Specific Food Types Research Articles

Food preferences by birds using bird-feeders in winter: a large-scale experiment

BackgroundIntentional winter bird feeding in gardens is one of the most common interactions between birds and humans. Because feeding may have both desired effects (provisioning of nutritious food for under-nourished birds) and undesired effects (favouritism of competitively superior species, transmission of disease), management of supplementary sites should be optimized from an ecological and conservation perspective. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to experimentally test winter food preferences of birds, with underlying potential influence of habitat (rural vs. urban) on realised food preferences pattern.MethodsWe conducted an experimental analysis of food preferences of wintering birds by provided bird-feeders in urban and rural environments across Poland. Data were collected twice during winter 2013–2014 across Poland, in total with 80 experimental trials.ResultsSunflower seeds were the most preferred food supplement both in urban and rural habitats, significantly more exploited than any other food simultaneously available in feeders (animal fat, millet seed and dry fruits of rowanberry). However, no significant differences were recorded between urban and rural habitats in use of food.ConclusionsThe degree of use of a particular type of food at bird-feeders depended on the overall use of food in a bird-feeder—consumption of each of the four types of food was significantly positively correlated with that of the others, and it was positively correlated with the number of birds observed at the feeders.

Greenhouse gas emissions of food waste disposal options for UK retailers

Food retailers are under increasing political and social pressure to reduce both the amount of food that they waste and the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that their food retailing activities incur. For completeness, when assessing the ‘carbon footprint” of their business activities, food retailers should also included the greenhouse gas emissions caused by their disposal of waste food, which will vary with the waste disposal option used. However, there is lack of quantitative guidance for food retailers on the net GHG emissions that are incurred in the disposal of specific food types by the various disposal options available. Here, we calculate the net GHG emissions of eight different waste disposal options for five core food types using life cycle assessment, accounting for both emissions incurred in transport and processing, and those mitigated by the creation of useful products. We also assess the extent to which the embodied emissions in waste foods at the retail checkout can be mitigated by each disposal option. In addition to food specific results, we calculate mass-weighted averages using data from a mid-sized retail chain. We find a strong correlation between net emissions and the energy density of foods, and the following mass weighted disposal hierarchy (from best to worst, with respect to greenhouse gas emissions): donation of edible food to food banks; anaerobic digestion; conversion to animal feed; incineration with energy recovery; aerobic composting; landfill with gas collection and utilisation; landfill with gas collection and flaring; landfill without gas collection. If waste food from retailers is unfit for human consumption, to minimise greenhouse gas emissions it should be disposed of by conversion to animal feed or anaerobic digestion. For all food types, landfill is the worst disposal option.

The Elusive Urea Cycle Disorders in the Adult Population: A Case of a 20-year-old Male Presenting With Post-Prandial “Fogginess”

Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) are rare inborn errors of metabolism that typically present in newborns. The prevalence is 1 in 10,000 births, with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency being the most common. In very rare cases, initial symptoms may present after age 6, often the result of a partial enzyme deficiency. Herein, we describe a case of a UCD in a gentleman at the age of 20. A 20 yo male with no medical history presented with intermittent post-prandial “fogginess” associated with diarrhea after eating specific types of foods. Initial lab testing, including electrolytes, glucose, kidney function and liver function testing was normal followed by negative stool studies including ova and parasites, giardia antigen, and culture. He was trialed on various restrictive diets limiting carbohydrates, dairy, and gluten. A low-protein, gluten-free diet provided the largest relief in symptoms. EGD demonstrated eosinophilic esophagitis for which he was started on a proton-pump inhibitor. Duodenal biopsy was negative for celiac disease and gastric biopsy was negative for H. pylori. An ammonia level obtained during an episode of cognitive dysfunction was elevated at 116 for which he was started on lactulose. Hepatitis serologies were negative. In the setting of his vague constellation of symptoms as well as hyperammonemia, serum amino acids were obtained and found to be relatively normal. Dysfunction of the urea cycle will foster an increased level of ammonia. Hyperammonemia causes vague clinical symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction as we saw in our clinical case. Hyperammonemia can result from primary or secondary etiologies. Secondary causes include liver disease and gastrointestinal bleeding, which were not present in our case. Primary causes are further divided by the serum pH. Acidosis suggests fatty acid metabolic disorders whereas normal pH or alkalosis with normoglycemia, suggest urea cycle disorders. Plasma amino acid levels and genetic testing can then delineate which urea cycle disorder is present. With normal amino acid levels in our case, the differential includes OTC deficiency, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase deficiency, and N-acetyl glutamate synthetase deficiency. Though very rare in the adult population, UCDs should be considered in cases of vague gastrointestinal complaints and otherwise unexplained hyperammonemia.

