Cognition and Appetite

Question 1

What physiological process is eating a consequence of?

Answer 1

Monitoring nutrient status.

Question 2

Why can physiological models of appetite not fully explain eating behavior?

Answer 2

They fail to explain overeating, the rise in obesity, and many eating disorders.

Question 3

What does externality theory propose about eating behavior?

Answer 3

Susceptibility to weight gain depends on how internal and external signals motivate eating, with obese people being more responsive to external signals.

Question 4

What is restraint theory in relation to eating?

Answer 4

It suggests that cognitive restriction of food intake due to weight concerns can lead to overeating when restraint breaks down.

Question 5

What is emotional eating?

Answer 5

Eating in response to negative emotions to distract from or alleviate those feelings.

Question 6

What is the Food Dot Probe Task used to measure?

Answer 6

Food-related attention.

Question 7

How does inattention during meals influence eating behavior?

Answer 7

It promotes overconsumption and poorer memory of what was eaten.

Question 8

What is the effect of eating while distracted, such as watching TV?

Answer 8

It leads to greater intake and poorer memory of consumed food.

Question 9

How are flavor preferences developed?

Answer 9

Preferences are largely learned, except for an innate liking for sweet and disliking for bitter.

Question 10

Why is childhood an important period for establishing healthy eating habits?

Answer 10

Flavors liked in childhood tend to persist into adulthood.

Question 11

What is sensory-specific satiety (SSS)?

Answer 11

The decrease in palatability of recently eaten food, which reduces desire for that food while maintaining interest in other foods.

Question 12

How does increasing portion size affect intake?

Answer 12

It increases food consumption, sometimes by 70-80%.

Question 13

What did studies with self-filling soup bowls show about portion size perception?

Answer 13

Fullness was influenced more by perceived consumption than actual intake.

Question 14

How does the memory of a recent meal influence subsequent eating?

Answer 14

Thinking about a recent meal reduces intake at the next eating episode.

Question 15

What happens when memory encoding is disrupted during eating?

Answer 15

It leads to overeating at the next meal.

Question 16

How might enhancing meal memories help reduce intake?

Answer 16

By increasing attention to eating, slowing down eating rates, and reducing distractions during meals.

Question 17

What is the relationship between TV viewing and obesity?

Answer 17

TV viewing is linked to increased food intake rather than decreased physical activity.

Question 18

Why might the variety of food in an obesogenic environment contribute to overeating?

Answer 18

It renews desire for food by reducing sensory-specific satiety.

Question 19

What strategies can help modify perceptions to reduce obesity?

Answer 19

1. Establishing healthy eating habits in childhood.
2. Changing the eating environment (e.g., plate size).
3. Increasing expectations that smaller portions are filling.
4. Regulating advertising of high-fat, high-sugar foods.
5. Reducing food variety to enhance sensory-specific satiety.

Question 20

What cognitive processes influence eating behavior?

Answer 20

1. When we eat (attentional bias for food when hungry).
2. How much we serve ourselves (portion size perception).
3. How much we like food (expectations and early learning).
4. How much we eat at the next meal (memory of recent eating).