People Eat Research Articles

Edible Insects: A Global History

“Why eat insects?” you may ask. The answer is simple: because they are nutritious and because, if we want to save the planet, the future of food is insects! Even if you have never considered eating insects, this book might change your mind. Gina Louise Hunter, a food anthropologist at Illinois State University, will take you on an adventurous voyage across various historical and geographical locations by tracing the steps of entomologists, historians, and anthropologists who have studied and tasted insects. Hunter also provides the reader with information on the future status of entomophagy, the practice of eating insects. The book is visually stunning, and every page is glossy. Edible Insects contains numerous photographs and insect recipes, a few of which I tried and enjoyed very much!Insects have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. It’s estimated that today about 2 billion people eat insects as a regular part of their diet and that at least 2,111 different species of the animals are eaten. Examples of edible insects include crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, cockroaches, beetles, termites, ants, bees, wasps, caterpillars, and mealworms. Bugs are widely eaten, too. (In North America, the word bug is often used by the public to mean insect, but scientifically bugs comprise a distinct order of the class Insecta.) Insects are sometimes eaten raw but are often cooked. Preparation techniques include boiling, roasting, grilling, and baking. Insects are also stir-fried, deep-fried, or added to porridge or rice. In many parts of the world today, the animals are a delicacy.This engaging and thought-provoking volume contains numerous well-referenced anecdotes and facts about edible insects, making it a short but well-balanced overview of the diversity and richness of insect-eating cultures. Hunter’s style is warm and welcoming to readers of all backgrounds, as well as nontechnical and personal, as she tracks the role of insects as human food, from our prehistoric past to current food trends. In doing so, the author takes the reader across many cultures while making clear the potential of insects to alleviate global food shortages and provide a better way to manage our natural resources. The author is also candid about insect consumption and misinformation, writing that consuming insects is “not the magic bullet to ending world-wide huger” but rather one of the tools we can use to better manage food disparities and combat climate change. The last chapter in the book highlights the promise and challenges of insect farming on a large scale and provides the reader with a sustainable solution for alternative animal protein production.While Edible Insects may not inspire you to take a bite of a mealworm chocolate chip cookie just yet, it will at the very least increase your appreciation and love for the largest group of animals on Earth, the insects!

Food Donation Application: Software Development Life Cycle Case Study

Abstract: Many people face starvation because of food shortages. Food shortages in developing countries are common. Smallholders and laborers are the most affected. In addition, in the current pandemic, laborers' employment has been taken away, leaving them unable to feed themselves and their families. There are several ways and means to help the needy, but nothing works better than making a contribution to an organization dedicated to helping poor communities battle against poverty. People living in NGOs also face food shortage issues. This application can help needy people eat food. With the help of this application, restaurants can serve food to many people.

CONTACT WITH HARMFUL CHEMICALS AND CANCER

Problems such as changes in people's lifestyles and standards and environmental pollution have seriously affected human health. It is known that many substances that people eat, drink, use in daily life and are exposed to are harmful to human health. At the beginning of these substances are the substances called “chemicals”. The use of these chemicals has accelerated with the development of industry and technology. It has been determined that many chemicals, which were previously considered harmless, cause diseases, irreversible damages and deterioration of the genetic structure over time.
 Cancer is one of the diseases caused by these chemicals. In the cancer statistics of 2020, it has been reported that there are 201 cases of cancer in every 100 thousand people in the world. Despite all the successes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer in recent years; unfortunately, the war waged by scientists against cancer has not been fully won yet. In this study, the relationship between cancer and chemicals that are frequently used in daily life without being aware of it are discussed.

Emotional dysregulation in childhood and disordered eating and self-harm in adolescence: prospective associations and mediating pathways.

