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Ruda I, Chellapandian DC, Freiherr J. The impact of cognitive distraction on gustatory perception in volunteers with obesity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14268. [PMID: 38902292 PMCID: PMC11190272 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64722-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity, a global health challenge, is influenced by biological, behavioral, socioeconomical, and environmental factors. In our technology-driven world, distracted eating is prevalent, yet neurocognitive mechanisms behind it remain poorly understood. This study targets individuals with overweight and obesity, exploring taste perception under distraction comprehensively. Participants formed two distinct groups based on their Body Mass Index (BMI), lean and overweight/obese. During the experiment participants received gustatory stimuli while playing a Tetris game of various difficulty levels. Participants rated taste intensity and pleasantness, with linear mixed models analyzing distraction effects. Results confirmed that high distraction levels reduced perception of taste intensity (p = 0.017) and taste pleasantness (p = 0.022), with variations influenced by gender and weight status. Individuals in the overweight/obese group exhibited most profound intensity changes during distraction (p = 0.01). Taste sensitivity ratings positively correlated with BMI interacting with gender (male r = 0.227, p < 0.001; female r = 0.101, p < 0.001). Overall across both groups, female participants demonstrated higher taste sensitivity compared to male participants (p < 0.001). This study highlights the impact of cognitive distraction during consumption on taste perception, particularly in relation to weight status and gender, underscoring their significant roles in this interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iryna Ruda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Deepak Charles Chellapandian
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jessica Freiherr
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
- Sensory Analytics and Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Strasse 35, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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2
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Oh GE, Mukhopadhyay A. Dynamics of self-control during choice and post-choice consumption quantity. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1238780. [PMID: 38887628 PMCID: PMC11181909 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1238780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Observed choices between options representing a relative vice and a relative virtue have commonly been used as a measure of eating self-control in the literature. However, even though self-control operations may manifest across the post-choice consumption stage, either similarly or in different ways from the choice stage, most prior research has ignored consumption quantity of the chosen option. While the behavior of choosing a virtue instead of a vice does manifest self-control, we examine how this plays out in post-choice consumption. Specifically, we find that when processing resources are limited, after having chosen a virtue food, unrestrained eaters ironically consumed greater quantities and therefore more calories than restrained eaters (Study 1). This reflects more persistent self-control in the post-choice consumption stage among restrained eaters than unrestrained eaters, and occurs because choosing a virtue lowers accessibility of the self-control goal among unrestrained eaters relative to restrained eaters (Study 2), thereby increasing intake of the virtuous food. In contrast, subsequent to having chosen a vice, unrestrained eaters and restrained eaters did not show any such difference in intake (Study 1) or goal accessibility (Study 2). Together, these results reveal that persistence of self-control in the post-choice consumption stage depends on individuals' dietary restraint and their initial exercise of self-control in the choice decision. The mere act of choosing a virtue satisfies unrestrained eaters' self-control goal and leads to increased food intake, whereas the same act keeps the same goal activated among restrained eaters who reduce intake of the chosen virtue. Put differently, persistent self-control across choice and quantity decisions is observed only when those with a dietary goal show successful self-control enactment in the choice stage. We therefore highlight that the operation of self-control can be dynamic within a consumption episode, and thus, choice and post-choice quantity are both informative of self-control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ga-Eun Oh
- Department of Marketing and International Business, Faculty of Business, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Anirban Mukhopadhyay
- Faculty of Management, Bayes Business School, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Marketing, School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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3
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Razzaghi-Asl S, Doğan SN, Tekatlı MT, Veldhuizen MG. Distraction suppresses high-fat flavor perception. Appetite 2024; 195:107177. [PMID: 38122869 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Distraction during eating contributes to overeating, and when habitually eating with distraction, this may contribute to the development of obesity. One of the proposed mediating mechanisms is the suppression of intensity perception in odor and taste. The effect of distraction on fat intensity perception in flavor, the multisensory combination of odor, taste, and other sensory aspects, is still unknown. In this study, 32 participants (22 women) performed a flavor perception task while also performing a distracting working memory task. In each trial, participants were instructed to observe and memorize a string of 3 (low cognitive load) or 7 (high cognitive load) consonants. Then they received a small quantity of a high- or low-fat chocolate drink, and after that, they were asked to select the string they tried to memorize from three answer options. Last, they rated the intensity and fattiness of the flavor. As intended, in the working memory task, we observed that with a high cognitive load (relative to a low cognitive load), accuracy decreased and response times increased. Regarding perception of the flavors, we observed that overall, high-fat drinks were rated as more intense and fattier. Cognitive load and fat content interacted, such that for the low-fat drink, intensity and fattiness ratings were similar under both cognitive loads; however, under the high cognitive load (relative to the low cognitive load), intensity and fattiness ratings for the high-fat drink were lower. Our results show that distraction can impact the perception of fat in high-fat drinks. If distraction primarily reduces perception of high-fat foods, this may pose a particular risk of overeating high-calorie foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Razzaghi-Asl
- Department of Cognitive Science, Informatic Institute, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye; National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | - Sümeyra Nur Doğan
- National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Türkiye
| | | | - Maria Geraldine Veldhuizen
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Letters, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye; Biotechnology Research and Applications Center, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye.
