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Cheon BK, Smith MR, Bittner JMP, Loch LK, Haynes HE, Bloomer BF, Te-Vazquez JA, Bowling AI, Brady SM, Tanofsky-Kraff M, Chen KY, Yanovski JA. Lower subjective social status is associated with increased adiposity and self-reported eating in the absence of hunger due to negative affect among children reporting teasing distress. J Pediatr Psychol 2024:jsae024. [PMID: 38637284 DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Low social standing and teasing are independently associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and overeating in children. However, children with low social status may be vulnerable to teasing. METHODS We tested the statistical interaction of subjective social status (SSS) and subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) and teasing distress on BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in children (Mage = 13.09 years, SD = 2.50 years; 27.8% overweight/obese). Multiple linear regressions identified the main effects of self-reported SSS (compared to peers in school), distress due to teasing, and their interaction on BMI (n = 115), FMI (n = 114), and child- (n = 100) and parent-reported (n = 97) EAH. RESULTS Teasing distress was associated with greater BMI, FMI, and child-reported EAH due to negative affect (a subscale of EAH) and total EAH scores. There were no associations of SSS with these outcomes. However, there was an interaction between SSS and teasing distress for BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect such that lower SSS was associated with higher BMI, FMI, and EAH from negative affect in the presence of teasing distress. However, there were no main effects or interactions (with teasing distress) of SSES on the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the relationship between lower SSS and increased adiposity and overeating behaviors may be exacerbated by other threats to social standing, such as teasing. Children exposed to multiple social threats may be more susceptible to eating beyond physiological need and obesity than those who experience a single form of perceived social disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Meegan R Smith
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Julia M P Bittner
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lucy K Loch
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hannah E Haynes
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Program, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Metis Foundation, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Bess F Bloomer
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer A Te-Vazquez
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andrea I Bowling
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sheila M Brady
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Marian Tanofsky-Kraff
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Program, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kong Y Chen
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jack A Yanovski
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Pink AE, Teo R, Chua B, Kong F, Nadarajan R, Pei JY, Tan CHY, Toh JY, Chong YS, Tan KH, Yap F, Meaney MJ, Broekman BFP, Cheon BK. The effects of acute social ostracism on subsequent snacking behavior and future body mass index in children. Int J Obes (Lond) 2024:10.1038/s41366-024-01489-4. [PMID: 38413700 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01489-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Ostracism may lead to increased food intake, yet it is unclear whether greater reactivity to ostracism contributes to higher body mass index (BMI). We investigated whether children who exhibited greater stress to social exclusion subsequently consume more energy and whether this predicts BMI 6- and 18-months later. SUBJECTS/METHODS Children (8.5 years-old) (N = 262, males = 50.4%; Chinese = 58.4%) completed a laboratory-based manipulation of social exclusion (the Cyberball task) prior to an ad-libitum snack. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured during the inclusion and exclusion conditions and proportionate changes were calculated as a physiological measure of exclusion-related stress. Social anxiety and social-emotional assets were also measured as moderators. RESULTS Greater stress (as measured physiologically or by self-report) did not directly, or indirectly via energy intake, predict later BMI (at 9- and 10-years). However, among children reporting higher social anxiety, greater stress as measured by proportionate changes in HRV was associated with increased energy intake (B = 532.88, SE = 226.49, t(255) = 2.35, [CI95 = 86.85,978.92]). A significant moderated mediation was also observed (index: (b = 0.01, bootSE = 0.01, [CI95 = 0.001, 0.036]), such that among children reporting higher social anxiety, greater stress from social exclusion predicted increased energy intake from a subsequent snack, which in turn predicted higher BMI 1.5 years later. CONCLUSION This prospective study suggests that a pattern of greater snack intake in response to heightened vulnerability to the effects of ostracism may contribute to increases in child BMI scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee E Pink
- Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis, Singapore, 138632, Republic of Singapore.
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore.
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
| | - Reena Teo
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Bob Chua
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Fabian Kong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ranjani Nadarajan
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Psychiatry and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jia Ying Pei
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Charmaine H Y Tan
- Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis, Singapore, 138632, Republic of Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jia Ying Toh
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yap-Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Obsteterics & Gynaecology, Yoo Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kok Hian Tan
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fabian Yap
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, KK's Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Psychiatry and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Brain-Body Strategic Research Program, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
| | - Birit F P Broekman
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, 117609, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, OLVG, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit van, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20847, USA.