Emotional dysregulation may be a risk factor for disordered eating and self-harm in young people, but few prospective studies have assessed these associations long-term, or considered potential mediators. We examined prospective relationships between childhood emotional dysregulation and disordered eating and self-harm in adolescence; and social cognition, emotional recognition, and being bullied as mediators. We analysed Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children data on 3,453 males and 3,481 females. We examined associations between emotional dysregulation at 7 years and any disordered eating and any self-harm at 16 years with probit regression models. We also assessed whether social cognition (7 years), emotional recognition (8 years) and bullying victimisation (11 years) mediated these relationships. Emotional dysregulation at age 7 years was associated with disordered eating [fully adjusted probit B (95% CI)=0.082 (0.029, 0.134)] and self-harm [fully adjusted probit B (95% CI)=0.093 (0.036, 0.150)] at age 16 years. There was no evidence of sex interactions or difference in effects between self-harm and disordered eating. Mediation models found social cognition was a key pathway to disordered eating (females 51.2%; males 27.0% of total effect) and self-harm (females 15.7%; males 10.8% of total effect). Bullying victimisation was an important pathway to disordered eating (females 17.1%; males 10.0% of total effect), but only to self-harm in females (15.7% of total effect). Indirect effects were stronger for disordered eating than self-harm. In males and females, emotional dysregulation in early childhood is associated with disordered eating and self-harm in adolescence and may be a useful target for prevention and treatment. Mediating pathways appeared to differ by sex and outcome, but social cognition was a key mediating pathway for both disordered eating and self-harm.

Experimental comparison between intensive interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for overweight and obese people

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of an intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), compared to an intervention based on Psychoeducation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on objective (weight and body mass index [BMI]) and self-reported measures (binge eating and psychological flexibility) in overweight or obese people. It’s a mixed 2x3 factorial design: Intervention (ACT x Psychoeducation/CBT) and Time (before, after, and five-month follow-up). Seventy-two people were randomly assigned to the groups. The ACT group presented differences in the development of cognitive defusion and food awareness – emotional response, as well as changing binge eating intensity. The other results, including a weight reduction close to 3%, did not show any significant differences between groups. The results indicate that ACT can be an auxiliary modality for the modification of the eating behavior function.

Reward Systems and Ultra-processed Foods.

Indeed, the prehistoric period was associated with chronic malnutrition, which was a fundamental rule of human history. Because of this, natural selection favored genetic patterns that could survive in these harsh conditions by storing fat. This is because the main function of body fat is to store food reserves for the body [1]. Feeding behavior could be an interaction of a physiologic need for food with the reward system that powerfully encourages excessive eating in some people. Neuroadaptations in the reward system happens when people eat too many tasty foods. This disconnects eating behavior from caloric needs and leads to uncontrollable overeating [2]. Over time, body fat became a major issue. However, the negative effects of being overweight were not recognized in medical literature until as late as the 18th century. Then, technological advancement and economic prosperity resulted in the comfortable availability and simple cost of high-calorie foods, which are palatable to a large segment of the population [3]. Many factors that were formed as a result of this technological development have become major contributors to the increase in the obesity epidemic, including the increased use of sugar substitutes, the addition of preservatives to foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, changing eating patterns, as well as the promotion of sedentary lifestyles [4]. Excess calories taken in comparison to calories burned from any source result in the accumulation of these calories as body fat. Obesity may be characterized in many ways: For starters, it is a condition in which excess body fat interferes with normal activity and health. Second, the weight is more than 20% greater than the ideal height and body size. Third, a body mass index (BMI) is over 30. [5].

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on smoking (waterpipe and cigarette) and participants' BMI across various sociodemographic groups in Arab countries in the Mediterranean Region.

Tobacco smokers are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Lockdown was a chosen strategy to deal with the spread of infectious diseases; nonetheless, it influenced people's eating and smoking behaviors. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on smoking (waterpipe and cigarette) behavior and its associations with sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index. The data were derived from a large-scale retrospective cross-sectional study using a validated online international survey from 38 countries (n=37207) conducted between 17 April and 25 June 2020. The Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO-EMR countries) data related to 10 Arabic countries that participated in this survey have been selected for analysis in this study. A total of 12433 participants were included in the analysis of this study, reporting their smoking behavior and their BMI before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between smoking practices and the participant's country of origin, sociodemographic characteristics, and BMI (kg/m2). Overall, the prevalence rate of smoking decreased significantly during the lockdown from 29.8% to 23.5% (p<0.05). The percentage of females who smoke was higher than males among the studied population. The highest smoking prevalence was found in Lebanon (33.2%), and the lowest was in Oman (7.9%). In Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, the data showed a significant difference in the education level of smokers before and during the lockdown (p<0.05). Smokers in Lebanon had lower education levels than those in other countries, where the majority of smokers had a Bachelor's degree. The findings show that the BMI rates in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, and Saudi Arabia significantly increased during the lockdown (p<0.05). The highest percentages of obesity among smokers before the lockdown were in Oman (33.3%), followed by Bahrain (28.4%) and Qatar (26.4%), whereas, during the lockdown, the percentage of obese smokers was highest in Bahrain (32.1%) followed by Qatar (31.3%) and Oman (25%). According to the logistic regression model, the odds ratio of smoking increased during the pandemic, whereas the odds ratio of TV watching decreased. This finding was statistically significant by age, gender, education level, country of residence, and work status. Although the overall rates of smoking among the studied countries decreased during the lockdown period, we cannot attribute this change in smoking behavior to the lockdown. Smoking cessation services need to anticipate that unexpected disruptions, such as pandemic lockdowns, may be associated with changes in daily tobacco consumption. Public health authorities should promote the adoption of healthy lifestyles to reduce the long-term negative effects of the lockdown.

