Gender differences in factors affecting rejection of food in healthy young Swedish adults

With the objectives to better understand gender-related differences in variables of importance for food intake, and interrelations between these variables, 100 healthy, young women and 100 healthy, young men responded to self-administrated questionnaires about general food rejection, learned illness-associated food aversions, disgust (the Disgust Scale), food neophobia (the Food Neophobia Scale), nausea and appetite. The results show that food rejection and aversions were more common in women (69 and 38%, respectively) than in men (47 and 18%), and that women are more disgust sensitive than men. However, no differences between women and men were observed regarding reasons for rejecting food (predominantly sensory attributes), prevalence of gastrointestinal illness as an associated aversion symptom (95 vs 89%), type of aversive food due to associated illness (predominantly high protein items), or food neophobia. Based on path analyses, a model is proposed of interrelations between disgust, food neophobia, learned food aversions, nausea, appetite, and general food rejection in healthy young adults.     

You eat what you are: modern health worries and the acceptance of natural and synthetic additives in functional foods

There is an increasing array of functional foods available that are designed to confer health benefits. However, individuals' worries about new technology and modernity may influence the acceptance of these products. In this study, we investigated how modern health worries influence attitudes and decisions about functional foods. We asked participants (n=390) to rate pictures of products with either added vitamins or added scientific compounds. Each product shown purported to have one of three possible targeted effects: to reduce the likelihood of a disease, to reduce a risk factor associated with a disease, or to improve personal appearance. We found levels of modern health worries to be significantly associated with participants' reports of organic food consumption and presence of food allergies. Modern health worries were also significantly related to a preference for foods with natural as opposed to synthetic additives. Participants with higher levels of modern health worries had a greater acceptance of functional foods designed to reduce the likelihood of disease compared to participants with low modern health worries. Overall, the results suggested that modern health worries are an important psychological factor to consider with regards to attitudes toward functional foods.     

Combining repeated taste exposure and escape prevention: an intervention for the treatment of extreme food selectivity

Repeated taste exposure has been used to introduce novel foods in several settings, but none of these efforts have targeted clinical populations. This study describes an intervention that combines repeated taste exposure and escape prevention in the treatment of extreme food selectivity in two children with autism. Future applications of repeated taste exposure are discussed.     

A comparison of traditional and recently developed methods for monitoring surface hygiene within the food industry: an industry trial

A rapid, instrument-free, hygiene monitoring system, based on protein detection, was assessed as a means to evaluate the cleanliness of food contact surfaces within four different food processing environments. Its performance was compared to that of both ATP bioluminescence and a traditional agar-based microbiological method. Each surface was sampled using all three hygiene monitoring systems both before and after each of the production plants had carried out their normal cleaning procedures. In both cases, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the number of surfaces that were passed or failed using each of the tests. In general the number of surfaces that were deemed acceptable for food production increased after cleaning but the level of agreement between test methods differed depending on the type of production facility sampled. Protein detection was most likely to fail surfaces within the baking facility, whereas ATP bioluminescence and traditional microbiology were most likely to fail surfaces within a frozen ready-meal and a cheese production unit respectively. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to plant trials of hygiene monitoring systems, the cleaning process itself, failures in disinfection, as well as the need for a combined methodological approach for monitoring cleanliness.     

Changes in food habits after migration among South Asians settled in Oslo: the effect of demographic, socio-economic and integration factors

The aim is to explore changes in food habits after migration, and the resultant present food consumption patterns, as well as the effect of demographic, socio-economic and integration factors on these changes. Analyses were based on data collected through the Oslo Immigrant Health study, from 629 persons 30-60 years of age, born in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and living in Oslo, Norway. A majority of the Sri Lankans reported increase in the consumption of meat, milk, butter, margarine and potatoes. Around half of those from Pakistan reported increased consumption of oil, meat, fish and potatoes. Both groups reported a decrease in bean and lentil consumption. Multivariate regression showed that age was negatively related to increases in butter and margarine consumption, and a good command of the Norwegian language reduced the likelihood of increased consumption of oil and butter. The likelihood of having present fat and sugar rich food patterns were reduced with age and years of education, whereas scoring high on an index of integration increased the likelihood of a fat rich food pattern. In conclusion, a number of demographic and socio-cultural factors may modify the changes in food habits after migration. Some of these may have substantial health implications.     

Quality of life from the viewpoint of patients with dementia in Japan: nurturing through an acceptance of dementia by patients, their families and care professionals

The quality of life (QoL) of patients with dementia was investigated from the patient's viewpoint, and the role of an acceptance of dementia in maintaining important and distinctive elements of QoL was analysed by questionnaire and interview methods. The subjects of the present study were 18 patients, 21 family members and eight members of staff at a day-care facility in Japan. Patients with dementia hoped to maintain an 'ordinary' way of life. Living peacefully, living together, living healthily and helping each other were considered by patients with dementia to be the important elements of their QoL. Living happily in the present is important, but hopes and expectations for the maintenance of human values in their future lives are of greater importance in their estimation of QoL. Through recognizing these needs, a culture and understanding of 'living with dementia' can be nurtured. A dynamic process involving the mutual acceptance of dementia in the relationships between patients with dementia, their families and care professionals enabled elderly people to surmount their initial troubles, and to recoup and activate their former humane attitudes. Positive thinking reappeared and new forms of relationships emerged. The patients, their families and the care professionals came to understand each other better and gained the sense of 'living together'. The process began with 'confronting' the situation and progressed to the final stage of 'acceptance': the patient with dementia was confronted with the dementia itself, the family was confronted with the elderly person as a human being, and the care professional was confronted with her or himself. At first, the care professionals had felt a sense of social responsibility for delivering justice, but they had gradually noticed that they were themselves relieved of the strain resulting from these attitudes. Acceptance of dementia by the care professional was important in carrying forward this dynamic process, which helps to ensure the desired QoL for the patient with dementia.     