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Smith MR, Bittner JMP, Loch LK, Haynes HE, Bloomer BF, Te-Vazquez J, Bowling AI, Brady SM, Tanofsky-Kraff M, Chen KY, Yanovski JA, Cheon BK. Independent and Interactive Associations of Subjective and Objective Socioeconomic Status With Body Composition and Parent-Reported Hyperphagia Among Children. Child Obes 2023. [PMID: 37943608 DOI: 10.1089/chi.2023.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Background: Subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) and objective socioeconomic status (OSES) have been independently associated with body composition and eating behavior in children. While low OSES may constrain access to healthier foods, low SSES has been associated with increased preference for and motivation to consume higher energy foods and portions independent of OSES. Despite these distinct ways that OSES and SSES may affect children's eating behavior and adiposity, their joint contributions remain unclear. We investigated the independent and interactive associations of SSES and OSES with children's BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and caregiver-reported hyperphagia. Methods: Data were derived from the Children's Growth and Behavior Study, an ongoing observational study. Multiple linear regressions used child's SSES and OSES of the family as independent factors and modeled the statistical interaction of SSES and OSES with BMI (n = 128), FMI (n = 122), and hyperphagia and its subscales (n = 76) as dependent variables. Results: SSES was independently and negatively associated with hyperphagia severity and OSES was independently and negatively associated with both FMI and hyperphagia severity. There was a statistical interaction effect of SSES and OSES on hyperphagia severity-lower SSES was associated with greater hyperphagia severity only at lower levels of OSES. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a relationship between low OSES and child adiposity and that the relationship between child SSES and hyperphagia severity may be most relevant for children from households with lower family OSES. Future research on socioeconomic disparities in children's body composition and eating behaviors should examine the interaction of SSES and OSES. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02390765.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meegan R Smith
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Julia M P Bittner
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucy K Loch
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hannah E Haynes
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Program, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Metis Foundation, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Bess F Bloomer
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Te-Vazquez
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrea I Bowling
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sheila M Brady
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marian Tanofsky-Kraff
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Program, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kong Y Chen
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jack A Yanovski
- Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Bittner JMP, Gilman SE, Zhang C, Chen Z, Cheon BK. Relationships between early-life family poverty and relative socioeconomic status with gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy later in life. Ann Epidemiol 2023; 86:8-15. [PMID: 37573949 PMCID: PMC10538385 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Low early-life absolute and relative socioeconomic status (SES) may contribute to socioeconomic disparities in pregnancy complications (i.e., gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM], preeclampsia/eclampsia [PE], hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [HDP; preeclampsia/eclampsia, gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension]), but their independent associations with pregnancy complications have not been studied. This study investigated associations of early-life poverty and relative SES with risks of GDM, PE, and HDP. METHODS National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health data were used (GDM n = 802; PE n = 813; HDP n = 801). Objective poverty was defined as wave I low-income or receipt of federal nutrition assistance benefits. Relative SES was self-reported at wave V (ages 33-39) by asking whether the participant's family was financially worse off than average when growing up. Logistic regressions assessed relationships between poverty, relative SES, and self-reported lifetime diagnoses of GDM, PE, or HDP. RESULTS Lifetime prevalences of GDM, PE, and HDP were 9.23%, 12.00%, and 21.93%, respectively. Low relative SES (odds ratio: 2.04 [1.07, 3.89]) and poverty (odds ratio: 1.81 [0.97, 3.38]) were independently associated with GDM but not with PE or HDP. CONCLUSIONS Early-life poverty and relative SES are associated with GDM; understanding the mechanisms underlying these associations may help identify novel intervention targets to reduce socioeconomic disparities in GDM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M P Bittner
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
| | - Stephen E Gilman
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Cuilin Zhang
- Global Center for Asian Women's Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhen Chen
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Cheon BK, Low X, Wijaya DJ, Lee A. Perceived inequality in society may not motivate increased food intake in the absence of personal socioeconomic disadvantage. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1237. [PMID: 37365621 PMCID: PMC10294481 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16138-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Greater levels of socioeconomic inequality across societies have been associated with higher rates of obesity and cardiometabolic disease. While these relationships could be attributed to poorer quality of health services and lower access to healthier lifestyles among disadvantaged groups in societies with greater economic inequality, this explanation does not account for those who experience relative economic security in such unequal societies (e.g., the middle and upper classes). Here, we tested whether perceptions of greater disparities between social classes in one's society (i.e., perceived societal inequality) may promote eating behaviors that risk excess energy intake. METHODS In two studies, participants completed an experimental manipulation that situated them as middle class within a hypothetical society that was presented to have either large disparities in socioeconomic resources between classes (high inequality condition) or low disparities (low inequality condition), while keeping the participants' objective socioeconomic standing constant across conditions. In Study 1 (pre-registered), participants (n = 167) completed the perceived societal inequality manipulation before a computerized food portion selection task to measure desired portion sizes for a variety of foods. Study 2 (n = 154) involved a similar design as Study 1, but with inclusion of a neutral control condition (no awareness of class disparities) followed by ad libitum consumption of potato chips. RESULTS While the high inequality condition successfully elicited perceptions of one's society as having greater socioeconomic inequalities between classes, it did not generate consistent feelings of personal socioeconomic disadvantage. Across both studies, we observed no differences between conditions in average selected portion sizes or actual energy intake. CONCLUSIONS Taken together with prior research on the effects of subjective socioeconomic disadvantage on increased energy intake, these findings suggest that perceptions of inequality in one's society may be insufficient to stimulate heightened energy intake in the absence of personal socioeconomic disadvantage or inadequacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Dr., Room 3166, Bethesda, MD, 20817, USA.
| | - Xenia Low
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Darren Jeffian Wijaya
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Albert Lee
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Pink AE, Lee LL, Low DY, Yang Y, Fong LZ, Kang AYH, Liu P, Kim H, Wang Y, Padmanabhan P, Cobiac L, Gulyás B, Pettersson S, Cheon BK. Implicit satiety goals and food-related expectations predict portion size in older adults: Findings from the BAMMBE cohort. Appetite 2023; 180:106361. [PMID: 36332849 PMCID: PMC9742320 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Portion size selection is an indicator of appetite and within younger adults, is predicted by factors such as expected satiety, liking and motivations to achieve an ideal sensation of fullness (i.e., implicit satiety goals). Currently, there is limited research available on the determinants of portion size selection within older adults. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between individual differences in implicit satiety goals, food-related expectations, and portion size selection in older adults. Free-living older adult Singaporeans (N = 115; Nmales = 62; age: M = 66.21 years, SD = 4.78, range = 60-83 years) participated as part of the Brain, Ageing, Microbiome, Muscle, Bone, and Exercise Study (BAMMBE). Participants completed questionnaires on their subjective requirements for experiencing different states of satiety and food-related expectations (i.e., liking, how filling) as well as a computerised portion size selection task. Using a multiple regression, we found that goals to feel comfortably full (B = 3.08, SE = 1.04, t = 2.96, p = .004) and to stop hunger (B = -2.25, SE = 0.82, t = -2.75, p = .007) significantly predicted larger portion size selection (R2 = 0.24, F(4,87) = 6.74, p < .001). Larger portion sizes (R2 = 0.53, F(5,90) = 20.58, p < .001) were also predicted by greater expected satiety (B = 0.47, SE = 0.09, t = 5.15, p < .001) and lower perceptions of how filling foods are (B = -2.92, SE = 0.77, t = -3.79, p < .001) but not liking (B = -0.09, SE = 0.91, t = -0.10, p = .925) or frequency (B = -18.42, SE = 16.91, t = -1.09, p = .279) of consumption of target foods. Comparing our findings to results of studies conducted with younger adults suggests the influence of factors such as satiety related goals on portion size selection may change with ageing while the influence of other factors (e.g., expected satiety/fullness delivered by foods) may remain consistent. These findings may inform future strategies to increase/decrease portion size accordingly to ensure older adults maintain an appropriate healthy weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee E Pink
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 639818, Singapore; Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138632, Singapore; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (A*STAR), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 117599.
