responsiveness.Conclusions: Shorter nocturnal sleep duration and poorer sleep quality during toddlerhood were associated with some, but not all, of the obesity-related eating behaviors. Poor sleep health may promote childhood obesity risk through different eating behavior pathways. As children growing up in poverty may experience greater sleep decrements, sleep duration and sleep quality may be important targets for intervention among low-income families with young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on eating behaviour has confirmed that portion size can substantially influence intake, a phenomenon known as the Portion-Size-Effect (PSE). Despite extensive research interest, there is limited understanding about the PSE on intended consumption (often measured by Expected Intake). It also remains unclear whether the presentation of food cues (e.g., Word Descriptors; Food Images) can modulate PSE during pre-meal planning. The current study addressed these questions by comparing PSE on intended versus actual consumption, with 62 participants based on a within-subject design. Participants firstly rated Expected Intake for a pasta dish of three sizes (400, 600, and 800 g), with each size presented in three different formats of food cues. The participants' actual pasta intake with the three portion sizes was tested in three ad libitum sessions over 7 weeks. The results suggested that Expected Intake increases as portion size becomes larger, following a nearly linear relationship. In comparison, the Actual Intake had a smaller increment after the presented portion size exceeded the 'appropriate' range. Relating to these results, the pre-meal PSE was found to be comparable to the actual PSE with moderate portion sizes (i.e., 600 g-400 g), but significantly stronger than the actual effect with large portion sizes. Overall, our data support the hypothesis that portion size can have a stronger influence on meal planning than actual food intake, and show that the format of food cues has considerable influence on Expected Intake. Studies of pre-meal planning should carefully consider the role of portion sizes and food cues on Expected Intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although intuitive eating (IE) interventions have consistently shown benefits for psychological wellbeing and some have shown improvements in physical wellbeing, there is scarce information on the relationship between IE and food intake. Given the popularity of IE as an alternative to dieting, it's important to explore its relationship with food intake. The relationships between IE, Body Mass Index (BMI), diet quality, self-evaluation of dietary intake and physical activity were investigated. A randomly selected sample of adults from the German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland (N = 5,238, 51% men, 20-100 years, BMI 15-62 kg/m2) completed a self-administered questionnaire comprising measures of a diverse range of eating related variables. Intuitive Eating was assessed with the IES-2. Food intake was measured with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Pearson correlations between the IES-2 and variables of interest were calculated for men and women separately. Although total IES-2 scores showed moderate negative correlations with BMI in men and women, the four IES-2 subscales showed different relationships with food intake. In contrast to the other subscales, unconditional permission to eat moderately correlated with poorer diet quality scores, and consistently showed associations with a more negative self-evaluation of eating behavior. The other three IES-2 subscales showed a few small positive and negative correlations with food intake, including small positive associations of diet quality scores in women, but not men, with eating for physical rather than emotional reasons and reliance on hunger and satiety cues. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of IE interventions on food intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the consumption of ultra-processed foods and its association with food addiction in overweight children. The prevalence of food addiction was investigated using the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children in overweight 9-11 year-old children (BMI/age ≥1 Z score) of both sexes from two schools (n = 139). Food intake was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire and the food items were classified into 4 categories: minimally processed, culinary ingredients, processed foods and ultra-processed foods (UPF), based on their degree of processing. Among the children, 95% showed at least one of the seven symptoms of food addiction and 24% presented with a diagnosis of food addiction. In analysis of covariance adjusted for age and sex, a tendency of higher consumption of added sugar (refined sugar, honey, corn syrup) and UPF was found among those diagnosed with food addiction. Multiple logistic regression adjusted for sugar, sodium and fat ingestion showed that consumption of cookies/biscuits (OR = 4.19, p = 0.015) and sausages (OR = 11.77, p = 0.029) were independently associated with food addiction. The identification of foods that may be associated with addictive behavior is very important for correctly treating and preventing childhood obesity, which continues to be one of the greatest health problems in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies indicate a 'portion size effect' association between increased portion size and energy intake, but direct links with obesity