Less is more: Vital roles of bioactive equivalency in assessing food quality

Less is more: Vital roles of bioactive equivalency in assessing food quality

Plant power: SEEDing our future with plant‐based eating

AbstractThe climate crisis, coupled with the COVID‐19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, are contributing to a shift in what people eat. For environmental sustainability, ethical, social justice, and health reasons, people are embracing plant‐based diets, which involve consuming mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans and little or no meat and dairy products. Drawing on insights from consumer psychology, this review synthesizes academic research at the intersection of food and consumer values to propose a framework for understanding how and why these values—Sustainability, Ethics, Equity, and Dining for health—are transforming what people eat. We term our model the SEED framework. We build this framework around a report assembled by the Rockefeller Foundation (2021) that describes how to grow a value‐based societal food system. Finally, we highlight insights from consumer psychology that promote an understanding of how consumer values are shifting people's diets and raise research questions to encourage more consumer psychologists to investigate how and why values influence what consumers eat, which in turn impacts the well‐being of people, our environment, and society.

Nietzsche's Last Will

Nietzsche's Last Will

Prevalence, associations and health outcomes of binge eating in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes: Results from Diabetes MILES - The Netherlands.

To examine the prevalence and health risks of binge eating in people with diabetes. Self-report data were analysed from a subsample (n=582 type 1 diabetes/735 type 2 diabetes) of Diabetes MILES - the Netherlands, an online survey. Prevalence of binge eating was compared across diabetes type and treatment and between participants with and without binges for eating styles, diabetes treatment and outcomes, weight, BMI and psychological comorbidity. Associations between binge eating, HbA1c , BMI, diabetes distress were assessed using hierarchical linear regression analyses. 23% (n=308) of participants reported eating binges, with 16% at least monthly, and 6% at least weekly. Prevalence and frequency of binges did not differ across diabetes type or treatment. People reporting binges scored higher on dietary restraint, emotional and external eating and reported higher weight and BMI than those without binges. Only people with type 1 diabetes and eating binges had a higher HbA1c . Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that binge eating was independently associated with higher HbA1c (β=0.12, p=0.001), BMI (β= 0.13, p< 0.001) but not with diabetes distress. This study found binge eating to be associated with eating styles, BMI and HbA1c . However, our cross-sectional data do not allow for conclusions on causality. Future studies could further examine the directions of these associations and their clinical implications.

Dependence of the acidity of gluten-free bread on the introduced additives

In recent years, there has been an increased interest of Russians in their health, a healthy lifestyle in general, to maintain which it is necessary to eat right. Scientists have proved that most of the diseases of the world's population occur due to improper, not rational nutrition, which in most cases causes chronic diseases. Everyone has the right to decide what to eat, what physical activity to set for themselves and other characteristics of a healthy lifestyle. Increasingly, Russians, regardless of age, gender, marital status and material wealth, are beginning to move to a healthy lifestyle. It should be noted that these are not always people suffering from certain diseases, on the contrary, they are Russians who have realized the need for a healthy lifestyle. One of the factors that affects healthy lifestyle is proper nutrition. Every day people eat bread and bakery products, this is the main food for many Russians, but today many people change their preferences in its use and choose bakery products with functional additives or gluten-free bread. The aim of the study is to study the dependence of the acidity of gluten-free bread on the additives introduced by modeling. Reducing the acidity in bread, including gluten-free bread, will have a beneficial effect on the body of people suffering from celiac disease and at the same time expand the segment of gluten-free products. The objective of the study is to conduct an experiment by modeling the acidity of gluten-free bread depending on the additives introduced. As a result of the simulation, a mathematical model of the accumulation of the acidity of gluten-free bread was calculated depending on the prescription components: whey, flaxseed flour and yeast. According to the obtained model, whey and flaxseed flour have an almost equivalent effect on increasing the acidity of bread crumb. At the same time, baking yeast has a negligible effect on the process of increasing acidity.