| | - Li Ling Lee
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 639818, Singapore.
| | - Dorrain Yanwen Low
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore.
| | - Yifan Yang
- Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, 637616, Singapore; Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, 637616, Singapore.
| | - LaiGuan Zoey Fong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore.
| | - Alicia Yi Hui Kang
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore.
| | - Peijia Liu
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore.
| | - Hyejin Kim
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore.
| | - Yulan Wang
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore; Singapore Phenome Centre (SPC), Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore.
| | | | - Lynne Cobiac
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Health and Biosecurity, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia.
| | - Balázs Gulyás
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore; Cognitive Neuroimaging Centre (CONIC), Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sven Pettersson
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921, Singapore; Department of Neurobiology, Care and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden; National Neuroscience Institute, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 308433, Singapore; Sunway University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kuala Lumpur, 47500, Malaysia.
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, 20847.
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Abstract
Individuals vary in the extent to which they engage in holistic and analytic information processing styles. Holistic processing involves focusing on the interconnectivity and relatedness of items being evaluated, while analytic processing involves focusing on items being judged as discrete elements and independent of context. We examined the contribution of these basic processing styles to the dishware size effect, which proposes that food consumption patterns may be influenced by the size of the dishware (i.e., larger plates increase the amount of food consumed). We observed that participants self-served and consumed more food when using and eating from a larger plate (LP) compared with a smaller plate (SP) (p≤0.01). Importantly, participants who reported greater levels of holistic information processing related to attitudes towards contradictions and attention allocation exhibited smaller variations in portions of food self-served and consumed based on the dishware size used (SP vs. LP). These findings suggest that the susceptibility of individuals to the dishware size effect may be associated with an individual's dispositional tendency to process information in a holistic (vs. analytic) manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Y Sim
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, USA
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Cheon BK, Lee LL, Lee A, Sim AY. Context‐sensitive thinking influences judgments of expected satiation from combinations of foods: The role of individual and cultural variations. J SENS STUD 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/joss.12787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K. Cheon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland USA
| | - Li Ling Lee
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology) Nanyang Technological University Singapore
| | - Albert Lee
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology) Nanyang Technological University Singapore
| | - Aaron Y. Sim
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology) Nanyang Technological University Singapore
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Pink AE, Lee LL, Low DY, Yang Y, Lai Guan ZF, Yi Hui AK, Liu P, Kim H, Cobiac L, Gulyás B, Pettersson S, Cheon BK. Implicit Satiety Goals and Food-Related Expectations Predict Portion Size in Older Adults: Findings from the BAMMBE Cohort. Appetite 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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10
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Pink AE, Lim PXH, Sim AY, Cheon BK. The Effects of Acute Social Media Exposure on Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Behavior of Male and Female Students. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 2022. [DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2022.41.4.365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Experimental research has examined the effect of social media on body dissatisfaction, but little attention has been given to the impact on eating behavior. Across two studies, we tested the causal relationship between acute social media use, body dissatisfaction and eating behavior. Methods: In Study 1, 80 female participants (age: M = 20.75 years; BMI: M = 21.3) viewed their own Facebook account or a news website before completing a portion size selection task. In Study 2 (pre-registered), 148 participants (81 females; age: M = 20.92 years; BMI: M = 22.19), viewed their own or an experimenter-curated Instagram profile before consuming potato chips ad-libitum. Results: In Study 1, body dissatisfaction was significantly higher in participants who viewed Facebook (compared to a news website) and significantly mediated the effect of condition on portion size selection. In Study 2, regardless of condition females reported significantly smaller ideal body sizes and higher body dissatisfaction compared to males. When females reported a thinner body size as ideal, females in the personal Instagram consumed significantly less potato chips than those in the control Instagram condition. When males reported a smaller actual body size, males in the personal Instagram condition consumed significantly less potato chips than males in the control Instagram condition. Discussion: Findings suggest brief bouts of social media use may produce immediate disruptions to body image of both sexes, and restrained snack intake of females endorsing thin ideals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee E. Pink
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Swansea University, Swansea, UK; and A∗STAR, Singapore
| | | | | | - Bobby K. Cheon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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11
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Cheon BK, Lee LL. Subjective socioeconomic disadvantage is indirectly associated with food portion selection through perceived disruption of personal resources during a nationwide COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Appetite 2022; 178:106158. [PMID: 35780937 PMCID: PMC9245368 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In addition to its public health implications, the global COVID-19 pandemic has also produced significant disruptions to individuals' socioeconomic resources and opportunities. Prior research has suggested that low subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) may stimulate appetite and motivate increased energy intake. Here, we tested whether individuals experiencing lower levels of SSES (SSES disadvantage) during a nationwide stay-at-home order for COVID-19 exhibited preferences for larger food portion sizes through perceived disruptions to personal financial and material resources. Data was collected near the conclusion of a nationwide partial lockdown (Singapore's “Circuit-Breaker” from April to June 2020). Participants (N = 295) completed an online survey involving a measure of SSES, the Coronavirus Impacts Questionnaire, and a food portion selection task where participants estimated the portion size they prefer to consume for a range of common foods. SSES disadvantage was associated with selection of smaller average portion sizes. Yet, a significant indirect effect of coronavirus impact was observed in this relationship, such that participants experiencing greater SSES disadvantage selected larger portion sizes through the effect of greater perceived impacts of COVID-19 to one's financial/material resources (controlling for one's actual level of income). These findings further support the idea that perceived deprivation and insecurity of important resources (financial, social, material) may influence intentions to consume greater amounts of energy. Consequently, systematic societal disruptions to such resources may reinforce and perpetuate potentially obesogenic eating behaviors of populations that are especially vulnerable to such shocks (i.e., people experiencing SSES disadvantage).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Li Ling Lee
