Diet and preferences/aversions

Question 1

Boyd (2006) the ancestral human diet

Answer 1

Suggests a paradigm for contemporary nutrition, based on the conditions that existed in Africa at the time we evolved. Central conditions of life in the past broadly define goals for health promotion in the present
Deviation from the old lifestyle seems to underlie the reasons for chronic disease propogation. Behaviour matching the stone age lifestyle seems to forestall development of chronic illness and enhance health

Question 2

Cordain (2005) western diet

Answer 2

Why do we experience evolutionary discordance in our diets? Discusses chronic disease incidence, features of the western diet (how its changed from hunter-gatherer) and health ramifications the changes can have on health
Chronic disease incidence: in the USA, many diseases are related to bad diet - obesity. CVD is the leading cause of death (caused by high BP, excessive consumption of bad fats, lack of exercise). Diabetes is also common
Features of the western diet: refined sugars (HG - only concentrated sugar came from honey, which was hard to get and so a small component of the diet. Now, sugary foods constitute a large part of many western diets), dairy products (came with neolithic advances in storing animal fats e.g. margarine, milk, would have been difficult for them to be a large part of the diet in HG times. Explains lactose intolerance, many have not adapted to dairy), cereal grains (consumption impossible before agriculture, as grains are hard to process and eat without cooking. Now, constitute a large part of the diet), sodium and potassium ratio (switched from HG, sodium has greatly increased and the majority of salt in modern diets comes from manufactured salt), tender and fatty meat- marbled meat- consumption (HG, fat % determined by time of year, now we can rapidly fatten cattle, slaughter at peak body fat %, have a high amount of SFAs not present in free ranging cows)
Displacement of fibre rich foods = lower fibre. Diets devoid of cereal grains, dairy products, refined oils and sugars, and processed foods contain significantly more fibre

Question 3

Rozin

Answer 3

Disgust protects us from microbiological contamination, motivates rejection of potential infection. “A response to actual or threatened harm to the soul”

Question 4

Rozin (1986) laws of sympathetic magic

Answer 4

Devised by Frazer to explain magical belied systems. Suggests it can be used to explain disgust reactions
1 - contagion, “once in contact always in contact”. Drink briefly contacted with a sterilised cockroach was rejected
2 - similarity, “the image equals the object”. People reject acceptable foods shaped into the form of disgusting objects (e.g. chocolate in the form of dog muck)

Question 5

Curtis (2001) moral disgust

Answer 5

‘Social parasites’. If disgust began as an aversion to physical parasites, it may have come to serve an extended purpose. Overly selfish behaviour met with disgust may lead to avoidance, punishment and ostracism of the parasite

Question 6

Rozin (1999)

Answer 6

Basis of human morality is morality - primates are sensitive to defections and violations of social order like us. Violations lead to anger, contempt and disgust