DNA and life cycle in Drosophila melanogaster: a nutritional-molecular connection

Nutrition plays a key role in different organisms to carry out life processes at different phases of life cycle. Furthermore, specific types of food are needed to build DNA. They are further required to synthesize genes/hormones etc. Thus to evaluate the nutritional-DNA correlation in Drosophila sp. for differential life cycle events and fecundity, different nutrients medium were chosen and the phases of life cycle of Drosophila sp were assessed along with quantification of isolated DNA collected from flies of each set. All the data were compared against control set C containing banana. Other experimental set consisted of nutrient mediums like glucon-D (A1), rice (A2), sugar (A3), butter/ghee (A4), paneer (A5) and mango (A6) mixed with banana. All the life cycle stages/phases i.e., egg to larva (P1), larva to pupa (P2) and pupa to adult fly (P3) were studied. Results revealed addition of rice (A2) reduces the moulting time significantly at P1 to P2 stage when compared to control-C; whereas mango (A6) reduced the time taken to reach P2 to P3 stage. However, the DNA content of flies collected from A2, A3 and A6 set were higher than those collected from other sets. Therefore, the overall result clearly supports the fact that preference of carbohydrate was greater than other nutrients, however, an optimum level of total carbohydrate content was preferred for better survival and growth which possibly enhances the genomic DNA synthesis and aid in accelerating the production of several genes/ hormones involved in moulting of Drosophila sp.

Allergenic foods should be introduced earlier in life to cut risks of developing allergies.

A US review into allergenic food tolerance has found that early introduction to specific food types can reduce the risks of allergy development.

Relationship between Solid Food Introduction and Picky Eating in the STRONG Kids 2 Cohort

Picky eating is prevalent in toddlers and has been linked to infant feeding practices. Early introduction of solid food is associated with picky eating; however, the relationship with specific types of complementary food is unknown. The objective of this study was to examine associations between types of solid food introduced during infancy and picky eating behavior in children 18‐months of age. Participants were drawn from an ongoing STRONG Kids 2 birth cohort of mother‐infant dyads (current study n = 259, full sample n = 440). Mothers responded to survey questions about the type and amount of solid food introduced during infancy, the perception of their child's picky eating behaviors at 18‐months, and whether they breastfed or formula‐fed their child during the introduction to solids. Ordinal logistic regression (i.e., proportional odds model) was used to determine associations between types of solid food introduced and odds of picky eating, while controlling for child sex, race/ethnicity, age of introduction to solids, and mode of milk feeding. The introduction of sweets (e.g., ice cream and pudding), cereal, pureed fruit, and egg yolk were positively associated with parental perception of picky eating at 18‐months (all p<0.05). There was no association between parental perception of picky eating and the introduction of vegetables, meat, or dairy. Overall, our findings suggest that early exposure to various tastes and textures may influence the development of picky eating later in childhood. Further research is needed to determine the influence of the timing and type of solid food introduction on children's long‐term dietary variety and eating behavior.Support or Funding InformationSupported by National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2011‐67001‐30101 and the Dairy Research Institute.

Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada

ABSTRACTObjective: Following migration, pregnant immigrant women may encounter social, cultural, and economic challenges that negatively affect their food choices and subsequent health outcomes. Culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period to ensure the health of immigrant mothers and their children. This project aims to explore and understand how the health beliefs and practices of Chinese immigrant women affect their food choices during the perinatal period.Design: This qualitative study used the methodology of focused ethnography. Women participated in one semi-structured interview, followed by a second photo-assisted, semi-structured interview which incorporated photographs taken by the women themselves.Results: The food choices and health behaviors of immigrant women were influenced by their general health beliefs, cultural knowledge concerning particular types of foods, traditional Chinese medical beliefs, social advice and information, and socio-economic factors.Conclusion: The provision of culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period, as it is not only a vulnerable life stage for women and their children but also a sensitive period of interaction with the Canadian health-care system. Understanding these intersecting factors can help to ensure culturally appropriate care and optimized health outcomes for Chinese immigrant women during the perinatal period.

Opposed latitudinal patterns of network‐derived and dietary specialization in avian plant–frugivore interaction systems

Latitudinal patterns of biodiversity have been studied for centuries, but it is only during the last decades that species interaction networks have been used to examine the proposed latitudinal gradient of biotic specialization. These studies have given idiosyncratic results, which may either be because of genuine biological differences between systems, different concepts and scales used to quantify biotic specialization or because the methodological approaches used to compare interaction networks were inappropriate. Here we carefully examine the latitudinal specialization gradient using a global dataset of avian plant–frugivore assemblages and interaction networks. In particular, we test whether network‐derived specialization patterns differ from patterns based on assemblage‐level information on avian dietary preferences on specific food types. We found that network‐derived measures of specialization (complementary specialization H2′ and < d’>, modularity Q) increased with latitude, i.e. frugivorous birds divide the niche of fruiting plants most finely at high latitudes where they also formed more modular interaction networks than at tropical latitudes. However, the strength and significance of the relationship between specialization metrics and latitude was influenced by the methodological approach. On the other hand, assemblage‐level information on avian specialization on fruit diet (i.e. the proportion of obligate frugivorous bird species feeding primarily on fruit) revealed an opposed latitudinal pattern as more bird species were specialized on fruit diet in tropical than in temperate assemblages. This difference in the latitudinal specialization gradient reflects that obligate frugivores require a high diversity of fruit plants, as observed in tropical systems, and fulfil more generalized roles in plant–frugivore networks than bird species feeding on different food types. Future research should focus on revealing the underlying ecological, historical and evolutionary mechanisms shaping these patterns. Our results highlight the necessity of comparing different scales of biotic specialization for a better understanding of geographical patterns of specialization in resource–consumer interactions.

The Longitudinal Associations between Perceived Descriptive Peer Norms and Eating and Drinking Behavior: An Initial Examination in Young Adults.

Experimental and cross-sectional studies indicate that perceptions of the eating and drinking behavior of one's peers (perceived descriptive peer norms) are associated with the types, frequency and quantity of food, and beverages a person chooses to consume. At present, we know very little about the longitudinal association between perceived descriptive peer norms and future eating or drinking behavior. In this study, we examined whether perceived descriptive peer norms for different food/beverage types predicted frequency of consumption of food/beverages in university students. Three hundred and forty participants completed measures at baseline and follow-up for frequency of consumption of cakes/pastries, sugar containing beverages, and alcoholic beverages, as well as measures of perceived descriptive peer norms at both time points. Perceived descriptive peer norms predicted consumption of pastries/cakes at follow up when controlling for changes in these perceptions over time; believing that one's peers frequently consumed cakes/pastries was associated with an increased frequency of consumption over time, although the magnitude of this effect was small. There was no significant association between perceived descriptive peer norms and changes in frequency of consumption of sugar containing beverages or alcohol over time. In the present longitudinal study of young adults, beliefs about how often one's peers eat or drink specific food and beverages types had limited effect on future eating and drinking behavior.