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4
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Becker D, Bernecker K. The Role of Hedonic Goal Pursuit in Self-Control and Self-Regulation: Is Pleasure the Problem or Part of the Solution? AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2023; 4:470-474. [PMID: 37744979 PMCID: PMC10514018 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-023-00193-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines the role of hedonic goal pursuit in self-control and self-regulation. We argue that not all pursuit of immediate pleasure is problematic and that successful hedonic goal pursuit can be beneficial for long-term goal pursuit and for achieving positive self-regulatory outcomes, such as health and well-being. The following two key questions for future research are discussed: How can people's positive affective experiences during hedonic goal pursuit be enhanced, and how exactly do those affective experiences contribute to self-regulatory outcomes? We also call for an intercultural perspective linking hedonic goal pursuit to self-regulatory outcomes at different levels. We suggest that understanding the cognitive, motivational, and affective mechanisms at play can help individuals reap the benefits of successful hedonic goal pursuit. Considering those potential benefits, hedonic goal pursuit should be studied more systematically. To achieve this, we argue for a stronger integration of affective science and self-control research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Becker
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katharina Bernecker
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- URPP Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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van Meer F, van Steenbergen H, van Dillen LF. The effect of cognitive load on preference and intensity processing of sweet taste in the brain. Appetite 2023; 188:106630. [PMID: 37302413 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Distracted eating can cause overconsumption. Whereas previous work has shown that cognitive load suppresses perceived taste intensity and increases subsequent consumption, the mechanism behind distraction-induced overconsumption remains unclear. To elucidate this, we performed two event-related fMRI experiments that examined how cognitive load affects neural responses and perceived intensity and preferred intensity, respectively, to solutions varying in sweetness. In Experiment 1 (N = 24), participants tasted weak sweet and strong sweet glucose solutions and rated their intensity while we concurrently varied cognitive load using a digit-span task. In Experiment 2 (N = 22), participants tasted five different glucose concentrations under varying cognitive load and then indicated whether they wanted to keep, decrease or increase its sweetness. Participants in Experiment 1 rated strong sweet solutions as less sweet under high compared to low cognitive load, which was accompanied by attenuated activation the right middle insula and bilateral DLPFC. Psychophysiological interaction analyses showed that cognitive load moreover altered connectivity between the middle insula and nucleus accumbens and DLPFC and middle insula while tasting strong sweet solutions. In Experiment 2, cognitive load did not affect participants' preferred sweetness intensity. fMRI results revealed that cognitive load attenuated DLPFC activation for the strongest sweet solutions in the study. In conclusion, our behavioral and neuroimaging results suggest that cognitive load dampens the sensory processing of strong sweet solutions in particular, which may indicate higher competition for attentional resources for strong sweet than weak sweet solutions under high cognitive load. Implications for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor van Meer
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - Henk van Steenbergen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Lotte F van Dillen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Knowledge Centre for Psychology and Economic Behaviour, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
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6
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van Dillen LF, Hofmann W. Room for Feelings: A “Working Memory” Account of Affective Processing. EMOTION REVIEW 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/17540739221150233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In the past decades, affective science has overwhelmingly demonstrated the unique properties of affective information to bias our attention, memory, and decisions. At the same time, accumulating evidence suggests that neutral and affective representations rely on the same working memory substrates for the selection and computation of information and that they are therefore restricted by the same capacity limitations that these substrates impose. Here, we integrate these insights into a working memory model of affective processing (WMAP). Drawing on competitive access models of working memory, we discuss its role in the various stages of affective processing, from attentional selection to maintenance and memory storage, and resulting feelings and actions. We end our overview with some open questions and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wilhelm Hofmann
- Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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7
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Visalli M, Wakihira T, Schlich P. Concurrent vs. immediate retrospective temporal sensory data collection: A case study on lemon-flavoured carbonated alcoholic drinks. Food Qual Prefer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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8
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Mulheren R, Westemeyer RM, Dietsch AM. The effect of taste on swallowing: A scoping and systematic review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022; 64:1256-1282. [PMID: 36036968 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2115003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Consuming foods and liquids for nutrition requires the coordination of several muscles. Swallowing is triggered and modified by sensory inputs from the aerodigestive tract. Taste has recently received attention as a potential modulator of swallowing physiology, function, and neural activation; additionally, taste impairment is a sequela of COVID-19. This review presents factors impacting taste and swallowing, systematically summarizes the existing literature, and assesses the quality of included studies. A search was conducted for original research including taste stimulation, deglutition-related measure(s), and human participants. Study design, independent and dependent variables, and participant characteristics were coded; included studies were assessed for quality and risk of bias. Forty-eight articles were included after abstract and full-text review. Synthesis was complicated by variable sensory components of stimuli (taste category and intensity, pure taste vs. flavor, chemesthesis, volume/amount, consistency, temperature), participant characteristics, confounding variables such as genetic taster status, and methods of measurement. Most studies had a high risk of at least one type of bias and were of fair or poor quality. Interpretation is limited by wide variability in methods, taste stimulation, confounding factors, and lower-quality evidence. Existing studies suggest that taste can modulate swallowing, but more rigorous and standardized research is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mulheren