remain unproven. UK portion size guidance is outdated and evidence suggests that on-pack serving-sizes have increased in some energy-dense foods. Serving-sizes are compared with consumed portion sizes in popular energy, fat and sugar-dense foods, and patterns explored. Data was analysed for adults aged 19-64y (excluding under-reporters) from the UK National Diet & Nutrition Survey 2008-2014 (n = 2377) for consumed portion sizes and a commercial product database of major UK retailers provided serving-sizes. Popular energy-dense food groups were split into 45 product-based subgroups. Means of consumed portion size and on-pack serving-size were calculated and compared and nutrition per 100 g and per serve was explored. Just 57% products had serving-size compared to 97% with pack-size information. Serving-size ranges were wide and varied across food groups. Consumed portion sizes were significantly higher than on-pack serving-size in all main food groups and most subgroups. The greatest difference between consumed portion size and on-pack serving-size was Crisps (44%), and within this, 'popcorn' (151%). In Chocolate and Crisps, food subgroups with the largest on-pack serving-sizes were also the most macronutrient dense. Serving-size was unavailable for many products. However, where available, consumed portion sizes were higher than on-pack serving-size in all main food groups and most subgroups. The results could inform updated portion size guidance of energy-dense foods. Further work is needed to clarify whether smaller serving and pack sizes lead to lower total consumption and energy/nutrient intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the relation between women's food intake and their conformity to feminine norms after a negative mood induction, as well as the potential moderating role of expressive suppression. Female participants (N = 197) watched a sad movie clip, partook in a taste test in which they consumed potato chips and chocolate, and completed a survey with questions designed to assess conformity to feminine norms and the use of expressive suppression in daily life. Regression analyses revealed that increased conformity to the feminine norm of modesty was associated with reduced food intake, whereas conformity to the feminine norms of thinness and appearance were not. Expressive suppression did not moderate any of these relations. Overall, this study affirms the importance of understanding how overarching cultural norms such as femininity influence women's food consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining dietary self-monitoring during obesity treatment may improve outcomes. As dietary variety is associated with energy intake, understanding the pattern of when new foods and beverages are consumed may assist with identifying when self-monitoring should occur. This study examined dietary variety (total number of differing foods and beverages consumed) from the first 40 days of self-monitoring records reporting ≥ 3 eating occasions and >600 kcal/day from 60 adults (55.9 ± 9.1 yrs, 35.1 ± 5.3 kg/m2, 80.0% female, 95.0% white) participating in a smartphone-based, lifestyle intervention. Dietary variety was coded using an ingredient-based approach. Additionally, new flavors of previously consumed items, and modified and non-modified items contributed to variety. Total number of different foods and beverages consumed over 40 coded days (cumulative variety [cv40]); number of days to reach 50%, 75%, and 100% of cv40; cv40 by eating occasions; and mean number of new items consumed on weekdays and weekend days were calculated. CV40 was 145.4 ± 33.5. Number of coded days to consume 50%, 75%, and 100% of cv40 was 12.7, 25.1, and 40.0, respectively. Dinner was greater (p < 0.0001) in cv40 (58.6 ± 18.5 different items) than other eating occasions, and lunch was greater (p < 0.0001) (38.8 ± 10.7 different items) than breakfast and snack. Weekend days had a greater mean number of new items consumed than weekdays, (3.8 ± 1.0 items vs. 3.6 ± 0.9 items, p = 0.035). Variety of items consumed during obesity treatment is high, and to capture the majority of differing items consumed, at least 4 weeks of detailed recording is needed. After this, to capture new foods and beverages consumed, self-monitoring dinners, lunch, and weekend days may be helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rats offered 30% sucrose solution plus chow or a sucrose-free diet develop leptin resistance within 4 weeks. This experiment tested whether leptin resistance was associated with the reward of sweet taste or the pre- or post-absorptive effects of consumption of simple carbohydrate. Male Sprague Dawley rats were offered a sucrose-free diet (NS), a diet containing 67% calories as sucrose (HS) or NS diet plus 30% sucrose (LS), 0.03% saccharin (Sacc) or 20% SolCarb® solution for 38 days. SolCarb® is a maltodextrin powder. Sacc rats initially drank more than LS rats, but intakes were the same after Day 20. SolCarb® and LS rats drank the same number of calories from Day 15 to the end of the experiment. SolCarb® and LS rats ate less dry food than other groups, but total energy intake was greater than that of NS, HS and Sacc groups and over 80% of their energy intake was from carbohydrate. Leptin responsiveness was tested on Days 27 and 32 with each rat acting as its own control. An i.p. injection of 2 mg/kg leptin inhibited food intake of NS, HS and Sacc rats, but had no effect on energy intake of LS or SolCarb® rats or on consumption of Sacc, sucrose or SolCarb® solution. At