food availability and selection- factors affecting food selection

Question 1

physiological factors

Answer 1

1. hunger, appetite, satiety
2. Nutritional requirements - age. gender, size, activity level
3. reactions to food - appearance, physical reactions

Question 1

what is hunger

Answer 1

Hunger is controlled by a small gland in the base of the brain called the hypothalamus, when the amount of energy our brain receives begins to decrease the hypothalamus sends nerve impulses through our bodies that alert us of our need for food.

*Control body temperature.
*Regulate appetite, thirst and body fluids.
*Induce sleep and wakefulness.
*Control the release of growth and sex hormones from various glands throughout the body.

Question 2

what is appetite

Answer 2

Appetite is the desire for food even when the body is not hungry.

Appetite can be triggered by

*The sight of appetising food
*Aroma (smell) e.g. the smell of freshly baked cookies
*Even the mention of food in a conversation

Question 3

what is satiety

Answer 3

The feeling of fullness that comes with eating adequate amounts of food. The body digests foods at different rates. Slow moving foods have a higher satiety value.

Slowest:
* Dietary fibre
* Fats
* Protein
* Sugar
* Water

Question 4

physiological factor: size

Answer 4

Those with a smaller body size require less protein for the maintenance and repair of body tissues because their body mass is less. Body type is identified.

1. endomorph
2. mesomorph
3. ectomorph

S Skeleton size (height and overall size of the body frame
W eight
A mount of body fat
A mount of muscle

Question 5

physiological factor: activity level

Answer 5

The more physically active you are, the more energy-rich foods you must eat. A sedentary person requires less of all nutrients than an active person.

SEDENTARY PERSON: Needs less energy to avoid adipose tissue. Needs less protein as the maintenance of muscle tissue is lower. A sedentary person is someone who doesn’t move much.

Question 6

physiological factor: reactions to food: Appearance

Answer 6

Size

Colour

Odour

Sounds

Taste

Texture

Question 7

physiological factor: reactions to food: physical reactions to food

Answer 7

food allergies and food intolerances

Question 8

what is a food allergy

Answer 8

Food allergies are an immune reaction to specific proteins in a food.
Common allergies:
* eggs
* shellfish
* nuts
* wheat

Main symptoms
* anaphylaxis
* life threatening
* affects breathing, skin, gut, heart and anxiety.

Question 9

what is a food intolerance

Answer 9

• Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, No immune reaction
• Inability to digest or absorb certain foods due to lack of an enzyme.

Symptoms:
* Bloating
* Gas
* Diarrhea
* Examples
* lactose intolerant
* non-celiac gluten sensitivity

Question 10

psychological factors

Answer 10

1. values
2. beliefs
3. habits
4. attitudes
5. emotions
6. self concept
7. experiences

Question 11

what are values

Answer 11

A value is a deep personal feeling about what is important. Values are strong enough to influence behaviour and motivate action. A person’s values may reflect those of family and culture in which they were raised, or they may be a personal response to the experiences encountered throughout life.

EXAMPLE: Vegetarianism is often a reflection of value-based food selection. Food selection can be related to food origins and maintenance of health.

Question 12

What are beliefs

Question 13

what are habits

Answer 13

Many of the food habits we make are routine and are difficult to break. Sometimes food habits are unhealthy for example having dessert after dinner, even though you’re not hungry.

Healthy food habits: eating breakfast.

Unhealthy food habits: eating dessert every night.

Question 14

what are attitutes

Answer 14

Our attitudes or views towards food are based on one or more of the following:

THE ORIGIN OF THE FOOD- e.g. food organically grown, crocodile may not appeal because of their habitat.
OUR CULTURE: Snails okay in France- not as prevalent here.

PERSONAL HISTORY: Avoiding a food that has made you ill in the past.
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES: Eating the cuisine of the culture you are visiting and cooking in that style when you return home.

PERCEIVED STATUS: E.g. eating truffles or caviar.

ECONOMIC DEPRESSION OR WAR: Rationing and food shortages, eating offal as it is a cheaper meat.

Question 15

what are emotions

Answer 15

Some people reject food until the time of stress is over, for others it means eating ‘comfort foods’ with a high energy value- such as chocolate. It can be because the sugar, fat, and caffeine in these foods acts as a stimulant or because these foods are associated with pleasant experiences, e.g. craving foods from home, when homesick.

Sometimes people turn to food as a coping mechanises and do not eat when stressed.

Whilst sometimes, people eat a lot when stressed.

Question 16

what is self-concept

Answer 16

Self-concept is a word used to describe how we feel about ourselves (self-esteem). Each of us has a picture in our mind relating to:
* how we look physically — strengths and weaknesses
* how well coordinated we are.