Early development of dietary patterns: transitions in the contribution of food groups to total energy\u2014Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 2008

BackgroundEarly dietary patterns are critical to growth and development and play an important role in development of food preferences and habits. The objective of this paper is to describe when different foods enter the diet and how food consumption changes over the period of complementary feeding.MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional 24-h dietary recall data from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2008, a nationally representative sample of young children. Data are presented for 7 age groups: 6–8.9 months (n = 249), 9–11.9 months (n = 256), 12–14.9 months (n = 243), 15–17.9 months (n = 251), 18–20.9 months (n = 219), 21–23.9 months (n = 212) and 24–47.9 months (n = 1461). Per capita energy was calculated from major food groups and specific types of food within each food group.ResultsThe predominant source of energy in the infant diet was milk (breast milk and infant formula), contributing 98% of energy at 0–3 months, and 91% at 4–5 months. At 6–8 months, when complementary feeding had begun for most infants, 69% of daily energy was coming from milk, 11% from grains, 6% from fruits, 5% from vegetables and 4% from mixed dishes. The diet then quickly transitioned until at 21–23.9 months, 26% of energy came from milk, with other key sources of energy being grains (17%), mixed dishes (14%), meats (12%) and sweets (12%). The period from 4 to 14 months was the most dynamic period of change regarding the introduction of complementary foods for all food groups, with a slower rate of change between 15 and 24 months. After 24 months, the diet stabilized and included less energy from milk (20%) and vegetables (4%) and more energy from mixed dishes (18%), grains (16%), and sweets (17%), and began to resemble adult diets.ConclusionsFeeding in the first 24 months shapes dietary patterns, and thus provides a critical window of opportunity to shape subsequent dietary patterns and eating habits. Findings from FITS identified high sweet and low vegetable consumption as key issues. Education is needed for health care professionals and parents on feeding during this important period. These findings can be used to support the development of specific and actionable feeding guidance for parents.

Two-step egg introduction for prevention of egg allergy in high-risk infants with eczema (PETIT): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Evidence is accumulating that early consumption is more beneficial than is delayed introduction as a strategy for primary prevention of food allergy. However, allergic reactions caused by early introduction of such solid foods have been a problematic issue. We investigated whether or not early stepwise introduction of eggs to infants with eczema combined with optimal eczema treatment would prevent egg allergy at 1 year of age. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we enrolled infants 4-5 months of age with eczema from two centres in Japan. Exclusion criteria were being born before 37 weeks of gestational age, experience of ingestion of hen's eggs or egg products, history of immediate allergic reaction to hen's eggs, history of non-immediate allergic reaction to a particular type of food, and complications of any severe disease. Infants were randomly assigned (block size of four; stratified by institution and sex) to early introduction of egg or placebo (1:1). Participants in the egg group consumed orally 50 mg of heated egg powder per day from 6 months to 9 months of age and 250 mg per day thereafter until 12 months of age. We aggressively treated participants' eczema at entry and maintained control without exacerbations throughout the intervention period. Participants and physicians were masked to assignment, and allocation was concealed. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with hen's egg allergy confirmed by open oral food challenges at 12 months of age, assessed blindly by standardised methods, in all randomly allocated participants who received the intervention. This trial is registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, number UMIN000008673. Between Sept 18, 2012, and Feb 13, 2015, we randomly allocated 147 participants (73 [50%] to the egg group and 74 [50%] to the placebo group). This trial was terminated on the basis of the results of the scheduled interim analysis of 100 participants, which showed a significant difference between the two groups (four [9%] of 47 participants had an egg allergy in the egg group vs 18 [38%] of 47 in the placebo group; risk ratio 0·222 [95% CI 0·081-0·607]; p=0·0012). In the primary analysis population, five (8%) of 60 participants had an egg allergy in the egg group compared with 23 (38%) of 61 in the placebo group (risk ratio 0·221 [0·090-0·543]; p=0·0001). The only difference in adverse events between groups was admissions to hospital (six [10%] of 60 in the egg group vs none in the placebo group; p=0·022). 19 acute events occurred in nine (15%) participants in the egg group versus 14 events in 11 (18%) participants in the placebo group after intake of the trial powder. Introduction of heated egg in a stepwise manner along with aggressive eczema treatment is a safe and efficacious way to prevent hen's egg allergy in high-risk infants. In this study, we developed a practical approach to overcome the second wave of the allergic epidemic caused by food allergy. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and National Centre for Child Health and Development, Japan.

