A Change of Scenery: Does Exposure to Images of Nature Affect Delay Discounting and Food Desirability?

Previous research suggests that exposure to nature may reduce delay discounting (the tendency to discount larger future gains in favor of smaller immediate rewards) and thereby facilitate healthier dietary intake. This pre-registered study examined the impact of online exposure to images of natural scenes on delay discounting and food preferences. It was predicted that exposure to images of natural scenes (vs. images of urban scenes) would be associated with: (i) lower delay discounting; (ii) higher desirability for fruits and vegetables (and lower desirability for more energy-dense foods); and (iii) delay discounting would mediate the effect of nature-image exposure on food desirability. Adult participants (N = 109) were recruited to an online between-subjects experiment in which they viewed a timed sequence of six images either showing natural landscape scenes or urban scenes. They then completed measures of mood, delay discounting (using a five-trial hypothetical monetary discounting task) and rated their momentary desire to eat four fruits and vegetables (F&V), and four energy-dense foods. There was no statistically significant effect of experimental condition (natural vs. urban image exposure) on delay discounting or food desirability. Bayes factors supported the null hypothesis for discounting (BF01 = 4.89), and energy-dense food desirability (BF01 = 7.21), but provided no strong evidence for either hypothesis for F&V desirability (BF01 = 0.78). These findings indicate that brief online exposure to images of nature does not affect momentary impulsivity or energy-dense food preference, whereas for preference for less-energy dense foods, the evidence was inconclusive.

A change of scenery: Does exposure to images of nature affect delay discounting and food desirability?

Previous research suggests that exposure to nature may reduce delay discounting (the tendency to discount larger future gains in favour of smaller immediate rewards) and thereby facilitate healthier dietary choices. This study examined the impact of online exposure to images of natural scenes on delay discounting and food preferences. It was predicted that exposure to images of natural scenes (vs. images of urban scenes) would be associated with (i) lower delay discounting; (ii) higher desirability for fruits and vegetables (and lower desirability for more energy-dense foods); and (iii) delay discounting would mediate the effect of nature-image exposure on food desirability. Adult participants (N = 109) were recruited to an online between-subjects experiment in which they viewed a timed sequence of six images either showing natural landscape scenes or urban scenes. They then completed measures of mood, delay discounting (using a 5-trial hypothetical monetary discounting task) and rated their momentary desire to eat four fruits and vegetables (F&V), and four energy-dense foods. There was no statistically significant effect of experimental condition (natural vs. urban image exposure) on delay discounting or food desirability. Bayes factors supported the null hypothesis for discounting (BF01 = 4.89), and energy-dense food desirability (BF01 = 7.21), but provided no strong evidence for either hypothesis for F&V desirability (BF01 = 0.78). These findings indicate that brief online exposure to images of nature does not affect momentary impulsivity or energy-dense food preference, whereas for preference for less-energy dense foods, the evidence was inconclusive.

Seasonal cues to food scarcity and calorie cravings: Winter cues elicit preferences for energy-dense foods

Winter cues signal a scarcity of food. Birds and mammals respond to such environmental cues by consuming more energy. They convert this surplus into body fat that serves as a buffer against impending food shortages. Similarly, humans exhibit higher obesity rates among food-insecure populations. However, to date, it has been unclear whether winter cues qualitatively affect consumers’ food preferences. Results from five studies (N = 865), with one of them preregistered, show that watching videos depicting winter cues elicits thoughts about energy-dense foods and survival. Winter cues elicit higher preferences for energy-dense than low-calorie foods, with this effect likely being different for women and men. A meta-analysis corroborate this conclusion. Accordingly, our results support the evolutionary account postulating that humans have developed sex-specific responses to perceivable cues to food scarcity. As a result, winter cues induce people to favor products they deem higher in calories. Given the importance of limiting energy-dense food consumption for addressing environmental and public health issues, policymakers and marketers should be aware of this phenomenon when designing public communication campaigns.

COVID-19 Stress and Food Intake: Protective and Risk Factors for Stress-Related Palatable Food Intake in U.S. Adults

(1) Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disruptions to what people eat, but the pandemic’s impact on diet varies between individuals. The goal of our study was to test whether pandemic-related stress was associated with food intake, and whether relationships between stress and intake were modified by appetitive and cognitive traits. (2) Methods: We cross-sectionally surveyed 428 adults to examine current intake frequency of various food types (sweets/desserts, savory snacks, fast food, fruits, and vegetables), changes to food intake during the pandemic, emotional overeating (EOE), cognitive flexibility (CF), and COVID-19-related stress. Models tested associations of stress, EOE, and CF with food intake frequency and changes to intake. (3) Results: Models demonstrated that the positive relationship between stress and intake of sweets/desserts was stronger with higher EOE, while the positive relationship between stress and intake of chips/savory snacks was weaker with higher CF. Higher EOE was associated with greater risk of increased intake of palatable foods. (4) Conclusions: Findings suggest that emotional overeating may escalate stress-associated intake of high-sugar foods, and cognitive flexibility may attenuate stress-associated intake of high-fat foods. Differences in appetitive and cognitive traits may explain changes to and variability in food intake during COVID-19, and efforts to decrease emotional overeating and encourage cognitive flexibility could help lessen the effect of COVID-19-related stress on energy dense food intake.