The impact of school exclusion zone planning guidance on the number and type of food outlets in an English local authority: A longitudinal analysis

The use of planning policy to manage and create a healthy food environment has become a popular policy tool for local governments in England. To date there has been no evaluation of their short-term impact on the built environment. We assess if planning guidance restricting new fast food outlets within 400 m of a secondary school, influences the food environment in the local authority of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. We have administrative data on all food outlets in Newcastle 3 years pre-intervention 2012–2015, the intervention year 2016, and three years’ post-intervention 2016–2019. We employ a difference-in-difference approach comparing postcodes within the school fast food outlet exclusion zone to those outside the fast-food exclusion zones. In the short term (3 years), planning guidance to limit the number of new fast-food outlets in a school exclusion zone did not have a statistically significant impact on the food environment when compared with a control zone.     

Physical abuse around the time of pregnancy: an examination of prevalence and risk factors in 16 states

Objectives: From self-reports we describe and compare the levels and patterns of physical abuse before and during pregnancy while also describing the demographic and pregnancy-related characteristics of physically abused women, the stressful experiences of abused women prior to delivery, and the relationship of the abused woman to the perpetrator(s). Methods: We used population-based estimates from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (1996–98) to calculate a multiyear 16-state prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and unadjusted risk ratios for demographic, pregnancy-related, and stressful experiences variables. Results: We found the prevalence of abuse across the 16 states to be 7.2% (95% CI, 6.9-7.6) during the 12 months before pregnancy, 5.3% (95% CI, 5.0–5.6) during pregnancy, and 8.7% (95% CI, 8.3–9.1) around the time of pregnancy (abuse before or during pregnancy). The prevalence of physical abuse during pregnancy across the 16 states was consistently lower than that before pregnancy. For time periods both before and during pregnancy, higher prevalence was found for women who were young, not White, unmarried, had less than 12 years of education, received Medicaid benefits, or had unintended pregnancies, and for women with stressful experiences during pregnancy, particularly being involved in a fight or increased arguing with a husband or partner. For each of these risk groups, the prevalence was lower during pregnancy than before. Abuse was ongoing before pregnancy for three quarters of the women experiencing abuse by a husband or partner during pregnancy. Conclusions: Women are not necessarily at greater risk of physical abuse when they are pregnant than before pregnancy. Both the preconception period and the period during pregnancy are periods of risk, which suggests that prevention activities are appropriate during routine health care visits before pregnancy as well as during family planning and prenatal care.     

Energy‐dense fast food products cost less: an observational study of the energy density and energy cost of Australian fast foods

Objective: To examine the association between energy cost and energy density of fast food products. Methods: Twenty Sydney outlets of the five largest fast food chains were surveyed four times. Price and kilojoule data were collected for all limited‐time‐only menu items (n=54) and a sample of standard items (n=67). Energy cost ($/kilojoule) and energy density (kilojoules/gram) of menu items were calculated. Results: There was a significant inverse relationship between menu item energy density and energy cost (p<0.001). Salads had the highest energy cost, while value items, meals that included a dessert and family meals had the lowest. Conclusions: Fast food chains could provide a wider range of affordable, lower‐energy foods, use proportional pricing of larger serve sizes, or change defaults in meals to healthier options. More research is required to determine the most effective strategy to reduce the negative impact of fast food on the population's diet. Implications: Current pricing in the fast food environment may encourage unhealthier purchases.     

Nutrients from dairy foods are difficult to replace in diets of Americans: food pattern modeling and an analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006

Because dairy products provide shortfall nutrients (eg, calcium, potassium, and vitamin D) and other important nutrients, this study hypothesized that it would be difficult for Americans to meet nutritional requirements for these nutrients in the absence of dairy product consumption or when recommended nondairy calcium sources are consumed. To test this hypothesis, MyPyramid dietary pattern modeling exercises and an analyses of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006 were conducted in those aged at least 2 years (n = 16 822). Impact of adding or removing 1 serving of dairy, removing all dairy, and replacing dairy with nondairy calcium sources was evaluated. Dietary pattern modeling indicated that at least 3 servings of dairy foods are needed to help individuals meet recommendations for nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, and 4 servings may be needed to help some groups meet potassium recommendations. A calcium-equivalent serving of dairy requires 1.1 servings of fortified soy beverage, 0.6 serving of fortified orange juice, 1.2 servings of bony fish, or 2.2 servings of leafy greens. The replacement of dairy with calcium-equivalent foods alters the overall nutritional profile of the diet and affects nutrients including protein, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamins A, D and B₁₂. Similar modeling exercises using consumption data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey also demonstrated that nondairy calcium replacement foods are not a nutritionally equivalent substitute for dairy products. In conclusion, although it is possible to meet calcium intake recommendations without consuming dairy foods, calcium replacement foods are not a nutritionally equivalent substitute for dairy foods and consumption of a calcium-equivalent amount of some nondairy foods is unrealistic.