Diet and Selectivity of Porphyrio porphyrio (Purple Swamphen) in Florida

Abstract We tested whether Porphyrio porphyrio (Purple Swamphen) in South Florida selected particular types of food and whether their diets differed among 3 geographically separate wetlands (northern Everglades, a stormwater treatment marsh, and Lake Okeechobee littoral zone). We found that the Purple Swamphens we collected from the treatment marsh were larger than those from the other sites. The primary food item of the Purple Swamphen at all 3 sites was Eleocharis cellulosa (Gulf-coast Spikerush), comprising 79%, 72%, and 49% mean dry weight of total gut contents for the northern Everglades, littoral zone, and treatment marsh, respectively. Accounting for availability, Purple Swamphens were strongly selective for Gulf-coast Spikerush, which is a common plant in the southeastern US. The availability of this plant is not likely to be a factor limiting the spread of this bird northward.

Impairment of the serotonergic neurons underlying reinforcement elicits extinction of the repeatedly reactivated context memory.

We analyzed changes in the activity of individually identifiable neurons involved in the networks underlying feeding and withdrawal behaviors in snails before, during, and after aversive learning in vitro. Responses to food in the “reinforcing” serotonergic neurons involved in withdrawal changed significantly after training, implying that these serotonergic cells participate in the reactivation of memory and are involved in the reconsolidation process. In behavioral experiments it was shown that impairment of the functioning of the serotonergic system with the selective neurotoxin 5,7-DiHT did not change the memory, when tested once, but resulted in a complete extinction of the contextual memory after repeated reactivation of memory. Conversely, the cued memory to a specific type of food was significantly reduced but still present. Thus, we conclude that it is only for the context memory, that participation of the “reinforcing” serotonergic neurons in memory retrieval may be the gate condition for the choice between extinction/reconsolidation.

A mycotoxin-dedicated total diet study in the Netherlands in 2013: Part II – occurrence

The occurrence of 59 natural toxins was determined in 88 composite food and drink samples of a mycotoxin-dedicated total diet study performed in the Netherlands in 2013. Composite food samples were prepared by pooling foods from a food category (as consumed, e.g. peeled, cooked, etc.) according to their consumption by population groups in the Netherlands. A multi-targeted method based on QuEChERs extraction, dilute and shoot and analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was applied to the 88 composite samples. Dedicated methods with lower detection limits for patulin, aflatoxins and trichothecenes were also applied to specific food types. Thirty samples (34%) were positive for one or more mycotoxins. Patulin, aflatoxin M1, zearalenone and plant toxins, with the exception of scopolamine in liquorice, were not detected in any of the composite samples. Aflatoxin B1 was only detected, but not at quantifiable levels, in the composites that contained peanuts. Fumonisin B1 was only found at 18 μg/kg in breakfast cereals consumed by the population group of 7-69 years, whereas ochratoxin A occurred at low levels around 1 μg/kg in liquorice, legumes and coffee. Grains and grain-based food composites were positive for ergot alkaloids, enniatins B and B1 and deoxynivalenol (DON). The levels of DON in the positive samples were lower compared to other studies, with the exception of breakfast cereals for infants with a DON concentration of 116 μg/kg. This specific composite sample may have contained an ingredient with a concentration exceeding the maximum legal limit of 200 μg/kg.Alternaria toxins (alternariol and alternariol methyl ether) were detected at levels ranging from 1.0 to 8.9 μg/kg in a number of composite samples, including tomato products, nuts, cereal products, chocolate and wine. Mycophenolic acid and roquefortine C cooccurred in mould-ripened cheese composites, while mycophenolic acid also was found in dried fruit and liquorice composite samples.

