Ch 9: Social Influences on Eating

TED MED Talk by Peter Menzel: Hungry Planet: What the World Eats (14 minutes long)

***Peter Menzel and his wife traveled the world to document varied local diets and how our food is becoming increasingly processed. -Low in fat; high in protein= 100-year-old woman (Japanese) -Western; popularized: a substitute for traditional foods OVERALL INTERNATIONALLY **healthy foods; less expensive versus U.S. **processed foods; more expensive

6) Direct influences on Eating

**These are factors which influence your eating behaviors, but require the presence of other people. ◦We tend to eat more in the presence of others...i.e. when we eat in groups. However, Binge Eating Disorder occurs in isolation. ◦This suggests that social eating may in some cases provide healthy amounts of social constraint to avoid over-consumption. ◦Omnivore's paradox and social or commensal eating practices are situations where the presence of others influences our eating behavior.

5) Indirect Influences on Eating

**These are factors which influence your eating behaviors, even if no one is around to watch you eat or not eat something. ◦E.g. You will (probably) not eat something that fell in a toilet ◦E.g. You will not eat a food that may have cultural or religious restrictions around it, particularly if you closely identify with that particular cultural custom or religion. **In sum...indirect influences originally develop around other people, and are influenced by our cultural and social environment, but eventually we adhere to them even if we are not monitored. ◦Portion size: Our understanding of portion size comes from our experience. We get in the habit of eating certain foods in their entirety, regardless of whether we are feeling full or not.

b. What explanation is offered from a neurological perspective, as to why food/drinks from liked sources or companies taste better? (page 148)

**overall altered brain activity AFFECTS perception Coke and Pepsi sodas are chemically nearly identical; however, many soda drinkers have strong allegiance to and preference for one over the other. McClure et al. (2004) used fMRI technology to compare brain activity of people who consumed Coke and Pepsi in a blinded condition (i.e., the participants didn't know which soda they were receiving) to people who were "brand-cued" (i.e., they were exposed to the familiar Coke or Pepsi labeling before consuming the beverage). In the blinded condition, brain activity was most intense in areas of the prefrontal cortex associated with decision making and reward. However, in the cued condition, increased activity was seen in the hippocampus (associated with memory) and part of the prefrontal cortex associated with bias. These results help explain why food or drink from liked sources (people or companies) seems to taste better; altered brain activity affects perception.

b. What are the implications of nutrition transition?

-Changes in living **"western diets" are high in sugar, fat, & animal protein ***especially processed foods Economic changes **lack of access to technology ex: laundry hand-washing Demographic **educated women; less children **religions **medical care + intervention has improved overtime -antibiotics Epidemiological **metabolic syndrome; illness connected to obesity

3) Social, cultural and religious influences on food intake

-Familial norms -Cultural norms -Religion ◦Hindus and beef ◦Muslims and pork ◦Jews and pork ◦Mormon Christians and caffeine ◦Religious period restrictions ◦Lent (Christian tradition) ◦Durga Puja (Hindu tradition) ◦Id (Muslim tradition) -Availability of foods (also influences cultural norms) ◦Jackfruit ◦Lychees ◦Mangosteen We innately dislike spicy "hot" and bitter tastes, but learn to like such foods when they are associated with social status and reinforcement. E.g. Liking of coffee, chilli/spicy foods and alcohol develop over time (i.e. with multiple exposures and experience).

i. Cultural differences in individual vs. social eating patterns...what are some of the consequences? (page 141-142)

-inability to respect one's culture; offensiveness -eating disorders -depression ​

a. What is typical for you, may not be for someone else

-potent; smelly foods

c. Determinants of cuisine

1) Availability -How available a food is within a particular region will influence whether a culture will adopt that food as a staple. If a food is easily obtainable and relatively inexpensive or affordable, it is likely to become a part of the cuisine for a particular culture. 2) Nutritional completeness of the ingredients -There are no (or perhaps extremely few) natural sources of food which provide all the nutrient's an omnivore needs. For this reason food combinations are critical in order to ensure nutritional completeness. E.g. Beans, rice and corn....served alone do not provide a nutritionally complete food, but served together provide a nutritious combination of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. 3) Beliefs and attitudes ** includes religious beliefs and cultural attitudes, cultural food rules, perception of risk associated with particular foods, and attitudes about health. -Beliefs and attitudes about food and what is 'normal' is heavily influenced by our cultural exposure. **Cuisine reflects the constraints that a culture/religion puts on what is considered food, and what is not considered food. E.g. Insects are food in some cultures, but not in others. E.g. Cows are sacred in some cultures, so eating beef is a taboo. Cultural attitudes: Food rules are cultural and learned. Examples: -When to eat -What utensil to use -When certain foods are appropriate (eg., doughnuts for breakfast, but not dinner; salad as first course; French fries with fingers) OTHER FACTORS: Perception of risk ◦How long can food sit out before you think it is too long ? ◦How careful are you about where your drinking water comes from ? Attitudes about health (may be right or wrong) ◦Fat is bad...it can be, but it is also critical for our health. ◦Potatoes are fattening...P.S. They are not

7) Why do we eat previously disliked foods ? (page 146)

Children develop many food preferences on the basis of social-affective context; for example, foods eaten by parents, older siblings, peers or food items associated with fictional superheroes, smiling faces, and so on are often preferred. SOCIAL LEARNING= repeated exposures; ASSOCIATIONS