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ross M Westemeyer
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Angela M Dietsch
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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9
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Choosing to choose or not. JUDGMENT AND DECISION MAKING 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s1930297500008937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractTo what degree do people prefer to choose for themselves and what drives this preference? Is it memory-based and results from a life-long association between choices and better outcomes, or is the process of choice itself reinforcing? In a new paradigm, across 6 experiments, participants experienced both ’Own Choice’ and ’Computer Picks’ conditions with identical outcomes before selecting which condition to re-experience in the final part of the experiment. Consistent with previous work, an overwhelming majority ( 83%) preferred own-choice. Several variations of the paradigm reveal that (1) Preference For Choice (PFC) is reduced when thinking about the task without actually choosing in it, (2) PFC is substantially reduced by choice-unrelated cognitive load, and (3) Preference For Choice is further diminished when selection is based on criteria other than one’s preferences. Across experiments, participants’ self-rated enjoyment predicted a significant portion of their PFC, while their perceived gains had little to no predictive value. If PFC stems solely from past reinforcement learning (i.e., memory) then neither performing another few scores of choices nor adding cognitive load to that sequence of choices would be expected to dramatically affect it. Hence, our findings suggest that a significant part of this preference stems from the process of choice itself, and that the experience it confers can itself be reinforcing. We discuss the implications of the proposed mechanism for PFC, which leads us to the prediction that PFC may be muted or even reversed under specific conditions and what this means for when the ‘opposite’ effect – sticking with the default – will occur.
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van Meer F, de Vos F, Hermans RCJ, Peeters PA, van Dillen LF. Daily distracted consumption patterns and their relationship with BMI. Appetite 2022; 176:106136. [PMID: 35697153 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity has heightened the need for a better understanding of obesity-related eating patterns and dietary behaviours. Recent work suggests that distracted eating is causally related to increased immediate and later food, pushing the need for a better understanding of the prevalence of distracted consumption and how this relates to body weight. To extract insights in the relationship between demographics, daily consumption settings, and BMI, we performed secondary data analyses on data from 1011 individuals representative of the Dutch population (adults, 507F, BMI 17-50 kg/m2). The most commonly reported distractions were talking to others (32.7%) and watching television (21.7%). Only 18.4% of respondents reported no distractions during meals. To examine how different distractions related to BMI, we performed OLS regression which showed, among other things, that watching tv while eating lunch (η2 = 0.37) and working during dinner were associated with a higher BMI (η2 = 1.63). To examine the robustness of these findings, machine learning techniques were used. A random forest analysis (RMSE = 4.09) showed that next to age and education level, distraction during lunch and snack was amongst the largest predictors of BMI. Multiple linear regression with lasso penalty (RMSE = 4.13) showed that specifically watching tv while eating lunch or snacks was associated with a higher BMI. In conclusion, our analyses confirmed the assumption that people are regularly distracted during their daily meals, with distinct distractors relating to BMI. These findings provide a starting point for evidence-based recommendations on which consumption settings are associated with healthier eating patterns and body weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor van Meer
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - Frank de Vos
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Roel C J Hermans
- NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | | | - Lotte F van Dillen
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Knowledge Centre Psychology and Economic Behaviour, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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11
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Botha JJ, Cannon P, Hort J. Comparing a new rapid combined method (RapCoTT) with traditional approaches for phenotyping thermal taste. Physiol Behav 2021; 238:113482. [PMID: 34081949 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Thermal taste is the phenomenon whereby taste is induced in some individuals through the application of a changing temperature stimulus to the tongue. Research into thermal taste is currently limited by inefficient phenotyping methods, which result in large numbers of unclassified individuals. This study evaluated the performance of a new, rapid combined phenotyping approach (RapCoTT) compared to two classification approaches using traditional phenotyping methods. RapCoTT was found to be more efficient at classifying participants, whilst showing consistency in classification with existing approaches. However, learning effects impacted the efficiency of all methods, which are a likely consequence of the unusual nature of thermal taste. It was concluded that three training steps be included for the phenotyping, namely taste exposure, TCATA training and a practice run. RapCoTT was found to evoke similar patterns of perceived tastes to other methods, with some exceptions. RapCoTT provides a more efficient tool for categorising participants for comparing sensory perception and food choice behaviours within the Thermal taste phenotype and provides a robust approach for future research into the phenomenon of thermal taste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janita Jossie Botha
- Food Experience and Sensory Testing (Feast) Lab, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
| | - Peter Cannon
- Food Experience and Sensory Testing (Feast) Lab, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; School of Psychology, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
| | - Joanne Hort
- Food Experience and Sensory Testing (Feast) Lab, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand.
