Comportements alimentaires de l’enfant et attitudes parentales: le point de vue de la psychologie expérimentale

Children show a clear preference, throughout development, for high energy density foods, and particularly for sweet and/or fat products. Most parents disapprove of this behavior, in the present context of high obesity prevalence and widespread acceptance of thinness as a model. Children’s appetite for such foods has adaptive value, so far as the growing child has not lost his/her ability for energy adjustment. A few studies suggest that excessive control over children’s food choices contributes to a loss of the child’s capacity to energy adjustment. Education models that include both the teaching of rules and adjustments to the child’s requests seem to facilitate the acquisition of adequate eating behaviors, which favor a varied diet and body weight control.     

Diabète insulino-dépendant et troubles des conduites alimentaires : quels progrès ?

Objectives - To review studies on eating disorders (ED) in insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus (IDDM), published after our first review in 1990 and meta-analysis by Nielsen et Mølbak (1998).Results - Prevalence of ED in IDDM does not seem significantly higher than in the general population. Very large IDDM populations would be necessary to give a definitive answer to this question. The last studies on the topic do not give further information. There are no studies to explain the biological and psychopathological association between ED and IDDM. All the studies agree with the fact that ED in IDDM are a risk factor for higher glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c) and retinopathy. A new way of work seems to be the relationships between overweight, ED and IDDM. Self-induced glycosuria seems particularly interesting to explain the bad metabolic control. Chronic high levels of HBA1c lead to microvascular complications.Conclusion - We propose a profile of typical IDDM patient with ED. We need studies to assess validity of therapeutic procedures for this special and severe comorbidity.     

L’évolution des achats alimentaires: 30 ans d’enquêtes auprès des ménages en France

We describe the evolution of the French food consumption in the last thirty years from representative household data. Such microeconomic data can be found in the French food survey (Insee) and in SECODIP panel data. On 1969-2001, the analysis of these data sources allows to have a picture of French food consumption before the implementation of any nutritional prevention program. We observe decreasing purchases in the majority of food groups. Within this trend, we note decreasing purchases of traditional products and at the same time the development of manufactured products. An increasing share of industrial products can be observed for every food group through substitutions between products. The transformation of the structure of food purchases is discussed along with the evolution of the economic environment, changes in lifestyles and in cultural habits in France.     

Petit déjeuner, est-ce utile ?

The first physiological function of breakfast is to break nocturnal fasting. It is part of classical hygienic and dietary recommendations, but is it really useful? This work gathers recent data about effects of breakfast on dietary balance of the day and on the following meals, on weight, as well as on some metabolic parameters. Benefits of breakfast are discussed in their mechanisms as well as in their determinants. Effects concerning intellectual performance are also presented and discussed. Finally, the role of breakfast constituents, nutrients and foods, is analysed. Therefore, it is justified to recommend a breakfast and the following content can be proposed: bread and/or high-fibre cereals, dairy product, butter, fruit and drink.     

Clinique possible d’une addiction à la caféine à partir de l’observation de 52 sujets et d’une revue de la littérature

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world. In the scientific literature, caffeine abuse is usually called “caffeinism”, and can provoke symptoms of nervousness, excitement, anxiety and insomnia. The aim of this article, based on a previous study conducted in a research paper, is to observe if high-level consumption of caffeine can be considered as an addictive conduct. Three hypotheses were tested on 52 subjects (one study group with high consumption of caffeine [300 mg-1000 mg] and a control group with low consumption). They should present: (1) an addictive conduct towards caffeine; (2) a high level of anxiety; (3) few subjects would use caffeine as a weight control strategy among people suffering from eating disorders. To validate these hypotheses, we used a control group, the Goodman's definition's criteria, the anxiety scale state-trait STAI and, finally, the MINI diagnostic questionnaire. The results show us that 88 % of subjects presenting a high level of caffeine consumption would present an addictive conduct (the average subjects fulfilled 70 % of Goodman's criteria). This behaviour is characterized by impulsiveness and the persistence of the behaviour despite harmful consequences for the subject. The anxiety level was higher in the study group, compared to the control group and seven subjects used caffeine as appetite suppressant, in the case of eating disorders. Our study suggests that patients should be asked about their caffeine consumption level during a clinical anamnesis. It also paves the way for other studies, on for example, the link between caffeinism and eating disorders.