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PubMed1986

Predictors of food preferences in adult humans.

Predictors of preferences for a wide variety of foods were examined in 303 male and female human subjects ranging from 14-68 years of age. The subjects completed questionnaires which requested information on the subject's sex, age, thinness, sensation seeking and ethnic background, as well as on the subjects' food preferences. Largely consistent with previous studies, female subjects reported higher preferences for low-calorie foods, candy and wine, and lower preferences for meat, beer, spicy foods and milk. Younger subjects reported higher preferences for sweet foods and lower preferences for foods such as chili pepper that are considered acquired tastes. Thinner subjects tended to rate both sweet foods and meat lower than did other subjects. Preferences for spicy foods or foods likely to cause illness were positively correlated with sensation seeking while preferences for sweet or bland foods or foods unlikely to cause illness were negatively correlated with sensation seeking. Subjects for whom the primary cuisine on which they were raised was Oriental cuisine preferred alcoholic beverages and non-Oriental foods less than did other subjects. A factor analysis of the food preferences yielded ten factors including those for meat and potatoes, alcohol, spices and junk food. Data on predictors of food preferences can assist research on the determinants of food preferences, however much of the variance in food preferences remains to be explained.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Food preferences of some United Kingdom residents.

A food preference questionnaire was completed by 1304 people. There were considerable differences in food preferences related to age, sex, and area of residence of the respondents. In spite of these differences, five distinct clusters of foods showing similar preference patterns were indentified. These clusters were of sweet fruits, meats, vegetables, alcoholic beverages, and some high carbohydrate foods. The cause of the clustering was uncertain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Taste and food preferences as predictors of dietary practices in young women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate links between taste responses, self-reported food preferences and selected dietary outcomes in young women. METHODS: Subjects were 159 women, with a mean age of 27.0 years. Taste responses were measured using aqueous solutions of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and sucrose. All subjects completed a 171-item food preference checklist, using nine-point category scales. Food preference data were reduced using principal components factor analyses, with the internal consistency of factor-based subscales established using Cronbach's alpha. Dietary intakes, available for a subset of 87 women, were based on 3 days of food records. Estimated intakes of carbohydrate, fibre and beta-carotene were the key dietary outcome variables. RESULTS: Genetically-mediated sensitivity to the bitter taste of PROP was associated with reduced preferences for Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach and coffee beverages. Higher preferences for sucrose in water were associated with increased preferences for sweet desserts. Food preferences, in turn, were associated with measures of current diet. Reduced acceptability of vegetables and fruits was associated with lower estimated intakes of carbohydrate, fibre and beta-carotene. CONCLUSIONS: Taste responses to sucrose and PROP were predictive of some food preferences. Food preferences, in turn, were associated with food consumption patterns. Given that taste responsiveness to PROP is an inherited trait, there may be further links between genetic taste markers, eating habits and the selection of healthful diets.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

The contribution of chemosensory factors to individual differences in reported food preferences.

A new psychometric instrument, the Food Attitude Survey (FAS), was developed to identify individual differences in general response patterns or attitudes toward foods. The FAS consists of food preference ratings (like, neutral, dislike, never tried but would try, never tried and won't try) for 455 foods and beverages, including some unusual and fictitious foods. In addition, it includes a 20-item questionnaire concerning attitudes toward food and eating. Using the FAS, people who reported liking an unusually high number of foods (likers) were compared to those who disliked many foods (dislikers) and those who were unwilling to try many foods (won't tryers). The characteristics of the three groups were evaluated using several sensory tests to assess the contribution of perceptual factors to individual differences in food attitudes and preferences. Intensity and hedonic ratings of olfactory stimuli were generally lower for the won't tryers than for the likers, with dislikers in between. In addition, the ideal taste intensities of likers were higher than those of dislikers or won't tryers. On the basis of these initial studies, it is concluded that the FAS provides a reliable index of individual differences in food preference patterns, making the FAS a useful tool for investigating the "personality of eating". The present studies also provide evidence that differences in chemosensory responses may be associated with biases toward food acceptance or rejection.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Food preferences and eating attitudes in three generations of black and white women.

The hypothesis examined in this paper is that Black women have assimilated the eating-related attitudes and food preferences of the dominant White American culture and thus are at an increased risk of developing anorexia and bulimia. A survey of food preferences and the Eating Disorders Inventory were completed by a three-generation sample of 42 Black and 61 White women. No significant main effects or interactions were detected for race or generation for any of the EDI subscales, except for Interpersonal Distrust, with Black subjects scoring significantly higher than Whites on Interpersonal Distrust. A number of culturally preferred foods were identified, including fried meats and grits for Blacks and coffee for Whites. The results of the present study indicate that, for many foods, food preferences of young Black women still reflect the preferences of older Black women.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2005

Age and gender differences in children's food preferences.