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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12
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Pink AE, Stylianou KS, Ling Lee L, Jolliet O, Cheon BK. The effects of presenting health and environmental impacts of food on consumption intentions. Food Qual Prefer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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13
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Chen L, Zheng T, Yang Y, Chaudhary PP, Teh JPY, Cheon BK, Moses D, Schuster SC, Schlundt J, Li J, Conway PL. Integrative multiomics analysis reveals host-microbe-metabolite interplays associated with the aging process in Singaporeans. Gut Microbes 2022; 14:2070392. [PMID: 35549618 PMCID: PMC9116421 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2070392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The age-associated alterations in microbiomes vary across populations due to the influence of genetics and lifestyles. To the best of our knowledge, the microbial changes associated with aging have not yet been investigated in Singapore adults. We conducted shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal and saliva samples, as well as fecal metabolomics to characterize the gut and oral microbial communities of 62 healthy adult male Singaporeans, including 32 young subjects (age, 23.1 ± 1.4 years) and 30 elderly subjects (age, 69.0 ± 3.5 years). We identified 8 gut and 13 oral species that were differentially abundant in elderly compared to young subjects. By combining the gut and oral microbiomes, 25 age-associated oral-gut species connections were identified. Moreover, oral bacteria Acidaminococcus intestine and Flavonifractor plautii were less prevalent/abundant in elderly gut samples than in young gut samples, whereas Collinsella aerofaciens and Roseburia hominis showed the opposite trends. These results indicate the varied gut-oral communications with aging. Subsequently, we expanded the association studies on microbiome, metabolome and host phenotypic parameters. In particular, Eubacterium eligens increased in elderly compared to young subjects, and was positively correlated with triglycerides, which implies that the potential role of E. eligens in lipid metabolism is altered during the aging process. Our results demonstrated aging-associated changes in the gut and oral microbiomes, as well as the connections between metabolites and host-microbe interactions, thereby deepening the understanding of alterations in the human microbiome during the aging process in a Singapore population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Chen
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Tingting Zheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, The Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- Office of Education Research, and Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Prem Prashant Chaudhary
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Epithelial Therapeutics Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jean Pui Yi Teh
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Bobby K. Cheon
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore,Eunice Kenndy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniela Moses
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Stephan C. Schuster
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Joergen Schlundt
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, The Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China,School of Data Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China,CONTACT Jun Li Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, The Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Patricia L. Conway
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences,The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia,Patricia L. Conway School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459
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14
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Chong MFF, Lim HX, Wong BWX, Chi ZH, Inthujaa JK, Müller-Riemenschneider F, Cheon BK, Gorny AW, Chia KS. Transiting Out of Full-Time National Service: A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Motivators of Weight Change in Young Adult Men in Singapore. Am J Mens Health 2022; 16:15579883221074788. [PMID: 35272525 PMCID: PMC8921754 DOI: 10.1177/15579883221074788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Higher prevalence of obesity in men compared with women, particularly among those 18 to 40 years of age, has been observed in Singapore. We explored young men's perceptions of weight change after transiting out of National Service (NS) over a 12-month period and sought to understand the underlying drivers. In-depth interviews, guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), were conducted with young men 12 months after they had completed full-time NS. Six constructs from the HBM, namely, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and perceived self-efficacy, were utilized to guide the analysis. Thematic analysis revealed that participants generally perceived a gain in body weight after the transition and attributed this to decreased exercise-related physical activity (PA) levels and increased consumption of unhealthy food. However, many did not display immediate concerns nor view leading a healthy lifestyle as priority, citing time constraints, inertia to comply, or lack of access to sports facilities and healthy food options as barriers. Healthy lifestyle behaviors, mainly PA, were mostly pursued for physical health and appearance. Motivators toward a healthy lifestyle tended to be internal factors such as self-motivation, personal preference, and habit, whereas external motivators included peer or familial influence and environmental factors. Our findings align with key concepts of the HBM and suggest a need to educate young men transiting out of NS on lifestyle, weight, and health, in particular addressing their misconceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Foong-Fong Chong
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Hui Xian Lim
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Beverly W X Wong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Zi Han Chi
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - J K Inthujaa
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Bobby K Cheon
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Alexander W Gorny
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore
| | - Kee Seng Chia
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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15
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Pink AE, Lee LL, Cheon BK. Satiety insecurity mediates the relationship between food insecurity and portion size. Appetite 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Cheon BK, Tan YF, Forde CG. Influence of Essentialist Beliefs on Judgments of Food and Food Processing. Appetite 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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17
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Abstract
Portion size is an important determinant of energy intake and the development of easy to use and valid tools for measuring portion size are required. Standard measures, such as ad libitum designs and currently available computerized portion selection tasks (PSTs), have several limitations including only being able to capture responses to a limited number of foods, requiring participants’ physical presence and logistical/technical demands. The objective of the current study was to develop and test robust and valid measures of portion size that can be readily prepared by researchers and be reliably utilized for remote online data collection. We developed and tested two simplified PSTs that could be utilized online: (1) portion size images presented simultaneously along a horizontal continuum slider and (2) multiple-choice images presented vertically. One hundred and fifty participants (M = 21.35 years old) completed both simplified PSTs, a standard computerized PST and a series of questionnaires of variables associated with portion size (e.g., hunger, food item characteristics, Three Factor Eating Questionnaire). We found average liking of foods was a significant predictor of all three tasks and cognitive restraint also predicted the two simplified PSTs. We also found significant agreement between the standard PST and estimated portion sizes derived from the simplified PSTs when accounting for average liking. Overall, we show that simplified versions of the standard PST can be used online as an analogue of estimating ideal portion size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee E. Pink