the end of the experiment all of the rats were insulin sensitive, had the same body composition and serum leptin concentrations. These data indicate that consumption of a calorie containing carbohydrate solution and not sweet taste drives the development of leptin resistance and suggest that there is lower threshold for inhibition of hunger than for inhibition of reward by leptin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify the interrelations between, and the core components of, adaptive and maladaptive measures of eating behaviours. Participants were 2018 females (Mage = 23.14 years) who completed measures of intuitive eating, mindful eating, overeating regulation, dietary restraint, emotional eating, external eating, and overeating dysregulation in contexts of leisure and discomfort. Most associations between eating measures were significant, with the largest association between eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (intuitive eating) and emotional eating, and the smallest and nonsignificant associations usually involving the mindful eating subscales. Principle component analysis of the composite scores for all measured eating subscales revealed a 4-component structure. Component 1, labelled attuned eating, reflected positive loadings for eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (intuitive eating); act with awareness, present eating, and non-reactivity (mindful eating); and overeating regulation. Attuned eating also had negative loadings for emotional eating, external eating, and leisure and discomfort overeating dysregulation. Component 2, labelled unrestrained eating, reflected positive loadings for unconditional permission to eat (intuitive eating) and acceptance (mindful eating), but also a negative loading for dietary restraint. Component 3, labelled eating and hunger awareness, had positive loadings for reliance on hunger/satiety cues (intuitive eating) and awareness (mindful eating). Component 4, labelled casual eating attitudes, was represented by positive loadings for non-reactivity and flexibility (mindful eating). These findings highlight the complexity of eating behaviour by revealing that although many adaptive and maladaptive eating concepts appear to tap opposite ends of a continuum of attuned versus disinhibited eating, several other adaptive and maladaptive eating concepts are better described as tapping somewhat unique attitudes, beliefs, motivations, and behaviours regarding food and eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The food environment within and surrounding schools may influence children's diets. This study explored if the internal and external school food environments were associated with intake of specific food groups among adolescents.Methods: Participants were a subset of 5344 post-primary school students that took part in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. Four school-level variables were created: urban/rural, disadvantaged status, percentage fast food premises within one kilometer of the school and food sold in the school. Logistic regression models were used to examine school-level influences on daily food consumption controlling for individual and family food environmental factors.Results: For students in disadvantaged schools, the odds of having soft drinks (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.30-2.47) or chips (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.17-2.83) daily were larger and the odds of consuming fruits (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.62-0.99) or vegetables (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.60-0.88) daily were smaller than for students at other schools. Girls and those from higher socioeconomic classes also had healthier eating habits. Attending a school where more than 10% of the food premises within one kilometer of the school were fast food outlets was associated with a 0.78 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.94) and a 0.79 (95% CI 0.66 to 0.93) decreased odds of daily fruit and vegetable intake, respectively.Conclusions: Fast food environments around post-primary schools are associated with less fruit and vegetable intake. Children in disadvantaged schools and from lower social classes are more likely to report poorer dietary habits than children in other schools or from higher social classes, respectively. Multiple contexts influence diet, and children at an economic or social disadvantage are at most risk of poor dietary habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss-of-control (LOC) eating involves a subjective feeling that one cannot stop eating or control one's eating. Individuals with LOC eating may exhibit strong appetitive drives and weak inhibitory control, and these two opposing motivations have been related to EEG measurements of frontal asymmetry or lateralized frontal activation. The present study investigated whether frontal asymmetry is related to hedonic hunger, LOC eating severity and frequency, and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in the laboratory. Fifty-nine individuals participated in an ostensible taste study after resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. After the EEGs, they were provided a meal to eat until fullness, followed by an array of snacks and instructions to eat as much as they would like. The results indicated that several measures of right-frontal asymmetry were related to greater EAH and greater self-reported LOC eating severity. Although right-frontal asymmetry has been