First Nations Peoples' Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors in Urban Areas: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

The dietary transition from traditional to commercial foods and a decrease in physical activity (PA) have impacted the health of the First Nations people of Quebec (Canada), resulting in many suffering from multiple chronic diseases. This study had two objectives: (1) to examine eating and PA behaviors among First Nations peoples in urban areas and (2) to explore the associated health representations. To achieve these objectives, a mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire (n = 32) and a semi-structured interview (n = 14), was used to explore the participants’ lifestyle profiles and health experiences. The questionnaire focused on the eating and PA behaviors of First Nations people and their underlying motivations. At the same time, the interviews investigated their health views on diet and PA behaviors based on the conceptual framework of health and its determinants. According to the participants, health is the autonomy to live without pain by maintaining a balance between physical and psychological aspects, eating healthy and exercising. Family and work influence participants’ PA and eating behaviors. Exploring First Nations people’s beliefs and perceptions and the motivations underlying their health behaviors could help encourage the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle despite multiple chronic health conditions.

Examining the prevalence of disordered eating in a cohort of young Australians presenting for mental health care at a headspace centre: results from a cross-sectional clinical survey study

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of disordered eating in young people attending a headspace centre, an enhanced primary care centre providing early intervention services for...

What’s the Buzz About Native Bees?

Most plants depend on insects for pollination. Honey bees pollinate many of the foods people eat, but did you know that wild plants, and animals like birds and bears, also depend on pollinators? Native bees are the most diverse and efficient pollinators. Thousands of bee species transport pollen between plants in deserts, forests, mountains, meadows, and many other habitats. This service helps plants reproduce successfully, and the plants provide food and shelter for other animals. Bees are important for keeping our wild landscapes healthy. Scientists are discovering that climate change and other human-caused threats are changing bee populations. Therefore, it is important that we learn more about pollinators in wild places like national parks and that we support bees in our own backyards.

Psychometric evaluation of three-factor eating questionnaire -R18 in aging Finnish men with increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Deeper comprehension of eating-related behaviour (how and why people eat) can reveal new aspects to support health and prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, such research is largely missing in aging men. The aim was to investigate suitability of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18) in Finnish aging men which is widely used to examine factors: cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE). Study population consisted of 420 men aged 50-75, who completed the TFEQ-R18 at the baseline of the T2D-GENE lifestyle intervention study. Inclusion criteria were impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and body mass index ≥25 kg/m2. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to study psychometrics (reliability, validity, and model fit) and factor structure of TFEQ-R18. The items loaded to the three factors (CR, UE, EE) as in previous studies, except two items at CR factor and one at UE factor, which were therefore omitted. UE was also discovered split into two sub factors (named as 'craving' and 'loss-of-control'), UE being a higher-order (h) factor. The resultant revised version was named as Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised to 15-items with higher-order factor (TFEQ-R15h). The original 18-item version of the TFEQ was not optimal in the population consisting of Finnish aging men with elevated T2D risk. A modified 15-item version of the TFEQ could be used to describe EB in this population instead.