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639818, Singapore;
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Bobby K. Cheon
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639818, Singapore;
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +65-6592-1570
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18
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Cheon BK, Melani I, Hong YY. How USA-Centric Is Psychology? An Archival Study of Implicit Assumptions of Generalizability of Findings to Human Nature Based on Origins of Study Samples. Social Psychological and Personality Science 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550620927269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Conclusions about human behavior are primarily based upon observations from western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) samples, especially from the United States. One consequence may be the promotion of assumptions that research findings from these populations are more generalizable to humankind than findings from non-WEIRD populations. We tested this with an archival study comparing the extent to which titles of over 5,000 published psychology articles specify samples’ racial/ethnic/national/cultural characteristics—a practice that implies constraints to generalizability. We observed that samples from the United States were less frequently specified in titles compared to both other WEIRD and non-WEIRD regions. Yet, samples from the United States (compared to other regions) were more frequently specified in titles if they referred to racial/ethnic/cultural minorities who may be perceived as exceptions to assumed generalizability of the White American population. These findings suggest that one consequence of a USA-centric sampling bias in psychology may be biased assumptions of (White) people from the United States as especially reflective of humankind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K. Cheon
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Irene Melani
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ying-yi Hong
- Business School, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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19
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Lim EX, Forde CG, Cheon BK. Low subjective socioeconomic status alters taste-based perceptual sensitivity to the energy density of beverages. Physiol Behav 2020; 223:112989. [PMID: 32502527 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased consumption of energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Recent findings suggest that the mere perception of having lower subjective SES (SSES) compared to others was sufficient to elicit heightened preferences and consumption of higher energy foods and meals. This increased drive for energy intake associated with low SSES may be accompanied by heightened perceptual sensitivity to the presence of energy in foods, which may aid discrimination and selection of energy-dense foods. The present study tested this prediction by investigating whether acute experiences of low SSES may produce subsequent shifts in perceptual sensitivity to the energy density of beverages. Participants performed two taste tests on 6 iced tea beverages that varied in energy density prior to (at baseline) and after an experimental SSES manipulation. There were no differences in general frequency of ice tea consumption across the SSES conditions. Results revealed that participants were better at perceiving beverages that were higher in energy to be more energy dense following the low SSES manipulation (compared to baseline evaluations). By contrast, participants in the high SSES and neutral control conditions exhibited no overall consistent change in sensitivity to perceived energy density across the beverages following the manipulation. Additionally, no effects of SSES manipulation were observed for rated palatability of the beverages. These findings demonstrate that subjective experiences of having inadequate socioeconomic resources may produce taste-based perceptual shifts that increase sensitivity to the presence of energy in foods, potentially through heightened attentiveness to or expectations of sensory characteristics that signal energy (i.e., sweetness, texture). Such perceptual shifts may have been adaptive for facilitating the discrimination and selection of energy-dense foods in the face of resource insecurity. Importantly, this study suggests that merely perceiving a socioeconomic disadvantage may enhance identification and consumption of energy-dense foods and beverages, which may represent a psychosocial process that contributes to socioeconomic disparities in consumption of energy dense foods, and may be operational via heightened perceptual sensitivity to sensory cues associated with the presence of energy in the consumed food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth X Lim
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore; Address: 14 Medical Drive, S(117599)
| | - Ciarán G Forde
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore; Address: 14 Medical Drive, S(117599); Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore; Address: 14 Medical Drive, S(117599); School Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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20
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Chen L, Zhang J, Teh JPY, Cheon BK, Yang Y, Schlundt J, Wang Y, Conway PL. Comparative Blood and Urine Metabolomics Analysis of Healthy Elderly and Young Male Singaporeans. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:3264-3275. [PMID: 32434331 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Comparative metabolomics analysis of biofluids could provide information about the metabolic alterations in aging. To investigate the signature of multiple metabolic profiles associated with aging in an Asian population, we performed a pilot study in healthy Singaporeans, including 33 elderly and 33 young males. Fasting whole bloods were analyzed by routine hematology; the serum and urine metabolome profiles were obtained using NMR-based nontargeted metabolomics analysis and targeted lipoprotein analysis. Among the 90 identified compounds in serum and urine samples, 32 were significantly different between the two groups. The most obvious age-related metabolic signatures include decreased serum levels of albumin lysyl and essential amino acids and derivatives but increased levels of N-acetyl glycoproteins and several lipids and elevated urine levels of trimethylamine N-oxide, scyllo-inositol, citrate, and ascorbic acid but decreased levels of several amino acids, acetate, etc. Among 112 lipoprotein subfractions, 65 were elevated, and 2 were lower in the elderly group. These significantly age-varying metabolites, especially in the amino acid and fatty acid metabolism pathways, suggest that the regulation of these pathways contributes to the aging process in Chinese Singaporeans. Further multiomics studies including the gut microbiome and intervention studies in a larger cohort are needed to elucidate the possible mechanisms in the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Chen
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459 Singapore.,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), Nanyang Technological University, 637459 Singapore
| | - Jingtao Zhang
- Singapore Phenome Centre, Nanyang Technological University, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, 636921 Singapore
| | - Jean Pui Yi Teh
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459 Singapore.,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), Nanyang Technological University, 637459 Singapore