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12
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Schadll S, Rodriguez-Raecke R, Heim L, Freiherr J. Playing Tetris Lets You Rate Odors as Less Intense. Front Psychol 2021; 12:657188. [PMID: 34335370 PMCID: PMC8316920 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.657188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Overweight and obesity are considered a huge problem in modern societies. Previous studies have shown that people who are regularly distracted by playing videogames or watching TV while eating are more likely to be overweight and that the number of people that are gaming worldwide is rising. Further, it has been established that both, watching TV or playing video games lead to an increased snack intake and a lower rating of perceived taste intensity. Since flavor perception is accomplished not only by the sense of taste but also the sense of smell, we investigated the influence of cognitive load created by playing a video game on odor intensity perception. The participants played a low or high difficulty version of Tetris while presented with odors of food and non-food items. A higher skin conductance response (SCR) along with a decrease in task performance verified that the higher difficulty level leads to a higher cognitive load. Our behavioral data indicates a significant decrease in intensity estimates of food odors and non-food odors during the high compared to low cognitive load condition. We conclude that odor intensity estimation is influenced by real-life cognitive tasks which might in turn lead to overeating while distracted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Schadll
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rea Rodriguez-Raecke
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lennart Heim
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jessica Freiherr
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany
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13
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14
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15
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Volz S, Ward A, Mann T. Eating up cognitive resources: Does attentional consumption lead to food consumption? Appetite 2021; 162:105165. [PMID: 33609586 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
What is the role played by attentional load in eating? Does attending to an unrelated task generally lead to overeating, perhaps by preventing individuals from focusing on a goal to limit consumption? Or does such attentional diversion typically lead to reductions in eating, perhaps by preventing people from noticing tempting features of relevant food cues? Past research has supported each of these two propositions, but comparisons between existing studies have been hampered to the extent that various experimental manipulations differ in the degree to which they occupy attention, as well as differing in the particular type of attentional resources they exploit. To resolve existing discrepancies in the literature, in a series of studies, we made use of a working memory manipulation, the n-back task (Kirchner, 1958), that can be systematically modified to induce varying levels of cognitive load, allowing for rigorous comparisons of the effects of different levels of attentional load on eating. These studies revealed a complex pattern of results. Analysis of findings from three studies employing within-subjects designs documented a linear relationship, in that participants consumed less food when completing a higher cognitive-load task than when completing a lower cognitive-load task. Three studies employing between-subjects designs highlighted a less consistent pattern of results, but when combined in a mini-meta-analysis, suggested the opposite linear relationship, with participants assigned to higher cognitive-load conditions generally consuming more food than participants assigned to lower cognitive-load conditions. We conducted two additional studies to reconcile these conflicting patterns of data. Neither finding received unequivocal support, although both studies found that participants ate less when engaged in higher cognitive-load tasks than lower cognitive-load tasks. The precise nature of the relationship between attentional load and eating remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Volz
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Andrew Ward
- Department of Psychology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA, 19081, USA
| | - Traci Mann
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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16
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Spence C, Youssef J. Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers. Foods 2021; 10:foods10010168. [PMID: 33467624 PMCID: PMC7830801 DOI: 10.3390/foods10010168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The growing aging population are increasingly suffering from the negative health consequences of the age-related decline in their senses, especially their chemical senses. Unfortunately, however, unlike for the higher senses of vision and hearing, there is currently nothing that can be done to bring back the chemical senses once they are lost (or have started their inevitable decline). The evidence suggests that such chemosensory changes can result in a range of maladaptive food behaviours, including the addition of more salt and sugar to food and drink in order to experience the same taste intensity while, at the same time, reducing their overall consumption because food has lost its savour. Here, though, it is also important to stress the importance of the more social aspects of eating and drinking, given the evidence suggesting that a growing number of older individuals are consuming more of their meals alone than ever before. Various solutions have been put forward in order to try to enhance the food experience amongst the elderly, including everything from optimising the product-intrinsic food inputs provided to the remaining functional senses through to a variety of digital interventions. Ultimately, however, the aim has to be to encourage healthier patterns of food consumption amongst this rapidly-growing section of the population by optimising the sensory, nutritional, social, and emotional aspects of eating and drinking. An experimental dinner with the residents of one such home where nostalgic-flavoured healthy ice-creams were served is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Jozef Youssef
