Variation In Food Consumption Research Articles

Food and Families' Socioeconomic Status

This paper explores the relationship between food expenditures and consumption patterns and families' socioeconomic status in the United States. Three themes follow through the paper. One is that as income rises over time and across socioeconomic groups, a smaller percent of that income is spent of food. Simultaneously, a larger percent of the food dollar buys services and food preparation moves farther away from the home. Second, characteristics of people like age and ethnicity contribute to diversity in food consumption but labor force participation by women has led the trend in away-from-home-food preparation. New scientific information and technology have changed attitudes about nutrition and food safety and their linkages to health. Finally, the continuous introduction of affordable new foods into the diet and culture of families in all socioeconomic groups has been a quiet evolution. Trying to differentiate socioeconomic groups in the United States by their food and nutritional status is almost a nonstory except for fascinating intragroup diversities that change rapidly in the postmodern society.

Diets for Disease? Intraurban Variation in Reported Food Consumption in Glasgow

A recent official report on the Scottish Diet reviews evidence for poor health and poor diets among the Scots, and makes extensive and specific recommendations about dietary change. This paper examines the extent to which reported consumption of fifteen of the food groups discussed in that report vary among four neighbourhoods in Glasgow City. Some foods appear to be typical of a wider Glaswegian (or Scottish) diet and show little variation among neighbourhoods (e.g. semi-skimmed milk, white fish, confectionery, cakes and pastries, savoury snacks). Other foods however show marked differences between neighbourhoods after controlling for sex, age and social class; these include fruit, vegetables, meat (particularly processed meat products), bread, spreading fats, sugar, natural fruit juice and alcohol. This suggests that such intraurban variations in food consumption cannot be explained simply by socio-demographic or socio-economic factors in individuals and that cultural and supply factors also need to be taken into account.

The European diet: Regional variations in food consumption in the 1980s

It has been argued that in recent years nutritional differences between developed countries have been diminishing. This paper examines the geography of food consumption in Europe and the former U.S.S.R., using the Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Balance Sheets 1986–1988. There are now few significant differences in total calorie supply per capita per day, but there remain marked contrasts in the relative and absolute importance of the starchy staples and livestock products. Differences in sugar and vegetable oils are examined and also the importance of milk and different types of meat. The significance of income per capita in determining spatial variations is discussed. It is found to be important in determining the broad pattern of consumption, but not of most individual foods.

International Variations in Food Consumption in the 1980s

International Variations in Food Consumption in the 1980s

Temporal changes in daily food intake of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus L., of different sizes monitored by radiography

Temporal variations in food consumption of three year classes of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, held under conditions of constant temperature ( 10 °C) and continuous artificial illumination were studied by monitoring daily food intake at different times of the year. Food was supplied continuously in excess and consumption was determined using X-radiography. There were found to be seasonal differences in the amounts of food consumed, with food intake being lowest during the autumn. Attempts were made to relate these changes to patterns of sexual maturation, but results were equivocal and further study is required in order to isolate the factors responsible for variations observed.

Variability in food consumption rate of natural populations in the spider, Nephila clavata

SummaryMean daily food consumption and total lifetime food consumption of the spider, Nephila clavata, were estimated in natural populations. Daily food consumption in the late adult stage was 27–150 mg wet weight, which was nearly equivalent or slightly larger than that in other large web‐building spiders. Considerable variation in food consumption was found among habitats or years. The largest variation among habitats in the same year was 7 and 5 fold for daily and lifetime consumption, respectively, while that among years in the same habitat was 3.5 and 2.5 for daily and lifetime consumption, respectively. Feeding conditions evaluated from the food consumption per body weight of spiders declined during the period from mid‐July to mid‐September in almost all the populations, which suggested that they faced to severe food limitation in this period.

Effect of adenovirus infection on adiposity in chicken

Excessive fat accumulation has been observed in the field in chickens infected with adenovirus. In the present study this has been verified under experimental conditions. Chickens inoculated with adenovirus showed lesser weight gain but excessive adiposity compared to normal control chickens. These changes could not be explained by variation in food consumption. Chickens acquiring adenovirus naturally from the inoculated group showed similar adiposity. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels of inoculated and naturally infected chickens were significantly lower compared to those of the control group. Such an association between adenovirus infection and adiposity has been shown, probably, for the first time, which might help in further understanding of the complex problem of obesity.

Numerical and behavioural responses of migrant passerines to experimental manipulation of resident tits (Parus spp.): heterospecific attraction in northern breeding bird communites?