9) Neurological impact of branding ? (Box 9.1 on Pg 148)

Coke and Pepsi sodas are chemically nearly identical; however, many soda drinkers have strong allegiance to and preference for one over the other. McClure et al. (2004) used fMRI technology to compare brain activity of people who consumed Coke and Pepsi in a blinded condition (i.e., the participants didn't know which soda they were receiving) to people who were "brand-cued" (i.e., they were exposed to the familiar Coke or Pepsi labeling before consuming the beverage). In the blinded condition, brain activity was most intense in areas of the prefrontal cortex associated with decision making and reward. However, in the cued condition, increased activity was seen in the hippocampus (associated with memory) and part of the prefrontal cortex associated with bias. ***These results help explain why food or drink from liked sources (people or companies) seems to taste better; altered brain activity affects perception.

a. Factors which define it

Cuisines are defined by their: -staple ingredients (eg., rice), -characteristic flavors (e.g. spices) -modes of food preparation (e.g. stir fry) **rules (e.g. sequences; mixtures).

b. How is it adaptive ? (page 140)

Cuisines reflect adaptive choices ◦Psychology accounts for discovery of adaptive behavior Ex: Milk consumption and lactose intolerance Lactase, enzyme that breaks down milk sugar (lactose), is deprogrammed after infancy in MOST humans ( ◦E.g. East Asians, Africans, and Native Americans. These cultures have either largely rejected milk products or use fermented/cultured products (yogurt, cheese) ◦During fermentation lactose is split into monosaccharides by bacteria. Foods that are nutritionally complete and easily accessible are the foods that are most likely to be incorporated in cuisine Eg: Beans + Rice+ corn (not alone, but in pairs) in many Central and South American cuisines

iv. Oscar Mayer baloney: Child singing

Cute; family based singing commercial

a. What is it ? Identify and describe the 3 factors associated with nutrition transition

DEFINITION: A change in diets that coincides or overlaps with economic, demographic and epidemiological changes. The dietary change typically involves a departure from traditional diets to more Western diets (typically high in sugars, fats and animal proteins). 3 factors includes: -Economic changes ◦Technology helps make labor intensive tasks easier; energy expenditure declines ◦Transnational food companies in developing countries...e.g McDonalds across the globe ◦Rural people move to urban areas in search of work; diets change -Demographic changes ◦High reproductive rates shift to lower rates of reproduction ◦High-mortality rates shift to lower mortality rates. - Epidemiological changes ◦Disease profiles change ◦Moves from infectious diseases associated with malnutrition and lack of clean water, to chronic post-industrial diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes etc.

i. Food scares (as seen in the Talking Point Box on (Pg 101) **page 148

Food scares are prime examples of how the media can sway public perceptions of risk. Scientists and regulators need to understand the complex relationship between the media and their audience if they seek to counter scare stories and put risks and benefits into context.

a. Omnivore's paradox

Humans must be flexible enough to eat a variety of essential items, yet cautious enough to not randomly ingest harmful foods; attraction to new foods, but prefer familiar foods ***We need to be cautious to not eat something that might make us sick and kills us, but adventurous enough to try a new food which might be nutritious and readily available. Consequently we are both attracted to and driven away from new foods.

iii. Hardee's: Kate Upton at a Drive-in Movie Theater

Hyper-sexualized most appealing sand-which though

c. Attitudes about health ( page 143)

In modern Western cultures with food abundance, concerns about appearance and in particular thin appearance are common. Attitudes about food and health are also different in these cultures compared with more traditional cultures and less Westernized cultures. Nonetheless, despite the obesity epidemic, Americans are more likely than people in European countries and Japan to rate all fats as "harmful to health," despite known benefits of some fats (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids) in moderation. Americans also exhibit more anxiety and guilt about eating (Rozin et al., 1999). Rozin and colleagues have theorized that this heightened concern with healthy eating contributes to stress- and emotion-related eating and thus reduces our ability to moderate our food intake.

i. Burger King: Eat like a Man

Sexist and unrealistic

2) Socialization and food

Social learning= repeated exposures; associations

b. Group/commensal meals (page 145)

These findings support Fischler's (2011) belief that commensal eating helps maintain or constrain food consumption to appropriate levels. Eating in groups reduces the risk of over-consumption because of the awkwardness associated with deviation from social norms and may in some cases promote healthier food choices. ***Commensal food consumption (i.e., eating in groups, usually family) is an efficient way to "manage" this paradox efficiently. We learn methods that ensure adequate nutrition.

ii. Coke: I'd like to buy the world a coke

Very inclusive and diverse

8) Law of contagion, the media and positive food associations (page 147 or 149)

We prefer foods prepared by a person or company we like or have positive associations.

b. Perception of risk (142)

You may recall mass media concern about mad cow disease, technically called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This is a progressive and fatal neurological disease in cattle; neurological problems can result among people who consume contaminated beef, particularly if it contains nervous system tissue.

c. What are 2 examples of nutrition transition you can provide, based on either the TED MED talk, or our discussions in class ?

lack of being active versus sedentary lifestyle where everything is done for us ex: laundry, dish washer, vacuuming socioeconomic status; harder to attain a well balanced diet. rise in obesity through western diet and media influences