- Kitchen Theory, Unit 9A Alston Works, London EN5 4EL, UK;
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17
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Bin Morshed M, Kulkarni SS, Li R, Saha K, Roper LG, Nachman L, Lu H, Mirabella L, Srivastava S, De Choudhury M, de Barbaro K, Ploetz T, Abowd GD. A Real-Time Eating Detection System for Capturing Eating Moments and Triggering Ecological Momentary Assessments to Obtain Further Context: System Development and Validation Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2020; 8:e20625. [PMID: 33337336 PMCID: PMC7775824 DOI: 10.2196/20625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eating behavior has a high impact on the well-being of an individual. Such behavior involves not only when an individual is eating, but also various contextual factors such as with whom and where an individual is eating and what kind of food the individual is eating. Despite the relevance of such factors, most automated eating detection systems are not designed to capture contextual factors. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to (1) design and build a smartwatch-based eating detection system that can detect meal episodes based on dominant hand movements, (2) design ecological momentary assessment (EMA) questions to capture meal contexts upon detection of a meal by the eating detection system, and (3) validate the meal detection system that triggers EMA questions upon passive detection of meal episodes. METHODS The meal detection system was deployed among 28 college students at a US institution over a period of 3 weeks. The participants reported various contextual data through EMAs triggered when the eating detection system correctly detected a meal episode. The EMA questions were designed after conducting a survey study with 162 students from the same campus. Responses from EMAs were used to define exclusion criteria. RESULTS Among the total consumed meals, 89.8% (264/294) of breakfast, 99.0% (406/410) of lunch, and 98.0% (589/601) of dinner episodes were detected by our novel meal detection system. The eating detection system showed a high accuracy by capturing 96.48% (1259/1305) of the meals consumed by the participants. The meal detection classifier showed a precision of 80%, recall of 96%, and F1 of 87.3%. We found that over 99% (1248/1259) of the detected meals were consumed with distractions. Such eating behavior is considered "unhealthy" and can lead to overeating and uncontrolled weight gain. A high proportion of meals was consumed alone (680/1259, 54.01%). Our participants self-reported 62.98% (793/1259) of their meals as healthy. Together, these results have implications for designing technologies to encourage healthy eating behavior. CONCLUSIONS The presented eating detection system is the first of its kind to leverage EMAs to capture the eating context, which has strong implications for well-being research. We reflected on the contextual data gathered by our system and discussed how these insights can be used to design individual-specific interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard Li
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Koustuv Saha
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | | | - Hong Lu
- Intel Labs, Santa Clara, CA, United States
| | - Lucia Mirabella
- Corporate Technology, Siemens Corporation, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | | | | | - Kaya de Barbaro
- The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Thomas Ploetz
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
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18
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Betancur MI, Motoki K, Spence C, Velasco C. Factors influencing the choice of beer: A review. Food Res Int 2020; 137:109367. [PMID: 33233069 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Research on those variables that have been shown to influence the consumer's choice of beer is reviewed. The focus is on the choice of whether to drink beer as opposed to a beverage from another category, and to a greater extent, the choice between different types or styles of beer. Inspired by previous research on a diverse array of factors that have been shown to influence food and beverage choice, the review examines how beer choice is driven by consumer variables (covering biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors), product-intrinsic attributes (the sensory aspects of the beer itself), product-extrinsic attributes (external sensory characteristics, such as packaging), and contextual and environmental influences. These situational factors refer to variables such as the location where choice/consumption takes place (i.e., on- versus off-trade), as well as the context, occasion, and reason for drinking. Current trends related to choice and consumption, such as the emerging interest in beer-food pairing, are also examined. The review groups these attributes which affect people's beer wanting, choice, and purchase in order to understand the beer consumer's choice process. Along with general conclusions, a number of key directions for future research are also presented, given that the relative contribution of each type of factor on consumer's choice behaviour is still unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kosuke Motoki
- Department of Food Management, Miyagi University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Charles Spence
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Carlos Velasco
- Centre for Multisensory Marketing, Department of Marketing, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway.
