What constitutes food variety? Stimulus specificity of food

Epstein, Leonard H.; Robinson, Jodie L.; Roemmich, James N.; Marusewski, A.L.; Roba, L.G.

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.09.001

Cited by 37 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Habituation does provide for the initial increase in responding, or sensitization, prior to the decelerating limb of the habituation curve. Because we have observed that subjects who sensitize habituate slower and consume more food than those who do not sensitize (Epstein, Robinson, Roemmich, Marusewski et al, 2010; Epstein et al, 2008), it is possible that procedures that enhance sensitization may explain more variance in energy intake than procedures that do not enhance sensitization.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Research suggests that habituation is influenced by stimulus specificity, such that small differences in texture, color or shape may be sufficient to recover responding to a new food (Epstein, Robinson, Roemmich, Marusewski, & Roba, 2010) and to a previously habituated food (dishabituation; Groves & Thompson, 1970; McSweeney & Swindell, 1999). Habituation is thought to relate to the cessation of a meal or satiety, though there may be processes that increase responding for food, or sensitize, before habituation begins (Epstein et al, 2008; Epstein, Temple et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Relationship between food habituation and reinforcing efficacy of food

Carr

Epstein

2011

Learning and Motivation

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reinforcing value and habituation are two processes that have been used to study eating behaviors, but no research has examined their relationship, how they relate to energy intake, and whether they respond in a similar manner to food deprivation. Twenty-two female subjects were randomized to food deprived or non-deprived conditions, and assessed for food reinforcement, habituation to food and ad libitum eating. Results showed food reinforcement and habituation are correlated (r = 0.62, p = 0.002) and both independently predict energy intake. Hierarchical regression showed that the rate of habituation accounted for 30 percent of the variance in eating (p = 0.008), and adding food reinforcement increased the amount of variance accounted for up to 57.5 percent (p < 0.05). This suggests that both processes may influence energy intake in a meal.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between food habituation and reinforcing efficacy of food

Carr

Epstein

2011

Learning and Motivation

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several studies suggest that even small sensory differences, such as differences within the color or texture of foods, is enough difference in sensory variety to increase consumption [22,23]. For example, Epstein and colleagues provided elbow macaroni and cheese to children aged 8 to 12 years during a habituation task, in which children worked to have access to as much of the elbow macaroni and cheese as they desired to consume [23]. After this task was completed and children had consumed the amount of elbow macaroni and cheese they had gained access to, children could then work for access to consume the same macaroni and cheese, spiral macaroni and cheese, or chicken nuggets.…”

Section: Types Of Dietary Varietymentioning

confidence: 99%

Can limiting dietary variety assist with reducing energy intake and weight loss?

Raynor

2012

Physiology & Behavior

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Due to the high prevalence of overweight and obesity, developing strategies to improve weight loss and weight loss maintenance is imperative. One dietary environmental variable that has received little attention in being targeted in an intervention to assist with obesity treatment is dietary variety. Experimental research has consistently shown that greater dietary variety increases consumption, with the effect of variety on consumption hypothesized to be a consequence of the differential experience of the more varied sensory properties of food under those conditions with greater dietary variety. As reduced energy intake is required for weight loss, limiting variety, particularly in food groups that are high in energy-density and low in nutrient-density, may assist with reducing energy intake and improving weight loss. A series of investigations, both observational and experimental, were conducted to examine if limiting variety in an energydense, non-nutrient-dense food group, snack foods (i.e., cookies, chips), assisted with reducing energy intake of the food group and improving weight loss. Results of the investigations suggest that a prescription for limiting variety in a food group can be implemented during obesity treatment, limiting variety is associated with the occurrence of monotony, and that reducing food group variety is related to decreased consumption of that food group. Future research is needed to ascertain the long-term effect of prescriptions targeting dietary variety on weight loss and weight loss maintenance.

show abstract

“…People habituate to repeated presentations of the same food within a meal (1). The presentation of a novel food causes dishabituation (2), and stimulus specificity of habituation is observed for the habituating food (3). The rate of habituation to food is related to food consumption, because slower rates of habituation are associated with greater energy intake (4)(5)(6).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term habituation to food in obese and nonobese women

Epstein

Carr

Cavanaugh

et al. 2011

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Habituation is a form of learning in which repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to a decrease in responding. Eating involves repeated presentation of the same food stimulus in a meal, and habituation is reliably observed within a meal such that faster rates of habituation are associated with less energy intake. It is possible that repeated presentation of the same food over days will lead to long-term habituation, such that subjects habituate to foods repeated over meals. However, no research on long-term habituation to food in humans has been conducted. Objective: The current study was designed to assess long-term habituation in 16 obese and 16 nonobese premenopausal women. Design: Obese and nonobese women (aged 20-50 y) were randomly assigned to receive a macaroni and cheese meal presented 5 times, either daily for 1 wk or once per week for 5 wk. Results: In both obese and nonobese women, daily presentation of food resulted in faster habituation and less energy intake than did once-weekly presentation of food. Conclusions: Long-term habituation was observed when the same food was presented at daily meals but not when presented once weekly for 5 wk. These results provide the first evidence of longterm habituation to food in women and show that memory of food over daily meals can increase the rate of habituation and reduce energy intake. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01208870.Am J Clin Nutr 2011;94:371-6.

show abstract

What constitutes food variety? Stimulus specificity of food

Cited by 37 publications

References 21 publications

Relationship between food habituation and reinforcing efficacy of food

Relationship between food habituation and reinforcing efficacy of food

Can limiting dietary variety assist with reducing energy intake and weight loss?

Long-term habituation to food in obese and nonobese women

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About