Eating Behaviour(p164-165)

Food PreferencesBy Sufia Irshad

IntroductionThe biology of eating behaviour is very complex. It has evolved to certify the intake of the right nutrients in order for our bodies to operate effectively. Energy regulation is vital as the billions of cells in our bodies require energy to function.

Stomach cell

Food with high protein

Fruit high in vitamin C

Energy

The energy required for the cells to remain active and function is in the form of calories from fat and carbohydrates (such as glucose).When we take in more calories than we need, the excess is either converted into fat stores or converted into heat- thermogenesis.

HomeostasisThe main aim of eating is to maintain the body’s physiological systems. Homeostasis is the process by which the body attempts to maintain a state of stable physiological balance. i.e. all the body systems try to maintain a constant level of functioning, and an adequate diet is crucial to this. But homeostatic functioning can act as a barrier to weight loss.

Balanced diet

In many affluent societies, especially in the West, food choice is very wide. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins come in a bewildering number of food types. Good diet consists of: Fruit and vegetables Moderate amounts of meat and

fish Bread or cereals (called complex

carbohydrates) Moderate amounts of milk and

other dairy products Small amounts of fatty foods

and sugar (a simple carbohydrate)

Cultural bias

Study of eating behaviour tends to be considered culturally biased. It largely regards Western and other industrialised societies and ignores third world countries where the main aims are to avoid starvation (less availability of food) rather than cope with obesity.

Development of food preferences

Babies are born with taste receptors for sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami taste qualities. Babies are found to like sweet foods. This suggests that we are born with innate (or genetic) food preferences.

Food Neophobia

Food neophobia (fear of unfamiliar foods) can be considered as a survival mechanism because new foods may be poisonous. It can stop us from eating food that may be unsafe.

Birch and Marlin (1982)

Birch and Marlin found that exposure of two-year-olds to a new food over six weeks increased preference for that food.A minimum of 8-10 exposures was necessary for the initial dislike to change to a preference. The children have learnt that the food is safe.

ConclusionBirch (1999) proposes that we are born with innate (genetic) food preferences, but with an innate ability to associate food tastes and smells with the consequences of eating that food. In this way we learn from experience that foods ar good for us and the foods that are not.

Evaluation Birch’s proposal that we inherit an ability to associate food tastes and smells with the consequences of eating that food us an excellent example of an approach that is neither nature or nurture but an interaction between the two.We learn (nurture/experience) what is good for us, but that learning depends on brain circuits that are innate (nature)