Effects of Acute Alcohol Consumption on Food Intake and Pictorial Stroop Response to High-Calorie Food Cues

Aims We examined (a) the effect of an acute dose of alcohol on the consumption of energy-dense food and (b) on cognitive bias towards high-energy-dense food cues and (3) whether the effect of an acute dose of alcohol on the consumption of energy-dense food would be mediated by cognitive bias towards high-energy-dense food cues. Methods Heavy social drinkers (n = 40) abstained from drinking for 12 hours before testing. On the test day, participants completed pre-challenge measures of alcohol and food craving, and cognitive bias towards alcohol in a placebo-controlled, double-blind design. Participants performed post-challenge measures of alcohol and food craving, ad lib energy-dense food consumption and cognitive bias. Results We did not observe any of the hypothesized interactions between challenge condition, consumption of energy-dense food and cognitive bias towards high-energy-dense food cues. Conclusions Our data suggest that acute alcohol consumption does not influence the consumption of energy-dense food or cognitive bias towards high-energy-dense food cues. These findings may reflect that alcohol does not increase the appetitive value of food and food-related cues or that the measures used in this study were not sensitive to detect an effect. Further research is required to determine whether alcohol at higher doses and/or food cues that are frequently paired with alcohol intake stimulates changes in food intake and the reward value of food cues.

Pengaruh Intervensi Makanan Tambahan Padat Energi dan Protein Berbasis Pangan Lokal terhadap Perbaikan Status Gizi Balita

Malnutrition problems that mostly occur in NTT are particularly caused by low protein intake. Therefore, this study was designed to intervene in feeding energy and protein dense snack to improve the nutritional status of children under five. This research was conducted in Tanah Putih Village, Kupang Tengah Sub-district, Kupang District. The research was an experimental method with a completely randomized design. Three types of intervention were given, namely: p1 = cassava + skipjack fish; p2 = cassava + rice beans; and p3 = cassava + skipjack fish + rice beans. Each sample consumed energy and protein dense snacks (according to treatment) for 30 days of trial. The results showed that the majority of children had a higher acceptance level for the intervention (88,9%). The results also showed that the provision of energy-dense food and protein significantly (p <0.05) improved the nutritional status of children under five, with weight for height indicator. However, the intervention had no significant effect (p> 0.05) with the indicator of height for age. The results of the analysis of variance showed a significant nutritional status improvement for the composition of cassava and fish (P1) (p <0.05) using the indicators wight for height and weight for age. Yet, it had not significantly contributed to improving the nutritional status of children under five using the height for age indicator.Advanced analysis using the Duncan test showed that the intervention treatment with the composition of cassava and rice beans had the strongest effect on improving the nutritional status of children under five. Keynote: Intervention, Malnutrition, Suplementary Food.

Obesity and weight management

Obesity is a major public health issue. It is common and a strong risk factor for many medical conditions, including Type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and cancer. Obesity results from an energy intake that exceeds energy expenditure. Cheap, readily available, energy-dense food and sugary drinks together with a sedentary lifestyle are fuelling the rise in obesity. There is growing evidence that interventions to aid weight loss are effective in reducing the risk to health associated with being obese, especially if they combine change in both diet and physical activity. There is only a limited role for drug treatment of obesity in routine care. For individuals at the highest risk of comorbid conditions, bariatric surgery is an appropriate option.

Meta-Analysis: Effect of Physical Activity on the Incidence of Obesity in Female Adolescents

Background: The increasing prevalence of obesity in female adolescents is a global health problem. It is may caused by the adoption of a Western lifestyle (decrease in physical activity and an increase in the consumption of energy-dense food, high in fats and refined sugar). The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of physical activity on the incidence of obesity in female adolescents. Subjects and Method: This was meta-analysis and systematic review. The study was conducted by collecting articles from Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct databases, published from 2002 to 2020. Keywords were searched using the terms “physical activity” OR “physical fitness” AND obesity AND “cross sectional” AND girls OR adolescent. The study subject was female adolescents. The intervention was low physical activity with comparison high physical activity. The study outcome was obesity. Collected articles were screened using PRISMA flowchart. The quantitative data were analyzed by Revman 5.3. Results: 6 studies from China, New York, Netherlands, Korea, Taiwan, and United States, reported that low physical activity increased the risk of obesity in female adolescents (aOR= 1.74; 95% CI= 1.11 to 2.72; p= 0.010). Conclusion: Low physical activity increased the risk of obesity in female adolescents. Keywords: obesity, physical activity, female adolescents Correspondence: Putri Isriyatil Jannah. Masters Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: 089634956745.