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 48 Nanyang Avenue, HSS-04-01, 639818 Singapore.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Medical Drive, 117609 Singapore
| | - Yifan Yang
- Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637616 Singapore
| | - Joergen Schlundt
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459 Singapore.,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), Nanyang Technological University, 637459 Singapore
| | - Yulan Wang
- Singapore Phenome Centre, Nanyang Technological University, Experimental Medicine Building, 59 Nanyang Drive, 636921 Singapore
| | - Patricia L Conway
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, 637459 Singapore.,Nanyang Technological University Food Technology Centre (NAFTEC), Nanyang Technological University, 637459 Singapore.,Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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21
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Abstract
Culture fusion reflects blending of elements from distinct cultures that produces a novel, hybrid cultural representation. Prior research among participants in the USA revealed that fusion of cultural elements from the USA and China could be perceived as contamination of one’s local culture and evokes disgust. It remains unknown whether this aversion to culture fusion generalizes to other samples and is contingent on perceivers’ attitudes toward the source of the foreign culture. Here, we tested these questions across two studies. Participants were exposed to different patterns of culture mixing of their own local culture and two foreign cultures (one relatively favored and one relatively disfavored). Across both studies (Singaporean participants in Study 1 and Hong Kong participants in Study 2), the results replicated prior findings suggesting that culture fusion elicits stronger negative evaluations (e.g., disgust, discomfort) compared to other patterns of culture mixing (i.e., presentation of local and foreign elements side-by-side). Importantly, a Mixing Type × Foreign Source interaction emerged, such that participants in both studies reacted more negatively to culture mixing involving a less favored (China) than a more favored (USA) culture, with negative reactions especially pronounced toward culture fusion. This aversive response was moderated by patriotism in Singapore but not in Hong Kong. These findings demonstrate that response to culture mixing depends on intergroup attitudes toward foreign cultures, and culture fusion is especially aversive when involving cultural inflows from a disfavored out-group. The contribution of geopolitical differences between Singapore and Hong Kong on these findings are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K. Cheon
- School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Ying-yi Hong
- Business School, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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22
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Kim EB, Cheon BK, Chen C. Do drinking buddies matter for young children?: Preschoolers’ conformity to remote peers’ beverage choices. Cognitive Development 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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23
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Pellegrino R, Cheon BK, Forde CG, Oleszkiewicz A, Pieniak M, Luckett CR. The contribution of texture contrasts and combinations to food acceptance across cultures. J Texture Stud 2019; 51:225-231. [PMID: 31697403 DOI: 10.1111/jtxs.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Texture has long been considered an important attribute for food acceptance. However, which specific textural characteristics contribute to overall acceptance of a food is not well understood. It has been suggested that texture contrasts and combinations are a universal feature in giving foods a desirable texture, yet this notion is largely based upon anecdotal data. This study uses multiple survey research methods to assess the importance of texture contrast and combinations across cultures (Poland, U.S.A., and Singapore). Participants (N = 288) completed a survey that included overt measures of food texture contrast importance as well as free response questions regarding texture. The overall importance of texture for food liking was not different across the populations. However, the participants from Singapore and Poland gave more importance to a desirable food having multiple textures than the U.S.A. cohort. When looking at free responses, participants were twice as likely to mention combinations (multiple textures) with a texture contrast when describing foods they liked, in comparison to foods they disliked. This was observed across all three cultures. However, the type and quantity of texture terms used within combinations were different among cultures. For instance, Singaporeans enjoyed more texturally diverse food combinations than the other two cultures. These findings highlight the importance of texture contrasts and combinations in three distinct cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Pellegrino
- Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.,Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences (Psychology), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ciarán G Forde
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Michal Pieniak
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Curtis R Luckett
- Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
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24
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Abstract
Cultural norms for the experience, expression, and regulation of emotion vary widely between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Collectivistic cultures value conformity, social harmony, and social status hierarchies, which demand sensitivity and focus to broader social contexts, such that attention is directed to contextual emotion information to effectively function within constrained social roles and suppress incongruent personal emotions. By contrast, individualistic cultures valuing autonomy and personal aspirations are more likely to attend to central emotion information and to reappraise emotions to avoid negative emotional experience. Here we examined how culture affects perceptual strategies employed during emotion regulation, particularly during cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression. Eye movements were measured while healthy young adult participants viewed negative International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images and regulated emotions by using either strategies of reappraisal (19 Asian American, 21 Caucasian American) or suppression (21 Asian American, 23 Caucasian American). After image viewing, participants rated how negative they felt as a measure of subjective emotional experience. Consistent with prior studies, reappraisers made lower negative valence ratings after regulating emotions than suppressers across both Asian American and Caucasian American groups. Although no cultural variation was observed in subjective emotional experience during emotion regulation, we found evidence of cultural variation in perceptual strategies used during emotion regulation. During middle and late time periods of emotional suppression, Asian American participants made significantly fewer fixations to emotionally salient areas than Caucasian American participants. These results indicate cultural variation in perceptual differences underlying emotional suppression, but not cognitive reappraisal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genna M. Bebko
- University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bobby K. Cheon
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | | | - Joan Y. Chiao
- Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- International Cultural Neuroscience Consortium, Highland Park, IL, USA
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Kim EB, Chen C, Cheon BK. Preschoolers exhibit conformity to computer-simulated food portion selection behaviors of remote peers. Appetite 2019; 139:164-171. [PMID: 31055012 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Kim
- School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA; Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 117599, Singapore.