Question 17

what are experiences

Answer 17

• past experiences can influence current food choices.
• preferences for certain foods develop over time and are influenced by personal experiences such as encouragement to try a new food, exposure to a wide variety of different foods, family customs, advertising, and personal values.

CAN BE POS OR NEG

For example: the experience of once eating a bad piece of chicken, an individual may not want to eat chicken again.

For example: If you experience food poisoning eating a certain food this may deter you from eating food next time.

Question 18

social factors

Answer 18

1. tradition and culture
2. lifestyle - employment, education, household role and structure, climate and geographical location, travel and other interests
3. social interaction - peer groups, home hospitality
4. media

Question 19

social factors: tradition and culture

Question 20

social: lifestyle - employment

Answer 20

• The demands of your job, construction worker may eat more carbs as more energy is required.
• Snacking through the day- office worker (sedentary)
• Social occasions- eating out at lunch meetings with clients.
• Long hours- less time to prepare foods.

Question 21

social: lifestyle - climate and geographical location

Answer 21

• A person’s location can determine what foods are available to them.
• The staple food of a country can often be used in a variety of ways as it is cheaper and more plentiful. Locally grown food is cheaper and fresher.
• In developing countries yield can be low and they have limited sources of food.
• Climate may affect foods grown and also foods enjoyed. Summer brings joys of salads and fruit, whereas in winter warmer foods are desired.

Question 21

social: lifestyle - travel and other interests

Answer 21

*The internet has allowed us to purchase foods from faraway places.

*When we travel, we experience a wide range of foods that may be bought from the internet when we arrive home.

*Personal interests may desire different foods e.g. culinary aware or environmentally friendly foods free range chickens, rainforest alliance chocolate.

Question 21

social: Lifestyle - education

Answer 21

• Food Technology education allows students a better understanding of what food does in the body- e.g. interrelationships between nutrients.
• Watching TV programs, reading internet and books about nutrition.

Question 22

social: lifestyle - household structure and roles

Answer 22

*The makeup of the family unit determines the meal- young children, sensitive tastebuds, older people more heavily flavoured foods.

*Personal likes and dislikes.

*Food intolerances.

*Family member’s commitment to work/leisure- reheating meals.

*Mothers’ role in the family- if she works pre-prepared meals may be used or other family members may pitch in- can mean less nutritious meals are selected.

Question 23

social: social interaction - peer group

Answer 23

*By interacting with a peer group and family a person develops their own food-related beliefs, attitudes and habits.

*The influence of the peer group is stronger in adolescence. Peer pressure can encourage fad dieting.

Question 24

social: social interaction - hospitality at home

Answer 24

*Welcoming people into the home for a visit and a drink or meal is called family hospitality.

*Family entertaining in the home environment is becoming more informal and less frequent as people’s lives are busier. It’s often easier to have a restaurant meal or takeaway.

Question 25

4. media

Answer 25

*The 5 main types of media are newspapers, radio, magazines, the internet (social media) and television.

*In Australia and other affluent countries advertising plays a large role. Promotion is often by well-known celebrities who are good looking or skinny or well-liked.

*Food manufacturers do not specifically claim that their product help people achieve this body image but it is subconsciously implied.

Question 26

economic factors

Answer 26

1. cost of food
2. marketplace
3. available resources
4. occupation and finance

Question 27

economic factors - cost of food

Answer 27

Cost of food is particularly important for low income families, students and elderly. It is not uncommon for these groups to spend a large portion of there income on food

Question 28

economic factors - marketplace

Answer 28

-The marketplace refers to the place where consumers purchase food.

• Generally, the smaller the selling venue the more expensive the food items are, small shops buy their food from larger shops or wholesalers and increase the price to cover their costs.
• In order to make a profit the food retailers have to know the brands that people who live in the area want.
• Many supermarkets have their own deli, meat section, bakery, fruit etc. so that customers can do all their shopping in the one place.

Question 29

economic factors- available resources

Answer 29

A resource can be.

Money:
Time:
Knowledge and skill level:
Equipment:

Question 30

economic factors- occupation

Answer 30

• The physical demands of a job (carbs) and its social expectations are reflected in food choices.
• A person’s occupation can have a major impact on the food they select and consume:

 if someone works long hours, they may have difficulty preparing healthy meals from scratch and may be inclined to pick more convenient options, which could negatively impact their health over time.

 if one works in a physically demanding role, they may select slow-burning foods such as eggs, vegetables, and nuts to help them get through the day without constantly needing snacks.

Question 31

economic factors- finance

Answer 31

Finances can also influence food selection.

• Those with smaller incomes may struggle to afford certain food items and may opt for a less expensive alternative.
• May struggle to afford healthy nutritious foods.
• When cutting costs, families often have little choice but to cut back on food expenditures, (rent, mortgage, and bills are more difficult to cut back on.)