SENSORY CHARACTERIZATION OF FRESHLY PREPARED TIGER NUT DRINK AND COMMERCIALLY PREPARED/ SOY DRINK

Eating healthy and living healthy is one of the essential requirements for long life. Unfortunately, today’s world has been adapted to a system of consumption of foods which has several adverse effects on health such that lifestyle changes has compelled many individuals and families so much that people eat just anything without consideration for their good health. This study was prompted on the premise of Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka to develop a healthy recipe from locally but untapped crop plant called tigernut. Tigernut and its products are rich in carbohydrates, protein, and other important nutrients which the body requires for good health. The study is an experimental one in which an experimental tigernut drink prepared by adding dates palms and Coconut to enhance its nutritional value, was compared with a similar commercially made soy drink in a sensory evaluation using 100 staff and students of school of vocational education, Federal College of Education Technical Akoka. Five point hedonic scale was used to design a sensory Evaluation Sheet (SES) for data collection. Quality attributes such as color, taste consistency and general acceptability of the coded samples were assessed. Simple percentage, mean score and standard deviation were the statistical tools used in data analysis. The finding of the study showed that majority of respondents accepted the taste. Consistency and flavor of the experimental tigernut drink. The findings also established that the respondent’s likeness of the color, taste, consistency and overall acceptability of the two samples (tigernut drink and Soy drink) are statistically significant at P&lt; 0.05. The study thus concludes and recommends that considering the nutritional and health benefits of consuming tigernuts, there is the need for increased utilization and awareness among the family

Outdoor Terraces in Barcelona and Milan: Configuration of New Spaces for Social Interaction

This work approaches the phenomenon of the outdoor terraces of bars and restaurants, analysing the role of these privately owned collective elements whose layout has shaped the urban landscape at the pavement level for more than a century, and whose presence has become essential in the streets of many cities after a pandemic. The research highlights the interest of terraces as dynamic elements of urbanity: private domains in the public space where people eat collectively; they are apparently simple units that synthesise complex conflicts between individual behaviours and property boundary conditions. The investigation shows the increasing expansion that outdoor terraces have experienced since 2020, using the cities of Barcelona and Milan as case studies. A series of GIS maps show the image of both cities before and after the pandemic, allowing us to evaluate the amount of public space allocated to terraces, measure their increase in number and surface, establish the proportions of occupation of the street and find the patterns of concentration in the public space. Finally, the article offers some policy and planning recommendations based on the research findings.

Social facilitation of energy intake in adult women is sustained over three days in a crossover laboratory experiment and is not compensated for under free-living conditions

People eat more when they eat a meal with familiar others than they do when eating alone. However, it is unknown whether eating socially impacts intake over the longer-term. The aim of Study 1 was to examine whether socially facilitated intake is sustained across all meals and across three consecutive days. The aim of Study 2 was to examine whether increased intake during a social meal taken in the laboratory is compensated for under free-living conditions. In Study 1, adult women (n = 26) ate all their meals across three days either with a friend or alone in a counterbalanced cross-over design. In Study 2 adult women (n = 63) consumed a meal in the laboratory either alone or with two friends and then recorded everything they ate and drank for the next three days using electronic food diary software. In Study 1 intake across 3 days was significantly greater in the Social (M = 7310 kcal, SD = 1114) than in the Alone condition (M = 6770 kcal, SD = 974) (F(1,423) = 16.10, p < .001, d = 0.51). In Study 2 participants consumed significantly more in the laboratory when eating with their friends (M = 1209 kcal, SD = 340) than when eating alone (M = 962 kcal, SD = 301) (F(1,63) = 13.28, p = .001, d = 0.77). Analysis of food diary data plus laboratory intake showed that intake remained significantly greater in the Social (M = 6396 kcal, SD = 1470) than in the Alone condition after 4 days (M = 5776 kcal, SD = 1182) (F(1,59) = 5.59, p = .021, d = 0.05). These results show that social facilitation of eating is sustained over three days and suggest that people fail to compensate for the social facilitation of eating.

Mobile Information System for Human Nutrition Control

It is acknowledged that each person's life, group of people and nation is formed depending on geographical, economic, political, cultural and religious conditions. Lifestyle is formed as a result of daily repetition and consists of the following factors: nutrition, exercise, the presence of bad habits, moral and spiritual development, and so on. In recent decades, lifestyle has been considered an integral part of well-being, leading to increased research. According to the scientist's study, more than half of health problems are related to diet. Millions of people eat incorrectly and are not even aware of it. The actuality of the theme: there are many approaches to solving the problem of diet control, but it should be understood that different analogues offer different opportunities that are not always clear and convenient. It is because there are several ways to achieve the same goal. The need for research on healthy eating in modern conditions is one of the priority tasks to improve the physical condition of different age groups. The aim is to create a system that will be aimed at helping the end-user to follow a healthy diet by determining the composition and caloric content of the product and the formation of recommendations based on the appropriate rhythm of life. The system is designed to solve specific tasks: to recognize products, correlate the product and its caloric content, form a food diary, remind the user about missed meals and keep statistics.