theorized to reflect avoidance motivation, recent evidence suggests it may indicate effortful control during approach-avoidance conflicts. Because individuals with LOC eating presumably experience heightened conflict between drives to eat beyond energy needs and to minimize such eating, those experiencing greater LOC may exert greater effort to manage these conflicting motivations. An integration of these neurobiological correlates of LOC eating may help provide a more comprehensive understanding of LOC eating and inform treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify distinct eating behaviour profiles in young children and examine how other key predictors of children's eating behaviour, including child temperament, the experience of food insecurity, or parental feeding practices, may vary by identified profiles. An online survey was conducted with 995 parents/carers living in England and Wales (N = 995, M age = 35.4 years, 80% female, 88% White). Participants reported on their child's eating behaviour using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and completed measures of child temperament, household food security and parental feeding practices. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was carried out to identify distinct eating profiles amongst the children (36–72 months, M age = 48.8 months, 52% female). Four eating profiles emerged from the sample of children: (a) avid eating , (b) avoidant eating , (c) happy eating , and (d) typical eating. Avid eating (21.9% of children) was characterised by higher levels of food responsiveness, enjoyment of food, and emotional over-eating in combination with lower satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating and food fussiness. Children with an avid eating profile were reported to be more surgent and experienced greater food insecurity than all other eating profiles. Parents of children belonging to the avid eating profile showed significantly greater use of food for emotional regulation, varied and balanced food provision, restriction of food for health, and restriction of food for weight feeding practices than the three other eating profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In adults, fat is a major determinant of food palatability. From the onset of complementary feeding (CF) adding fat to complementary foods is recommended to ensure an optimal growth and cognitive development. However, whether adding fat to complementary foods would impact acceptance (in terms of intake and liking) has been little investigated. This study sought 1) to evaluate acceptance of added fat (either vegetable oils or dairy fat) in a vegetable puree in weaning-age infants; 2) to determine whether early differential fat exposure through milk (breast milk and formula have different fat composition) and fat addition in complementary foods can influence acceptance and 3) to explore if fat acceptance can be related to inter-individual differences in salivary compounds potentially involved in fat perception. Twenty six infants with contrasted milk feeding history participated and were introduced with complementary foods at 4.8 months. During the 1st month of complementary feeding, acceptance of 3 broccoli purees (0% fat, 7% of vegetable oils, 7% of dairy fat) was determined through ad libitum intake and global liking, in the laboratory and at home. Saliva was collected: lipolytic activity and carbonic anhydrase 6 concentration were determined. Puree intakes were not impacted by fat addition, whatever the type of added fat. Moreover, the history of milk feeding (breast milk vs. vegetable oils based formulas) in the very first months did not explain acceptance for added fat. Finally, no links between intake and saliva composition were evidenced. Altogether, this study found that the addition of fat did not modify food acceptance by infants during early complementary feeding. Thus, future research should investigate the development of fat acceptance over experience in early infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High fiber diets promote satiety and sustain normal blood glucose by delaying digestion and slowing glucose absorption, but their longer-term impact on body weight loss is thought to be due primarily to their lower energy density. Starches that are digested slowly in the small intestine, resistant starches (RS), contribute to a diet's fiber load. The worldwide epidemic of obesity has supported the incorporation of RS in commercial food products to curtail body weight gain.Aim: The present study explored whether consumption of a beverage containing RS, from high amylose cornstarch (Amylose), will lead to higher satiety and lower energy intake (EI).Methods: Preload beverages containing 75 gm Amylose, Glucose, or a Glucose-Amylose mixture were administered to young healthy females after an overnight fast and blood glucose and appetite measurements were taken at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 min. Calorie intake was assessed at a pizza meal at 2 h (Experiment 1) or 4 h (Experiment 2).Results: The glycemic responses were lower with Amylose: Glucose > Glucose-Amylose > Amylose = water Control (p < 0.0001). Appetite was not affected by the treatments (p > 0.05). EI was lower only after Glucose at 2 h, but unaffected by treatment after 4 h.Conclusion: As high amylose cornstarch improves postprandial blood glucose response but has no effect on satiety and EI, a more careful analysis of its benefits for body weight loss is needed. The research was funded by the