We studied experimentally interspecific competition among foliage-gleaning passerine birds by manipulating the density of resident tits. In 1988 tit density was experimentally increased on three small islands in a central Finnish lake, and decreased on three other islands by tit removal. In order to avoid the effects of between-island differences in habitat quality, the role of the islands was reversed when the experiment was repeated in the following year. Censuses and observations on foraging and feeding behaviour were conducted to assess the numerical and behavioural responses of migrant conguilders (mainly chaffinches and willow warblers) with respect to the manipulated abundance of the tits. We also measured whether variation in food consumption of tits affected the frequency with which the migrants found food by calculating average intervals between successful prey captures, time lags to prey-capture and giving-up times. Our results indicate that interspecific competition is of minor importance in structuring breeding bird assemblages and species feeding ecologies on the study islands. No consistent difference in foraging or feeding niches of chaffinches and willow warblers was found between low and high tit density conditions. Niche overlap analysis showed no avoidance by chaffinches and willow warblers of the microhabitats which tits used. Tit abundance had no significant effect on feeding success or behaviour. Experimentally increased abundance of resident birds was associated with increased abundance of breeding migrants, however. This pattern was found not only in the foliage gleaning guild but also with all passerine birds, indicating that food was not an important contributor to this pattern. We elaborate a hypothesis suggesting heterospecific attraction in northern breeding bird assemblages. Habitat generalist migrants may use the presence of residents as an indicator of safe and/or productive breeding sites in northern unpredictable circumstances.

Daily food consumption and feeding rhythm of silver carp ( Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) during fry to fingerling period

Daily food consumption and feeding rhythm of silver carp ( Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) from fry to fingerling (6.6–195 mm in total length) were measured from June 1985 to August 1986 using a method of intestine filling index. Absolute food consumption (expressed as wet weight of food consumed per fish each day) was positively related with the body weight of silver carp, and relative food consumption (expressed as wet food consumed as percentage of fish body weight) decreased with increases in body length of the fish. The relative food consumption of silver carp averaging 6.6–8.6 mm in total length was 139.2±6.6%; as the fish grew, relative food consumption reduced to 30.7±3.3%. However, when total length reached 21.7–26.0 mm, relative food consumption increased to 63.2±5.0% ( P<0.05), but decreased again to 16.5±1.2% for fish 132–195 mm in total length. The variation in food consumption was due to a change in feeding habits from zoo-plankton to phytoplankton and the difference in nutritive contents of the plankton consumed by silver carp. An obvious daily feeding rhythm was observed. The fish did not feed from 22.00 h to 04.00 h, but from 09.00 h to 11.00 h and 17.00 h to 21.00 h the fish fed actively. The difference in intestinal filling indices between the feeding peak and low feeding level became less and less as the fish grew. The reason for this might be improvement in digestion.

Effects of manipulations of glucoregulation on feeding in the ground squirrel

Insulin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) stimulate feeding in rats, while glucagon inhibits feeding. We report here their effects on food intake in the 13-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecumlinectus). These hibernating animals are an interesting model for studying appetite regulation because of the marked seasonal variations in food consumption. Food intake reached a peak of 286±7 g/kg/day in mid July, decreasing to 16.1±3 g/kg/day in September. Studies during the hyperphagic period showed that glucagon (0.5 to 1 mg/kg) decreased feeding 30 minutes post injection ( p<0.01) whereas at 4 hours glucagon produced a 37% increase in feeding ( p<0.05). During the hypophagic period, glucagon failed to alter food consumption. Insulin (5–100 Units/kg) produced no effect on feeding in hyperphagic animals despite a decrease in glucose from 193±10 mg/dl to 55±4 mg/dl after 100 Units/kg. However, insulin (50 and 100 Units/kg) resulted in significant increases in food consumption at 2 and 4 hours ( p<0.01 and 0.05, respectively) when administered while the animals were hypophagic. 2-DG (250–750 mg/kg) increased food consumption (hyperphagic phase) by 76% at 20 hours ( p<0.01) with significant increases being present as early as 4 hours, although when 2-DG was given to hypophagic animals it resulted in decreased food intake at 4 hours ( p<0.05). We conclude that the effects of glucoregulatory manipulations on food consumption are markedly influenced by the circannual rhythm of feeding in the 13-lined ground squirrel.

Energy balance in Speliphron violaceum (Hymenoptera) and use of meconium weight as an index of bioenergetics components.

Speliphron violaceum deposits its larva and a few paralysed spiders inside the holes of electrical sockets. The larva feeds on the spiders, completes development in 6 days and emerges after 18 days of pupation. When provided with spiders to the maximum capacity of the hole, a larva consumed 1.746 KJ and converted 1.360 KJ. Restriction of the quantity of spiders provided, resulted in decreased consumption and extension of larval duration to 7 or 8 days. Consumption of 0.710·718 KJ was the minimum requirement for the completion of larval development. Despite variations in food consumption, assimilation efficiency of the larva remained constant around 97%. Gross production efficiency of the larvae averaged 77%. Larvae ingesting different amounts of host energy emerged with a wide range of body weight (16-62 mg). The efficiency with which pupal energy is transferred to adult was around 30%. Dry weight of meconium egested by the test individuals varied from 1.3 to 4.6 mg. Using simple regression equations, it is possible to predict the bioenergetics components of S. violaceum from the dry weight of meconium.

