When family dining protects against sweet food consumption… and when it does not

A study was conducted on the influence of maternal education level on food consumption, energy and nutrient intake, and dietary adequacy in 110 pre-school children from Madrid, Spain. With increasing maternal education, children consumed more sugar (p < 0.05), fruit (p < 0.05), and fish (p < 0.05). Snacking was more frequent with decreasing maternal education (p < 0.05). Though statistical significance was not reached, the consumption of pre-cooked foods was greater among children of mothers educated to a higher level, a phenomenon probably related to the work situation of these women. With respect to dietary composition, no significant differences were found between groups for macronutrient, fiber and energy intakes, except for energy supplied by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which was greater in the children of less educated women (p < 0.01). This is probably due to their greater consumption of sunflower seed oil. The diets of children belonging to well-educated mothers came closer to meeting the recommended intakes for folate, vitamin C, and iodine. It would seem that maternal educational level influences the food habits of children. Mothers with less education may require special advice in this area.

Download Full-text

Dispositional Properties of Metaphor

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000234 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 175-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Adam K. Fetterman ◽

Brian P. Meier ◽

Michael D. Robinson

Keyword(s):

Positive Affect ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Self Control ◽

Taste Preferences ◽

Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽

Prosocial Motivation ◽

Sweet Food ◽

Metaphor Theory ◽

Sweet Foods ◽

Dispositional Properties

Abstract. Metaphors often characterize prosocial actions and people as sweet. Three studies sought to explore whether conceptual metaphors of this type can provide insights into the prosocial trait of agreeableness and into daily life prosociality. Study 1 (n = 698) examined relationships between agreeableness and food taste preferences. Studies 2 (n = 66) and 3 (n = 132) utilized daily diary protocols. In Study 1, more agreeable people liked sweet foods to a greater extent. In Study 2, greater sweet food preferences predicted a stronger positive relationship between daily prosocial behaviors and positive affect, a pattern consistent with prosocial motivation. Finally, Study 3 found that daily prosocial feelings and behaviors varied positively with sweet food consumption in a manner that could not be ascribed to positive affect or self-control. Altogether, the findings encourage further efforts to extend conceptual metaphor theory to the domain of personality processes, in part by building on balance-related ideas.

Download Full-text

Men’s Hunger, Food Consumption, and Preferences for Female Body Types

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335/a000210 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 45 (6) ◽

pp. 495-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nicolas Guéguen

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Female Body ◽

The Body ◽

Slender Body ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Point Scale ◽

Body Type ◽

Experimental Conditions

Nelson and Morrison (2005 , study 3) reported that men who feel hungry preferred heavier women. The present study replicates these results by using real photographs of women and examines the mediation effect of hunger scores. Men were solicited while entering or leaving a restaurant and asked to report their hunger on a 10-point scale. Afterwards, they were presented with three photographs of a woman in a bikini: One with a slim body type, one with a slender body type, and one with a slightly chubby body. The participants were asked to indicate their preference. Results showed that the participants entering the restaurant preferred the chubby body type more while satiated men preferred the thinner or slender body types. It was also found that the relation between experimental conditions and the choices of the body type was mediated by men’s hunger scores.

Download Full-text