Research Office of Kuwait University, Grant # FF01/16.Study Registration: TCTR20180815005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robinson and colleagues (2018) make important first steps in highlighting the shortcomings of laboratory studies of human eating behaviour, and providing some general suggestions to increase methodological and reporting quality. In this commentary, we present additional important theoretical considerations and practical suggestions. First, we discuss the role of situational cues in eating behaviour and highlight the implications for designing ecologically valid laboratory experiments. Next, we discuss food intake in laboratory settings in the context of the distinction between implicit and explicit measures used widely in social psychology, and provide practical recommendations to keep intake a relatively implicit measure. Finally, we recognise that designing optimal experiments requires significant resources so we present a practical procedure to recruit the smallest informative sample via Bayesian sequential hypothesis testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a 1987 paper, addressing questions about factors that influence the initiation, maintenance, and termination of food intake, we wrote, "development of systematic procedures to measure eating behaviour is essential if descriptive and inferential statistics are to be applied to answering such questions, giving them power and replicability" (Hetherington & Rolls, 1987 page 77). Therefore, as longstanding advocates of rigorous procedures in laboratory-based investigations of food intake, we welcome Robinson et al.'s (2018) clear recommendations for laboratory studies. However, this is akin to voting for "motherhood and apple pie", and few would argue against deployment of improved procedures for these studies. What then can we contribute to the debate in order to refine the recommendations made or add to them? Our most important message for researchers is that the central hypothesis or main research question will determine the most appropriate methods for any study. If a laboratory-based study is planned, then there are basic methodological questions that must be answered before proceeding to a final protocol. While such guidelines are needed to ensure basic methodological rigour, these should not be so prescriptive as to inhibit creativity. Here we provide several thoughts on how to advance studies of ingestive behaviour, including the need to apply appropriate controls, encouragement to move beyond convenience samples, and to remember the value of exploratory, observational, and naturalistic studies to complement laboratory-based studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent commentary, Schulte et al. (2017) argued that addictive-like eating should be conceptualized as a substance use disorder rather than a behavioural addiction, and noted that many parallels that Hebebrand et al. (2014) drew between addictive-like eating and behavioural addictions apply likewise to substance use disorders. However, we argue that many of the arguments advanced by Schulte et al. (2017) in support of a substance-based food addiction model, including the important role played by ingested substances, are nonspecific. That is, these arguments apply equally well to behavioural addictions and other mental disorders, notably eating disorders, which raises the question of whether the phenomenon of addictive-like eating is encompassed by existing eating disorder diagnoses. Similarities between addictive-like eating and substance use, no matter how compelling, do not ensure the validity or clinical utility of a substance-based food addiction model and should not drive the conceptualization of addictive-like eating. The present commentary discusses problems with Schulte et al.'s (2017) arguments for substance-based food addiction, and draws attention to alternative conceptualizations of addictive-like eating which risk being overlooked when this conversation is framed as a dichotomous debate between the food and eating addiction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationships among anxiety, sensitivity to sensory stimuli, and picky eating (PE). An earlier study in 95 children ages 5-10 found that sensory sensitivity fully mediated the relationship between anxiety and picky eating. We replicated this finding in a sample of 158 children, ages 8-17, and in 813 young adult college students. As in the previous child sample, the relationship between anxiety and picky eating appears to be mediated by sensory sensitivity. This relationship extends into adolescence and young adulthood and holds even in a sample of children with obsessive-compulsive-spectrum and anxiety disorders. However, there may be developmental differences in the relationship between sensory sensitivity and PE; the magnitude of this relationship was significantly greater for children than young adults. Although there was a trend towards a stronger relationship in a subsample of young adults with high anxiety, the effect was still smaller than that observed in children, suggesting that this difference is developmental and not completely driven by higher anxiety in the child sample. Sensory sensitivity is a candidate mechanism of picky eating, although the cross-sectional nature of this study means that we cannot address whether it is an etiological or maintaining mechanism, or both. Implications for behavioral treatment of picky eating in clinically anxious and non-clinical samples are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present manuscript addressed two hypotheses: (i) As children age, energy intake is shifted from morning (energy intake <11am) to evening hours (energy intake >6pm) (ii) A higher 'eveningness in energy intake' (i.e. evening minus morning energy intake) is associated with a higher total daily energy intake. Data were analyzed from 262 DONALD cohort study participants, who had completed at least one 3-day weighed dietary record in the age groups 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, 15/16 and 17/18 years (y). 