Responsiveness to Food-Related Conflict Predicts Healthy Eating

One reason why people fail to eat healthily is that they lack control over unwanted actions. Another largely ignored reason might be that they fail to engage control when encountering temptations. Accordingly, we tested (N=511) if how responsive people are to conflict between healthy and unhealthy food is an important part of eating regulation. We developed a conflict sensitivity measure that indicates responsiveness to conflict between healthy and unhealthy food via post-conflict slowing. We then show that the stronger participants are committed to healthy eating, the more they slowed down after relevant conflict (Study 1, 2) but not after irrelevant conflict (Study 2). Furthermore, increasing commitment to healthy eating increased post-conflict slowing compared to when the goal was not activated (Study 3). Importantly, post-conflict slowing predicted subsequent healthy eating in participants’ everyday life (Study 2). Our findings suggest that conflict responses might be an important part of healthy eating.

Sensorial Perception of Astringency: Oral Mechanisms and Current Analysis Methods

Understanding consumers’ food choices and the psychological processes involved in their preferences is crucial to promote more mindful eating regulation and guide food design. Fortifying foods minimizing the oral dryness, rough, and puckering associated with many functional ingredients has been attracting interest in understanding oral astringency over the years. A variety of studies have explored the sensorial mechanisms and the food properties determining astringency perception. The present review provides a deeper understanding of astringency, a general view of the oral mechanisms involved, and the exciting variety of the latest methods used to direct and indirectly quantify and simulate the astringency perception and the specific mechanisms involved.

Examining fat talk and self-compassion as distinct motivational processes in women’s eating regulation: A self-determination theory perspective

This study examined whether pursuing intrinsic versus extrinsic goals was associated with distinct motivational processes in eating regulation and with healthy versus unhealthy eating. Path analysis demonstrated that appearance goals were associated with fat talk, whereas health goals were associated with self-compassion. Fat talk was positively associated with non-self-determined motivation and unhealthy eating, whereas self-compassion was positively associated with self-determined motivation and healthy eating, and negatively associated with unhealthy eating. Findings emphasize the negative effects of pursuing appearance goals and engaging in fat talk and the benefits of pursuing health goals and being self-compassionate.