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 117599, Singapore; School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637332, Singapore
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Sim AY, Cheon BK. Influence of impending healthy food consumption on snacking: Nudging vs. compensatory behaviour. Physiol Behav 2019; 198:48-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
Prior studies have demonstrated that social norms or cues of others' eating behaviors serve as powerful guides for one's own eating behaviors. Yet it remains underexplored whether young children are susceptible to social pressure by remote peers when faced with a conflict between what they prefer and the healthy choices of a group majority. Here we examined whether preschool-aged children conformed to healthy food choices of remote peers. Following a modified Asch conformity paradigm, the present study used videos of remote confederates' food preferences to test whether 89 3- to 6-year-old Singaporean preschoolers conformed to remote peers' healthy food choices (fruits and vegetables). Participants were asked to make a series of food choices when faced with two food options (healthy, unhealthy), both independently and after having viewed remote peers make healthy food choices (fruits, vegetables). Results showed a significant level of conformity, such that participants altered their initially unhealthy food choices to match the healthy choices of remote peers for 29% of trials. Age and BMI z-scores were also associated with rates of food choice conformity. The finding that young children may conform to food-related behaviors of remote peers offers the potential promise of interventions involving remote peers in promoting healthier dietary choices of young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth B Kim
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University
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Brunstrom JM, Cheon BK. Do humans still forage in an obesogenic environment? Mechanisms and implications for weight maintenance. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:261-267. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Cheon BK. The diversity of cultural diversity: Psychological consequences of different patterns of intercultural contact and mixing. Asian J Soc Psychol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K. Cheon
- Division of Psychology School of Social Sciences Nanyang Technological University Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Singapore
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Sim AY, Lim EX, Leow MK, Cheon BK. Low subjective socioeconomic status stimulates orexigenic hormone ghrelin - A randomised trial. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 89:103-112. [PMID: 29358119 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that lower perceived socioeconomic status is linked to increased appetite and intake of greater calories. Yet, whether insecurity of socioeconomic resources directly influences regulatory systems of appetite and energy intake is not known. Considering psychological states, mindsets and beliefs have shown to meaningfully affect physiological responses to food, the present study tested the hypothesis that low subjective socioeconomic status (SSS) will have a direct influence on physiological responses, such as appetite-related hormones (ghrelin, pancreatic polypeptide and insulin). Forty-eight healthy males were randomly (crossover, counterbalanced) assigned, to two experimental conditions where participants were either experimentally induced to feel low SSS or not (control; CON). Feelings of low SSS resulted in an increase in active ghrelin (an orexigenic hormone) following the SSS manipulation compared with baseline, while no change in active ghrelin was observed in CON. Furthermore, participants reported lower fullness and satiety following low SSS compared with CON. Our findings demonstrate that SSS may influence hunger regulation and appetite, and suggest that physiological systems regulating energy balance (i.e. caloric resources) may also be sensitive to perceived deprivation or imbalances in critical non-food resources (socioeconomic resources).
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Affiliation(s)
- A Y Sim
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore.
| | - E X Lim
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore
| | - M K Leow
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore; Division of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - B K Cheon
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore; Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Sim AY, Lee LL, Cheon BK. When exercise does not pay: Counterproductive effects of impending exercise on energy intake among restrained eaters. Appetite 2017; 123:120-127. [PMID: 29258868 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests people may overestimate the effectiveness of future positive behaviour, leading to counterproductive behaviours in the present. Applied to weight-management, we hypothesize that inaccurate expectations about impending exercise may impede weight management by promoting overconsumption prior to exercise. This study aimed to determine how expectations about impending exercise and its potential ability to expend energy may influence i) energy intake before exercise and ii) overall energy balance (energy intake minus energy expended via exercise). Using a randomised, counterbalanced design, 21 inactive, overweight males, following a baseline session, completed two experimental trials: i) ad-libitum snack meal (potato-crisps) followed by an exercise session (SE) and ii) ad-libitum snack meal only (SO). There was no main effect of condition (SE vs. SO) on ad-libitum snack intake (p = .917). However, after accounting for dietary restraint (covariate), a difference in snack intake between SE and SO was revealed (p = .050). Specifically, participants who scored higher in dietary restraint consumed more in the SE (vs. SO) session (162 ± 359 kcal more) compared with participants who scored lower in dietary restraint (89 ± 135 kcal less). Among restrained eaters, the relative (net) energy consumed after accounting for energy expended from exercise in SE was not different from the energy consumed in the SO condition, suggesting that energy expended via exercise in SE does not appear to negate extra energy consumed in this condition compared with SO. Of interest, desire to eat and prospective food consumption ratings at the start of the trial were greater (p ≤ .029) in SE compared with SO. Findings suggest that restrained-eaters are at risk of adopting compensatory eating behaviour that may impede negative energy balance typically resulting from exercise (i.e. expending insufficient energy to negate compensatory energy intake).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Y Sim
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore.
| | - Li Ling Lee
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore.