'Eveningness in energy intake' was compared across age groups and related to total daily energy intake for each age group (multiple cross-sectional analyses). 'Eveningness' increased progressively from age group 3/4y to age group 17/18y. A median surplus of evening energy intake (i.e. when evening intake exceeded morning intake) was firstly observed for age group 11/12y. From age group 11/12y onwards, a higher 'eveningness' was associated with a higher total daily energy intake (all p < 0.04). Difference in total daily energy intake between the highest and the lowest tertile of 'eveningness' was largest for age group 17/18y, amounting to an 11% higher intake among adolescents in the highest as compared to those in the lowest tertile. In conclusion, energy intake progressively shifts from morning to evening hours as children age. Once evening energy intake exceeds morning energy intake, a higher 'eveningness in energy intake' is associated with higher total daily energy intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric distention contributes to meal termination. There is little research on the neural correlates of gastric distention by food. To date, neural measures have not been obtained concurrently with measurements of gastric distention.Objectives: 1) To study how offering a small versus a large water load following a standardized nutrient load affects gastric distention over time. 2) To assess associations between satiety experiences and brain activity and the degree of gastric distention.Method: 19 healthy males (age 22.2 ± 2.5 y, BMI 21.8 ± 1.5 kg/m2) participated in a randomized crossover study with two treatments: ingestion of a 500-kcal 150-mL liquid meal shake followed by a low (LV, 50 mL) or a high volume (HV, 350 mL) water load. At baseline and three times after ingestion satiety was scored, MRI scans were made to determine total gastric content volume (TGV) and functional MRI scans were made to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF).Results: TGV was significantly higher for HV compared to LV at all time points (p < 0.001) with relative differences between HV and LV of 292 ± 37 mL after ingestion, 182 ± 83 mL at t = 15 min and 62 ± 57 mL at t = 35 min. Hunger decreased (p = 0.023) and fullness increased (p = 0.030) significantly more for HV compared to LV. Ingestion increased CBF in the inferior frontal gyrus and the anterior insula, but there were no differences between treatments. There were no significant correlations between appetite ratings and CBF values.Conclusion: Performing concurrent gastric MRI and CBF measurements can be used to investigate neural correlates of gastric distention. Increased distention did not induce significantly greater brain activation. Future research should further examine the role of the inferior frontal gyrus in satiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though eating with others is often a social behavior, relationships between social contexts of eating and nutrient intake have been underexplored. This study evaluates how social aspects of eating - frequencies of eating meals with others, meals prepared at home, and meals outside the home - are associated with nutrient intake. Because diet improvement can reduce complications of diabetes mellitus, we surveyed a multi-ethnic cohort of persons with type 2 diabetes (n = 770) about social aspects of diet (based on 24-hour recalls). Sex-stratified multiple regression analyses adjusted for confounders assessed the relationship between frequency of eating with others and nutrient intake (total energy, energy from fat, energy from carbohydrates, Healthy Eating Index/HEI, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension/DASH score). Although there was slight variation in men's versus women's propensity to share meals, after adjustment for confounders, there was no consistently significant association between meals with others and the 5 nutrient intake measures for either men or women. The directions of association between categories of eating with others and diet quality (HEI and DASH scores) - albeit not significant - were different for men (positive) and women (mostly negative), which warrants further investigation. The next analyses estimated nutrient intake associated with meals prepared at home, and meals consumed outside the home. Analyses indicated that greater meal frequency at home was associated with significantly better scores on diet quality indices for men (but not women), while meal frequency outside the home was associated with poorer diet quality and energy intake for women (but not men). Better measurement of social dimensions of eating may inform ways to improve nutrition, especially for persons with diabetes for whom diet improvement can result in better disease outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three recent studies showed that taste intensity signals nutrient content. However, current data reflects only the food patterns in Western societies. No study has yet been performed in Asian culture. The Malaysian cuisine represents a mixture of Malay, Chinese and Indian foods. This study aimed to investigate the associations between taste intensity and nutrient content in commonly consumed Dutch (NL) and Malaysian (MY) foods. Perceived intensities of sweetness, sourness, bitterness, umami, saltiness and fat sensation were assessed for 469 Dutch and 423 Malaysian commonly consumed foods representing about 83% and 88% of an individual's average daily energy intake in each respective country. We used a trained Dutch (n = 15) and Malaysian panel (n = 20) with quantitative sensory Spectrum™ 100-point rating scales and reference solutions, R1 (13-point), R2 (33-point) and R3 (67-point). Dutch and Malaysian foods had relatively low mean sourness and bitterness (

