TY - JOUR
T1 - Opportunistic food consumption in relation to childhood and adult food insecurity
T2 - An exploratory correlational study
AU - Nettle, Daniel
AU - Joly, Mona
AU - Broadbent, Eleanor
AU - Smith, Chloe
AU - Tittle, Ellie
AU - Bateson, Melissa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Food insecurity is associated with high body weight for women but not men in affluent Western societies. However, it is not currently known what behavioural or psychological mechanisms drive this association. Moreover, it is also unknown whether only current experience of food insecurity in adulthood is important, or there are lasting effects of childhood experience. We carried out a mock ‘taste test’ where 126 adult volunteers had the opportunity to consume and rate senergy-dense snack foods. Current food insecurity was measured using the standard USDA measure, and in addition, we used a novel measure that also captures childhood experience of food insecurity. As well as the expected gender-specific association between current food insecurity and body weight, we found some evidence for associations between food insecurity and calorie consumption in the taste test, and liking of one of the foods, chocolate. However, associations between current food insecurity and the outcomes were moderated by childhood experience of food insecurity, with greater childhood food insecurity enhancing the positive effect of current food insecurity on body weight, but attenuating the positive effect of food insecurity on calorie consumption and liking for chocolate. These findings are exploratory, but they suggest that any effects of food insecurity in adulthood on eating and the hedonic value of foods may be moderated by childhood experience.
AB - Food insecurity is associated with high body weight for women but not men in affluent Western societies. However, it is not currently known what behavioural or psychological mechanisms drive this association. Moreover, it is also unknown whether only current experience of food insecurity in adulthood is important, or there are lasting effects of childhood experience. We carried out a mock ‘taste test’ where 126 adult volunteers had the opportunity to consume and rate senergy-dense snack foods. Current food insecurity was measured using the standard USDA measure, and in addition, we used a novel measure that also captures childhood experience of food insecurity. As well as the expected gender-specific association between current food insecurity and body weight, we found some evidence for associations between food insecurity and calorie consumption in the taste test, and liking of one of the foods, chocolate. However, associations between current food insecurity and the outcomes were moderated by childhood experience of food insecurity, with greater childhood food insecurity enhancing the positive effect of current food insecurity on body weight, but attenuating the positive effect of food insecurity on calorie consumption and liking for chocolate. These findings are exploratory, but they suggest that any effects of food insecurity in adulthood on eating and the hedonic value of foods may be moderated by childhood experience.
KW - Calorie consumption
KW - Developmental programming
KW - Food insecurity
KW - Food motivation
KW - Insurance hypothesis
KW - Liking
KW - Obesity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050880112&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.appet.2018.07.018
DO - 10.1016/j.appet.2018.07.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 30082103
AN - SCOPUS:85050880112
SN - 0195-6663
VL - 132
SP - 222
EP - 229
JO - Appetite
JF - Appetite
ER -