Food and behaviour Flashcards
Define malnutrition
Under/ over/ imbalances in consumption of macro and/ or micronutrients
When does the preference for certain foods begin
In-utero e.g. garlic
- taste and olfactory systems are capable of detecting flavour prior to birth
- foetuses swallow around 1 litre of amniotic fluid per day, which contain volatiles (garlic, anise, chilli)
What other factors are there in food preference
Breastfeeding
Parenting practices
Age of introduction of solids
When are the sensitive years for food preference
<2yo (not critical)
Greater variation of foods exposed to during this time => more variable diet in older years
Why is breastfeeding a PH issue?
Low prevalence in younger and low socio-economic mothers/children
How does breastfeeding effect food preference
- Taste of breastmilk varies throughout the day and depends on what the mother is eating => early exposure to a variation of tastes => less picky if breastfed
Positive effects of breast feeding
Lower rates of obesity
- Formula has a ‘timetable’, which leads to excessive intake
BM includes natural satiety hormones
What is the role of parents in food preference?
Tactics - coercion, persuasion and bribery have a paradoxical effect
Evidence shows to let children eat whatever they want, remove the anxiety around meal times, and then introduce novel food
What is a non-organic feeding disorder?
Feeding aversion, food refusal, picky/fussy, etc. parents tend to adopt maladaptive mealtime interactions => worsens the problem
Name 3 eating disorders
- Anorexia nervosa
- Bulimia nervosa
- Binge eating disorders
What are the risk factors for an eating disorder?
- life events and trauma
- mental health
What is disordered eating?
Differs from eating disorders - which are clinical diagnoses, they include restraint, dieting, disinhibition (sod-it), emotional eating, night eating, etc.
What is dieting?
- Restrict total intake
- Omit certain foods
- Avoid eating for long periods
What are the problems with dieting?
RF for eating disorders
Loss of lean body mass, not just fat
Slows metabolic rate and energy expenditure - body becomes accustomed to less intake
Chronic dieting disrupts normal satiety responses
Long term is challenging - fluctuation in weight
The bottom line => those who diet are heavier (on average) than those who don’t
Give 3 factors that increase susceptibility to obesity
- Unresponsive to internal cues e.g. satiety hormones
- Dietary restraint
- Vulnerable to external cues e.g. more food on offer