| | - Bobby K Cheon
- Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore; Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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Abstract
Globalization has made exposure to multiple cultures not only possible, but often necessary and unavoidable. This article focuses on how people react and adapt to increasing globalization and multiculturalism. We posit that reactions to multiculturalism and intercultural contact are not universal and are themselves shaped by cultural experiences. That is, culture provides a frame of reference for reconciling and negotiating the inflow of foreign cultures and peoples. Although exposure to foreign cultures can widen one’s worldview, thereby enhancing creativity and reducing prejudice, intercultural contact can also bring about negative exclusionary responses such as aversion, disgust, and defensiveness. We explore how culture and individual differences, such as a belief in racial essentialism, critically shape reactions to intercultural contact. Our discussion sheds light on recent geopolitical and societal shifts that reflect an increased backlash against rising globalization and cultural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bobby K. Cheon
- Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
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Abstract
Humans possess evolved mechanisms to detect and reject contamination by potentially harmful foreign substances. These mechanisms may also function in the rejection of violations in the social order. Here, we propose that the disgust evaluation system may also be sensitive to culture mixing, especially when elements of own and foreign cultures occupy the same space at the same time (culture fusion). Across four studies, we observe support for this prediction. Paralleling disgust ratings for contaminants mixing with pure objects associated with the self (Study 1A), representations of blending and fusion between elements of own and foreign cultures were rated as more disgusting than simultaneous presentation of the same cultural elements without fusion (Studies 1B and 2). Disgust toward culture fusion was observed over and above incongruity associated with mixing two in-group cultural representations (Study 4). Moreover, selective disgust toward in-group–out-group culture fusion was especially pronounced among those endorsing higher levels of patriotism (Studies 1B, 2, and 4), but not when culture fusion involved two foreign representations (Study 3). These findings support the notion that the architecture for pathogenic- and food-based disgust may have been extended to reject external threats to the fidelity of in-group identity markers by out-group influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K. Cheon
- Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), Singapore
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Cheon BK, Livingston RW, Hong YY, Chiao JY. Gene × environment interaction on intergroup bias: the role of 5-HTTLPR and perceived outgroup threat. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2013; 9:1268-75. [PMID: 23887814 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceived threat from outgroups is a consistent social-environmental antecedent of intergroup bias (i.e. prejudice, ingroup favoritism). The serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with individual variations in sensitivity to context, particularly stressful and threatening situations. Here, we examined how 5-HTTLPR and environmental factors signaling potential outgroup threat dynamically interact to shape intergroup bias. Across two studies, we provide novel evidence for a gene-environment interaction on the acquisition of intergroup bias and prejudice. Greater exposure to signals of outgroup threat, such as negative prior contact with outgroups and perceived danger from the social environment, were more predictive of intergroup bias among participants possessing at least one short allele (vs two long alleles) of 5-HTTLPR. Furthermore, this gene x environment interaction was observed for biases directed at diverse ethnic and arbitrarily-defined outgroups across measures reflecting intergroup biases in evaluation and discriminatory behavior. These findings reveal a candidate genetic mechanism for the acquisition of intergroup bias, and suggest that intergroup bias is dually inherited and transmitted through the interplay of social (i.e. contextual cues of outgroup threat) and biological mechanisms (i.e. genetic sensitivity toward threatening contexts) that regulate perceived intergroup threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, and School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, and School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Robert W Livingston
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, and School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Yi Hong
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, and School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, and School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Joan Y Chiao
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA, and School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
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Cheon BK, Im DM, Harada T, Kim JS, Mathur VA, Scimeca JM, Parrish TB, Park H, Chiao JY. Cultural modulation of the neural correlates of emotional pain perception: the role of other-focusedness. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:1177-86. [PMID: 23566889 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Revised: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cultures vary in the extent to which they emphasize group members to habitually attend to the needs, perspectives, and internal experiences of others compared to the self. Here we examined the influence that collectivistic and individualistic cultural environments may play on the engagement of the neurobiological processes that underlie the perception and processing of emotional pain. Using cross-cultural fMRI, Korean and Caucasian-American participants passively viewed scenes of others in situations of emotional pain and distress. Regression analyses revealed that the value of other-focusedness was associated with heightened neural response within the affective pain matrix (i.e. anterior cingulate cortex and insula) to a greater extent for Korean relative to Caucasian-American participants. These findings suggest that mindsets promoting attunement to the subjective experience of others may be especially critical for pain-related and potentially empathic processing within collectivistic relative to individualistic cultural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, 102 Swift Hall Evanston, IL 60208-2710, USA.
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Abstract
The nature and origin of human diversity has been a source of intellectual curiosity since the beginning of human history. Contemporary advances in cultural and biological sciences provide unique opportunities for the emerging field of cultural neuroscience. Research in cultural neuroscience examines how cultural and genetic diversity shape the human mind, brain and behavior across multiple time scales: situation, ontogeny and phylogeny. Recent progress in cultural neuroscience provides novel theoretical frameworks for understanding the complex interaction of environmental, cultural and genetic factors in the production of adaptive human behavior. Here, we provide a brief history of cultural neuroscience, theoretical and methodological advances, as well as empirical evidence of the promise of and progress in the field. Implications of this research for population health disparities and public policy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Y Chiao
- Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program Northwestern University
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Department of Psychology and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
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Abstract
Culture shapes how individuals perceive and respond to others with mental illness. Prior studies have suggested that Asians and Asian Americans typically endorse greater stigma of mental illness compared to Westerners (White Europeans and Americans). However, whether these differences in stigma arise from cultural variations in automatic affective reactions or deliberative concerns of the appropriateness of one's reactions to mental illness remains unknown. Here we compared implicit and explicit attitudes toward mental illness among Asian and Caucasian Americans. Asian Americans showed stronger negative implicit attitudes toward mental illness relative to Caucasian Americans, suggesting that cultural variation in stigma of mental illness can be observed even when concerns regarding the validity and appropriateness of one's attitudes toward mental illness are minimized. Asian Americans also explicitly endorsed greater desire for social distance from mental illness relative to Caucasian Americans. These findings suggest that cultural variations in mental illness stigma may arise from cultural differences in automatic reactions to mental illness, though cultural variations in deliberative processing may further shape differences in these immediate reactions to mental illness.
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Cheon BK, Im DM, Harada T, Kim JS, Mathur VA, Scimeca JM, Parrish TB, Park HW, Chiao JY. Cultural influences on neural basis of intergroup empathy. Neuroimage 2011; 57:642-50. [PMID: 21549201 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Revised: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 04/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bobby K Cheon
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, USA
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