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19
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Duif I, Wegman J, Mars MM, de Graaf C, Smeets PAM, Aarts E. Effects of distraction on taste-related neural processing: a cross-sectional fMRI study. Am J Clin Nutr 2020; 111:950-961. [PMID: 32173737 PMCID: PMC7198299 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the current obesogenic environment we often eat while electronic devices, such as smart phones, computers, or the television, distract us. Such "distracted eating" is associated with increased food intake and overweight. However, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of this phenomenon are unknown. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to elucidate these mechanisms by investigating whether distraction attenuates processing in the primary and secondary taste cortices, located in the insula and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), respectively. METHODS Forty-one healthy, normal-weight participants received fixed amounts of higher- and lower-sweetness isocaloric chocolate milk while performing a high- or low-distracting detection task during fMRI in 2 test sessions. Subsequently, we measured ad libitum food intake. RESULTS As expected, a primary taste cortex region in the right insula responded more to the sweeter drink (P < 0.001, uncorrected). Distraction did not affect this insular sweetness response across the group, but did weaken sweetness-related connectivity of this region to a secondary taste region in the right OFC (P-family-wise error, cluster, small-volume corrected = 0.020). Moreover, individual differences in distraction-related attenuation of taste activation in the insula predicted increased subsequent ad libitum food intake after distraction (r = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS These results reveal a mechanism explaining how distraction during consumption attenuates neural taste processing. Moreover, our study shows that such distraction-induced decreases in neural taste processing contribute to individual differences in the susceptibility for overeating. Thus, being mindful about the taste of food during consumption could perhaps be part of successful prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity, which should be further tested in these target groups. This study was preregistered at the Open Science Framework as https://bit.ly/31RtDHZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Duif
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Netherlands,Address correspondence to ID (e-mail: ); or EA (E-mail: )
| | - Joost Wegman
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Monica M Mars
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Cees de Graaf
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Paul A M Smeets
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands,Image Sciences Institute and UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Esther Aarts
- Radboud University, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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20
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Veldhuizen MG. Distracted Sniffing of Food Odors Leads to Diminished Behavioral and Neural Responses. Chem Senses 2019; 42:719-722. [PMID: 28968700 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjx060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Eating under distracted conditions such as viewing television is associated with overeating and weight gain. Following evidence from earlier findings, in this issue Hoffman-Hensel et al. report a study in which they investigated the influence of distraction on intensity perception of low and high caloric food odors and neural responses to these food odors. Their findings suggest that distraction directly leads to decreased neural response in olfactory cortex and decreased intensity, and, indirectly to overeating, through a mechanism that then compensates for the decrease in strength of the olfactory signals. I discuss these results in a broader context of attention to odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Geraldine Veldhuizen
- The John B. Pierce Laboratory, 290 Congress Ave, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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21
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Abstract
Theorizing around the topic of attention and its role in human information processing largely emerged out of research on the so-called spatial senses: vision, audition, and to a lesser extent, touch. Thus far, the chemical senses have received far less research interest (or should that be attention) from those experimental psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists interested in the topic. Nevertheless, this review highlights the key role that attentional selection also plays in chemosensory information processing and awareness. Indeed, many of the same theoretical approaches/experimental paradigms that were originally developed in the context of the spatial senses, can be (and in some cases already have been) extended to provide a useful framework for thinking about the perception of taste/flavour. Furthermore, a number of those creative individuals interested in modifying the perception of taste/flavour by manipulating product-extrinsic cues (such as, for example, music in the case of sonic seasoning) are increasingly looking to attentional accounts in order to help explain the empirical phenomena that they are starting to uncover. However, separate from its role in explaining sonic seasoning, gaining a better understanding of the role of attentional distraction in modulating our eating/drinking behaviours really ought to be a topic of growing societal concern. This is because distracted diners (e.g., those who eat while watching TV, fiddling with a mobile device or smartphone, or even while driving) consume significantly more than those who mindfully pay attention to the sensations associated with eating and drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, Anna Watts Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
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22