Desire-state attribution: Benefits of a novel paradigm using the food-sharing behavior of Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius)

ABSTRACTIn recent years, we have investigated the possibility that Eurasian jay food sharing might rely on desire-state attribution. The female's desire for a particular type of food can be decreased by sating her on it (specific satiety) and the food sharing paradigm can be used to test whether the male's sharing pattern reflects the female's current desire. Our previous findings show that the male shares the food that the female currently wants. Here, we consider 3 simpler mechanisms that might explain the male's behavior: behavior reading, lack of self-other differentiation and behavioral rules. We illustrate how we have already addressed these issues and how our food sharing paradigm can be further adapted to answer outstanding questions. The flexibility with which the food sharing paradigm can be applied to rule out alternative mechanisms makes it a useful tool to study desire-state attribution in jays and other species that share food.

Insights revealed by rodent models of sugar binge eating.

Binge eating is seen across the spectrum of eating disorder diagnoses as well as among individuals who do not meet diagnostic criteria. Analyses of the specific types of foods that are frequently binged upon reveal that sugar-rich items feature prominently in binge-type meals, making the effects of binge consumption of sugar an important focus of study. One avenue to do this involves the use of animal models. Foundational and recent studies of animal models of sugar bingeing, both outlined here, lend insight into the various neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that may participate in or be altered by this behavior. Further, several preclinical studies incorporating sugar bingeing paradigms have explored the utility of pharmacological agents that target such neural systems for reducing sugar bingeing in an effort to enhance clinical treatment. Indeed, the translational implications of findings generated using animal models of sugar bingeing are considered here, along with potential avenues for further study.

Prevalence, enumeration, and pheno- and genotypic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from raw foods in South China.

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen that can cause serious illness in immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, the elderly, and newborns. The aim of this study was to: (i) evaluate the prevalence and contamination level [most probable number (MPN)] of L. monocytogenes in 567 retail raw foods (fishery products, n = 154; raw/fresh meat, n = 123; frozen foods, n = 110; edible fungi, n = 108; vegetables, n = 72) collected from South China and (ii) to gain further knowledge on the phenotype and genotype distributions of this important foodborne pathogen. Approximately 22% of the samples were positive for L. monocytogenes. The contamination levels were between 0.3 and 10 MPN/g in 75.0%, between 10 and 100 MPN/g in 11.0% and less than 100 MPN/g in 14.0% of the countable samples. Five serogroups were identified among the 177 foodborne L. monocytogenes isolates, with 1/2a-3a (42.4%) and 1/2b-3b (26.0%) serogroups being the most dominant. Serogroups I.1 and II.2 were only found in the edible mushrooms, while serogroup III was dominant in the fishery products, suggesting that specific serogroups of L. monocytogenes may have distinct ecological niches. Ten (5.6%) L. monocytogenes isolates exhibited multidrug resistance. Genetic relatedness analysis revealed the absence of distinct associations between specific food types, antibiotic resistance, serogroups, and genetic diversity. The present study provided the first baseline data on the prevalence, contamination level, and characteristics of L. monocytogenes isolated from raw foods in South China. Some multidrug resistant strains belonged to the epidemiologically important serogroups (I.1 and II.1), implying a potential public health risk. In addition, these findings also provide basic information for the Chinese food safety associated authorities to draft appropriate standards to control L. monocytogenes contamination and improve microbiological safety of raw foods.