Obesity develops due to an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. Besides the decision about what to eat, daily energy intake might be even more dependent on the decision about the portion size to be consumed. For decisions between different foods, attentional focus is considered to play a key role in the choice selection. In the current study, we investigated the attentional modulation of portion size selection during pre-meal planning. We designed a functional magnetic resonance task in which healthy participants were directed to adopt different mindsets while selecting their portion size for lunch. Compared with a free choice condition, participants reduced their portion sizes when considering eating for health or pleasure, which was accompanied by increased activity in left prefrontal cortex and left orbitofrontal cortex, respectively. When planning to be full until dinner, participants selected larger portion sizes and showed a trend for increased activity in left insula. These results provide first evidence that also the cognitive process of pre-meal planning is influenced by the attentional focus at the time of choice, which could provide an opportunity for influencing the control of meal size selection by mindset manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary fiber and whole grain foods may contribute to the regulation of appetite; however, evidence has produced inconclusive findings. The objective was to evaluate the effects of an experimental wholemeal pasta on appetite ratings, plasma concentrations of gastrointestinal hormones involved in appetite control, and postprandial glucose/insulin responses in healthy adults. Fourteen healthy adults (7M/7F), mean age 30±2 yrs (mean±SEM), participated in a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Participants consumed on two different days, at one week interval, 117g of wholemeal pasta or 100g of refined wheat pasta (control pasta), similar in energy and macronutrient composition except for fiber amount, which was higher in wholemeal pasta (11 vs 3 g). Appetite ratings, glucose/insulin/lipid and gastrointestinal hormone responses were measured at fasting and for 4-h after the ingestion of the pasta tests, after which self-reported energy intake for 8-h was evaluated. After the wholemeal pasta, the desire to eat and the sensation of hunger were lower (-16%, p=0.04 and -23%, p=0.004, respectively) and satiety was higher (+13%; p=0.08) compared with the control pasta; no effect on self-reported energy intake at subsequent meal was observed. After wholemeal pasta, glucose, triglyceride increased and GLP-1 responses were not different compared to control pasta but insulin response at 30 min (p<0.05) and ghrelin at 60 min (p=0.03) were lower and PYY levels higher (AUC=+44%, p=0.001). The appetite rating changes correlated with PYY plasma levels (p<0.03). In conclusion, consumption of whole grain instead of refined wheat pasta contributed to appetite control but did not seem to influence acute energy balance. Appetite ratings were associated with modifications in PYY hormone concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methodological quality and reporting practices of laboratory studies of human eating behavior determine the validity and replicability of nutrition science. The aim of this research was to examine basic methodology and reporting practices in recent representative laboratory studies of human eating behavior. We examined laboratory studies of human eating behavior (N = 140 studies) published during 2016. Basic methodology (e.g., sample size, use of participant blinding) and reporting practices (e.g., information on participant characteristics) were assessed for each study. Some information relating to participant characteristics (e.g., age, gender) and study methodology (e.g., length of washout periods in within-subjects studies) were reported in the majority of studies. However, other aspects of study reporting, including participant eligibility criteria and how sample size was determined were frequently not reported. Studies often did not appear to standardize pre-test meal appetite or attempt to blind participants to study aims. The average sample size of studies was small (between-subjects design studies in particular) and the primary statistical analyses in a number of studies (24%) were reliant on very small sample sizes that would be likely to produce unreliable results. There are basic methodology and reporting practices in the laboratory study of human eating behavior that are sub-optimal and this is likely to be affecting the validity and replicability of research. Recommendations to address these issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]