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Liang P, Jiang J, Ding Q, Tang X, Roy S. Memory Load Influences Taste Sensitivities. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2533. [PMID: 30618955 PMCID: PMC6297800 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous literature reports have demonstrated that taste perception would be influenced by different internal brain status or external environment stimulation. Although there are different hypotheses about the cross-modal interactive process, it still remains unclear as of how the brain modulates and processes taste perception, particularly with different memory load. Here in this study we address this question. To do so we assign the participants different memory loads in the form of varying lengths of alphanumerical items, before tasting different concentrations of sweet or bitter tastants. After tasting they were asked to recall the alphanumerical items they were assigned. Our results show that the memory load reduces sweet and bitter taste sensitivities, from sub-threshold level to high concentration. Higher the memory load, less is the taste sensitivity. The study has extended our previous results and supports our previous hypothesis that the cognitive status, such as the general stress of memory load, influences sensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Liang
- Department of Psychology/Facuty of Education, Hubei University, Hubei, China.,Brain and Cognition Research Center (BCRC), Faculty of Education, Hubei Univeristy, Hubei, China.,The No. 2 Peoples' Hospital of Changshu, Changshu, China.,Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu, China
| | - Jiayu Jiang
- Department of Psychology/Facuty of Education, Hubei University, Hubei, China.,Brain and Cognition Research Center (BCRC), Faculty of Education, Hubei Univeristy, Hubei, China
| | - Qingguo Ding
- The No. 2 Peoples' Hospital of Changshu, Changshu, China
| | - Xiaoyan Tang
- Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu, China
| | - Soumyajit Roy
- Eco-Friendly Applied Materials Laboratory, Materials Science Centre, Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, India
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23
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Stelick A, Dando R. Thinking outside the booth — the eating environment, context and ecological validity in sensory and consumer research. Curr Opin Food Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cofs.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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24
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Hoffmann-Hensel SM, Sijben R, Rodriguez-Raecke R, Freiherr J. Cognitive Load Alters Neuronal Processing of Food Odors. Chem Senses 2017; 42:723-736. [PMID: 28968851 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjx046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a major health concern in modern societies. Although decreased physical activity and enhanced intake of high-caloric foods are important risk factors for developing obesity, human behavior during eating also plays a role. Previous studies have shown that distraction while eating increases food intake and leads to impaired processing of food stimuli. As olfaction is the most important sense involved in flavor perception, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques to investigate the influence of cognitive memory load on olfactory perception and processing. Low- and high-caloric food odors were presented in combination with either low or high cognitive loads utilizing a memory task. The efficacy of the memory task was verified by a decrease in participant recall accuracy and an increase in skin conductance response during high cognitive load. Our behavioral data reveal a diminished perceived intensity for low- but not high-caloric food odors during high cognitive load. For low-caloric food odors, bilateral orbitofrontal (OFC) and piriform cortices (pirC) showed significantly lower activity during high compared with low cognitive load. For high-caloric food odors, a similar effect was established in pirC, but not in OFC. Insula activity correlates with higher intensity ratings found during the low cognitive load condition. We conclude lower activity in pirC and OFC to be responsible for diminished intensity perception, comparable to results in olfactory impaired patients and elderly. Further studies should investigate the influence of olfactory/gustatory intensities on food choices under distraction with special regards to low-caloric food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Maria Hoffmann-Hensel
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Rik Sijben
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Rea Rodriguez-Raecke
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Jessica Freiherr
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Str. 35, 85354 Freising, Germany
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25
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Goldschmidt AB, Crosby RD, Cao L, Pearson CM, Utzinger LM, Pacanowski CR, Mason TB, Berner LA, Engel SG, Wonderlich SA, Peterson CB. Contextual factors associated with eating in the absence of hunger among adults with obesity. Eat Behav 2017; 26:33-39. [PMID: 28131964 PMCID: PMC5735853 DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) is under-explored in adults with obesity. In this study, 50 adults with obesity recorded eating episodes and theoretically-relevant environmental, perceptual, and emotional correlates in the natural environment for 2weeks via ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Generalized linear models and mixed models were used to characterize correlates and consequences of EAH vs. non-EAH episodes/tendencies (within-subjects and between-subjects effects, respectively), time of day, and time of day×EAH interactions. Approximately 21% of EMA-recorded eating episodes involved EAH, and 70% of participants reported at least 1 EAH episode. At the within-person level, participants' EAH episodes were associated with greater self-labeled overeating than their non-EAH episodes. At the between-person level, participants who tended to engage in more EAH reported less self-labeled overeating than those who engaged in less EAH. Across EAH and non-EAH episodes, eating in the evening was associated with overeating, expecting eating to be more rewarding, greater alcoholic beverage consumption, eating alone, eating because others are eating, and eating while watching television. Significant EAH×time of day interactions were also observed but the pattern of findings was not consistent. Findings suggest that EAH may be a relevant target for reducing food intake in individuals with obesity given its high prevalence and association with perceptions of overeating, although results should be extended using objective measures of food intake. Associations between evening eating episodes and perceptual and environmental factors should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea B. Goldschmidt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ross D. Crosby