Dietary and phylogenetic correlates of digestive trypsin activity in insect pests

AbstractBecause food proteins are crucial for insect survival, growth, and fecundity, enzymes involved in their digestion have attracted the attention of fundamental entomologists studying the mechanisms and patterns of dietary specialization, and applied entomologists searching for more efficient modes of pest control. Most insects digest proteins using trypsin, an endopeptidase that cleaves polypeptide chains on the carboxyl side of arginine and lysine, two basic amino acids. As the most ancestral proteinase, trypsin is wide‐spread in the digestive tract of insects from various orders and with various feeding habits. The present review focuses on biochemical and molecular characteristics, mechanisms of regulation, and adaptive/non‐adaptive changes of trypsin activity in response to heterogeneous food environments in a phylogenetic context. Within‐ and among‐species variations in trypsin structure and regulation that contribute to better matching with specific food types are emphasized. We also discuss the relevance of these data for choosing an appropriate strategy for control of insect pests. Pest control strategies to reduce trypsin activity by interfering with substrate binding or trypsin synthesis and secretion have been suggested. Successful application of these procedures requires a multidisciplinary approach and knowledge about digestive physiology of the pest, as well as the structural characteristics of trypsins that determine their interaction with proteinaceous inhibitors and other food compounds, about patterns of developmental changes in trypsin gene expression, adaptive responses of insects to food composition, and various environmental effects on trypsin activity.

Eating to live or living to eat? Exploring the causal attributions of self-perceived food addiction

Previous studies indicate that many people perceive themselves to be addicted to food. However, little is known about how the concept of ‘food addiction’ is defined amongst members of the lay public. The current study examined beliefs about the cognitive and behavioural manifestations of food addiction. Participants (N = 210) completed an internet-delivered questionnaire in which they indicated whether or not they perceived themselves to be a food addict and provided a brief explanation for their response. Over a quarter of participants (28%) perceived themselves to be food addicts and self-diagnosis was predicted by increased BMI and younger age, but not by gender. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore the causal attributions provided by self-perceived food addicts and non-addicts. Six characteristics were identified: 1) Reward-driven eating (i.e. eating for psychological rather than physiological reasons), 2) A functional or psychological preoccupation with food, 3) A perceived lack of self-control around food, 4) Frequent food cravings, 5) Increased weight or an unhealthy diet, and 6) A problem with a specific type of food. The emergent themes, and their frequency, did not differ between self-perceived food addicts and non-addicts. However, self-perceived food addicts and non-addicts reported divergent cognitions, behaviours and attitudes within each common theme. This study is the first to provide qualitative insight into beliefs about food addiction in both self-perceived food addicts and non-addicts. The findings appear to reflect a view of food addiction that is identifiable through several core behaviours.

Comparative genomics: beyond the horizon of the next research grant.

With the development of agriculture and food processing techniques, humanity has recently challenged the rules of a billion-year-old experiment called evolution. In this experiment the availability of food in a particular niche has been one of the major driving forces to shape particular species. Comparative genomics is a new research discipline that investigates two or more genomes from different species in order to find specific genetic adaptations that explain a 'workable match' between genetic make-up and environmental constraints such as nutrition. Three recent examples in the literature illustrate how selection of particular genes can contribute to species-specific adaptations that allow them to recognise, secure and digest particular types of food and metabolise its ingredients. There is growing consensus that the recent changes in human diet and physical activity play an active role in the rapid growth of the prevalence of obesity and diabetes. The working hypothesis of the present article is that in the future a more advanced level of comparative genomics of the many natural workable matches of natural species will lead to a much better understanding of the dynamics and regulation of integrated metabolism. It is anticipated that this deeper understanding will lead to novel insights into the mechanism of human diabetes and new strategies for diabetes prevention and treatment. This is one of a series of commentaries under the banner '50 years forward', giving personal opinions on future perspectives in diabetes, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Diabetologia (1965-2015).