Day-to-Day Variation in Food Consumption by Largemouth Bass

Abstract Substantial day-to-day variation in food consumption by groups of laboratory-held age-0 large-mouth bass Micropterus salmoides occurred at temperatures of 14, 20, and 26 C for 108–113- and 136–140-mm size classes of fish. The largemouth bass were continuously provided with an unrestricted ration of live fathead minnows Pimephales promelas. Day-to-day differences in food consumption could not be distinguished from random variation about a mean value, indicating that day-to-day consumption levels were independent of each other. The effects of fish sample size on the number of sample dates needed to assure certain levels of precision in the estimation of mean diel food consumption over 5-week intervals (based on the feeding schedule of age-0 largemouth bass in the present study) were simulated by computer. A 95% probability of only a 10% relative error level (coefficient of variation) would require sampling 25 fish from two to four times over the 5-week period. Caution should be exercised when obser...

Seasonal variations in RNA–DNA ratios and in indicators of feeding, reproduction, energy storage, and condition in a population of bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque

Liver and epaxial muscle RNA concentrations and RNA‐DNA ratios (RNA/DNA) of bluegill Lepomis macrochirus from a central Tennessee lake were maximum in the spring, low during the summer, high again in the fall, and low during the winter. Liver‐somatic indexes and DNA concentrations indicated that liver cell volume and energy storage varied seasonally and were lowest during late spring and summer. Seasonal variations in gonosomatic indexes were typical of this species, and RNA/DNA decreased as gonads matured during the spring. RNA/DNA and energy storage in the liver decreased during the major spawning season. Seasonal variations in food consumption may have effected seasonal growth and energy storage. However, a summer depression in RNA/DNA may have been more closely associated with the effects of thermal stratification and dissolved oxygen stress.

Seasonality in twin and triplet births.

A study has been made of the twin births in England and Wales 1952-59 and 1963-75. There is good evidence that the incidence of opposite-sexed (and by inference, dizygotic) twin births is seasonal, being about 5% higher in December than June. Triplet births seen to show a seasonal variation at about the same location and with double the amplitude. It seems likely that this seasonal variation of polyzygotic maternities is due to seasonal variation in the rates of multiple ovulation rather than to seasonal variation in any of the other reproductive parameters which could, in principle, be responsible (coital rate, spontaneous abortion, probability of fertilization). It is possible that such an hypothesized variation is due to seasonal variation in food consumption. Evidence in regard to seasonal variance in monozygotic twinning rates is equivocal but a number of considerations suggest that they too are subject to seasonal variation. If this is so, the peak incidence of MZ twin births occurs around November.

Diurnal Variations of Food Consumption, Plasma Glucose and Plasma Insulin Concentrations in Lean and Obese Hyperglycaemic Mice

Diurnal variations in food consumption and plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were determined at 3-hourly intervals in obese hyperglycaemic mice (C57BL/6J ob/ob) and lean mice (C57BL/6J+/+). In lean mice, food consumption and plasma insulin concentrations increased during the light period and were reduced during the dark period, whereas plasma glucose concentrations were maximal at the beginning of the light period and declined to a minimum during the early dark period. In ob/ob mice, the plasma glucose concentration declined temporarily at the beginning of both the light and the dark period and became elevated towards the ends of these periods, but there were no significant diurnal variations of food consumption or plasma insulin concentrations. These observations indicate differences in the diurnal regulation of glucose homeostasis in lean and ob/ob mice.

Corporate Growth and Diversification

Corporate Growth and Diversification

Seasonal Changes in Food Consumption of Little Brown Bats Held in Captivity at A "Neutral" Temperature of 92° F

Little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus , were maintained on a diet of mealworms in captivity throughout most of one year at a neutral temperature of 92° F. An attempt was made to maintain constant body weights of bats within the normal range of those in nature. Under these conditions, seasonal and sex variations in food consumption were observed. Major differences in food consumption were thought to result from a shift in the zone of thermal neutrality and alterations in the female reproductive cycle. Food consumption and body weight in M. lucifugus appear to follow a seasonal cycle under constant laboratory conditions.

On rat serum amylase. I. Studies in the normal and the alloxan diabetic animal.

A dextrinogenic micromethod was used to establish serum amylase levels in adult male and female rats which were maintained on a standard laboratory diet. A highly significant difference was found to exist between the activities of the enzyme in the male and female rats. The effect of fasting, and of limiting food consumption, indicated a highly significant correlation between daily food intake and serum amylase levels. The polyphagia manifested by alloxan diabetic rats was not reflected in abnormally high amylase activity, as might be expected, but there was a departure from the normal response to the levels of food ingested each day. Oestradiol dipropionate and testosterone propionate were injected into normal male and female rats for seven days. Treatment with male hormone produced no significant variation in food consumption or serum amylase activity in either sex. Injections with oestradiol resulted in significantly lowered food intake in both sexes, but only in the case of males was there an accompanying fall in enzyme levels. On the basis of the experiments described in this paper it is seen that rat serum amylase consists of two fractions, and that the major portion may be considered to be of an adaptive nature. This adaptive portion appears to a large measure to be a reflection of the total daily food intake, which may be influenced by certain factors, such as sex hormones and alloxan diabetes.