- Department of Biostatistics, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Li Cao
- Department of Biostatistics, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Carolyn M. Pearson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Linsey M. Utzinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA,Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Carly R. Pacanowski
- Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Tyler B. Mason
- Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Laura A. Berner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Scott G. Engel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA,Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Stephen A. Wonderlich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA,Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Carol B. Peterson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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26
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Karfopoulou E, Brikou D, Mamalaki E, Bersimis F, Anastasiou CA, Hill JO, Yannakoulia M. Dietary patterns in weight loss maintenance: results from the MedWeight study. Eur J Nutr 2016; 56:991-1002. [PMID: 26744302 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-015-1147-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The dietary habits contributing to weight loss maintenance are not sufficiently understood. We studied weight loss maintainers in comparison with regainers, to identify the differentiating behaviors. METHODS The MedWeight study is a Greek registry of weight loss maintainers and regainers. Participants had intentionally lost ≥10 % of their weight and either had maintained this loss for over a year, or had regained weight. Questionnaires on demographics and lifestyle habits were completed online. Dietary assessment was carried out by two telephone 24-h recalls. RESULTS Present analysis focused on 361 participants (32 years old, 39 % men): 264 maintainers and 97 regainers. Energy and macronutrient intake did not differ by maintenance status (1770 ± 651 kcal in maintainers vs. 1845 ± 678 kcal in regainers, p = 0.338), although protein intake per kg of body weight was higher in maintainers (1.02 ± 0.39 vs. 0.83 ± 0.28 g/kg in regainers, p < 0.001). Physical activity energy expenditure was greater for maintainers in men (by 1380 kcal per week, p = 0.016), but not women. Salty snacks, alcohol and regular soda were more frequently consumed by men regainers. Principal component analysis identified a healthy dietary pattern featuring mainly unprocessed cereal, fruit, vegetables, olive oil and low-fat dairy. Male maintainers were 4.6 times more likely to follow this healthy pattern compared to regainers (OR 4.6, 95 % CI 2.0-11.0). No similar finding was revealed in women. Other characteristics of maintainers but not of regainers were: involvement in meal preparation and eating at home for men, and a higher eating frequency and slower eating rate for women. CONCLUSIONS Men maintaining weight loss were much more likely to adhere to a healthy eating pattern. Eating at home, involvement in meal preparation, higher eating frequency and slower eating rate were also associated with maintenance. These lifestyle habits of successful maintainers provide target behaviors to improve obesity treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Karfopoulou
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, El. Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Dora Brikou
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, El. Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Eirini Mamalaki
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, El. Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Fragiskos Bersimis
- Department of Informatics and Telematics, Harokopio University, El. Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Costas A Anastasiou
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, El. Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - James O Hill
- Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, University of Colorado, 12348 E Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Mary Yannakoulia
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, El. Venizelou 70, 17671, Athens, Greece.
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27
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Abstract
Mindful eating is the enjoyment of food utilizing all of the senses without judgment. The basic principles of mindful eating involve listening to internal cues of the body (ie, hunger and satiety) to avoid overconsumption and utilizing external cues (reducing portion sizes and distractions while eating, and eating slowly) to assist in achieving awareness. Some practical ways of incorporating mindful eating include chewing food thoroughly before swallowing, drinking water between bites of food, savoring the aroma and taste of food, using smaller plates and bowls, turning off the television and computer while eating, and creating a pleasurable experience around food and eating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T. Monroe
- Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
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28
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Sagioglou C, Greitemeyer T. Bitter Taste Causes Hostility. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2014; 40:1589-97. [DOI: 10.1177/0146167214552792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The present research tested the novel hypothesis that bitter taste increases hostility. Theoretical background formed the intimate link of the taste-sensory system to the visceral system, with bitter intake typically eliciting a strong aversion response. Three experiments using differential bitter and control stimuli showed that hostile affect and behavior is increased by bitter taste experiences. Specifically, participants who consumed a bitter (vs. control) drink showed an increase in self-reported current hostility (Experiment 1), in hypothetical aggressive affect and hypothetical aggressive behavior (Experiment 2) and in actual hostile behavior assessed using a well-established method for non-physical laboratory aggression (Experiment 3). Furthermore, the effect occurred not only when participants were previously provoked (Experiments 2 and 3) but also when no provocation preceded (Experiment 1 and 3). Importantly, stimulus aversiveness and intensity did not influence the effects observed, ruling them out as explanations. Alternative interpretative frameworks and limitations are discussed.
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