The present study was conducted to examine the developmental patterning of food preferences in a large sample of British schoolchildren and to investigate possible gender differences. Using a cross-sectional survey design, the study was carried out in three primary and three secondary schools in West London, UK. A total of 1291 children aged from 4 to 16 years completed a 115-item food preference questionnaire in class time, supervised by class teachers and assistants. Children indicated whether they had ever tried each item and, if so, how much they liked it. We observed age-related increases in the number of foods tried (P<0.001), liked (P<0.005) and disliked (P<0.05). Controlling for the number of foods tried rendered the increase in dislikes non-significant and reversed the age effect on the number liked. Girls liked fruit (P<0.05) and vegetables (P<0.001) more than boys did; boys liked fatty and sugary foods (P<0.005), meat (P<0.001), processed meat products (P<0.001) and eggs (P<0.05) more than girls did. Some age differences were apparent in liking for categories of food, although the effects were not linear. Across ages and genders, children rated fatty and sugary foods most highly, although ratings for fruit were also high. Children's food preferences overall are not consistent with a healthy diet. Interventions should focus on increasing the familiarity, availability and accessibility of healthy foods and should be mindful of the need to target messages appropriately for boys who have less healthful food preferences than girls at all ages.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Genetically controlled food preference: biochemical mechanisms.

Food choice is known to be correlated with genotype in the crustacean Gammarus palustris. Given a choice of Enteromorpha intestinalis (E) over Ulva lactuca (U), individuals homozygous for the Amy II.52 allele have a greater preference for E than do Amy II.55 homozygotes. To account for this correlation, we hypothesized that the proportions of saccharides released by the enzymatic action of Amy II.52 on E or Amy II.55 on U starches differ from and better stimulate feeding than those released by Amy II.52 on U and Amy II.55 on E starches. To test this, the two forms of amylase were purified by glycogen/ethanol precipitation and preparative PAGE. Their product distributions with each of the starches were determined by HPLC. Each amylase/starch combination gave different distributions of the main products: maltose, maltotriose, and maltotetraose. Feeding preference tests using artificial foods containing these sugars showed that the product distributions from Amy II.52/E starch or Amy II.55/U starch were preferred over those from Amy II.52/U or Amy II.55/E. Patterns of preferences for the artificial foods closely matched those observed in earlier experiments in which different genotypes fed on intact algae. Thus, genetic differences in feeding preferences can be understood in terms of variation in biochemical properties of a digestive enzyme. These results highlight a previously unappreciated role for digestive enzymes: in their capacity to modify the chemical nature of environmental stimuli prior to gustation, digestive enzymes can be viewed as having important chemosensory roles.

Alleles↗

PubMed1994

Food preferences, eating patterns, and physical activity among adolescents: correlates of eating disorders symptoms.

PURPOSE: Food preferences, eating patterns, and physical activity patterns were examined in a cohort of adolescent females and males participating in a longitudinal study of the developmental antecedents of eating disorders. METHODS: All adolescents (n = 1494) in grades seven through ten in an entire school district completed a survey about their dieting behaviors, eating, and exercise patterns. RESULTS: Principal components analysis showed similar factor structures for food preferences and eating patterns among males and females. Gender differences were present in physical activity patterns. Sports participation was correlated with healthy food preference and was a significant predictor of eating disorders symptoms. Junk food preference was marginally inversely related to eating disorders symptoms in females. Preference for other types of foods and reported intake of foods were not related to eating disorders symptoms. The percent of variance in risk score accounted for by dietary intake and physical activity patterns was small. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological and social/environmental variables may explain a larger proportion of the variance in eating disorders risk than the dietary and physical activity variables examined in this study. Implications for understanding the etiology and behavioral expression of eating disorders are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Effects of social and asocial learning on longevity of food-preference traditions

The influence of both social and asocial factors on the stability of a socially learned tradition of food preference was explored in colonies of domesticated Norway rats, Rattus norvegicusWe trained members of 'founding colonies' of rats to avoid eating a distinctively flavoured food and then introduced them into enclosures where they were offered a choice between the food they had learned to avoid and a familiar, safe food. We then monitored the food preferences of these colonies while we gradually replaced founding members with naive subjects. Traditions of food preference were more stable across generations of replacements: (1) in colonies that had food available 2 h/day than in colonies that had food available 24 h/day (experiment 1), (2) when replacement subjects each resided in their respective colonies for 2 days rather than for 4 days before themselves being replaced (experiments 2 and 3) and (3) when founding members of colonies had learned to avoid a relatively palatable diet (experiment 4). The results of the first four experiments were consistent with the view that opportunities to learn asocially to eat a food other than that preferred by one's fellows reduced the stability of a food preference as it was transmitted across generations. We also found that introducing a naive individual into a tradition-bearing colony reduced its rate of acquiring a food preference other than that of the colony it joined (experiment 5). The interactive effects of social and asocial learning on the stability of food preference traditions in Norway rats was discussed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Food preferences among individuals with and without Prader-Willi syndrome.

Eleven individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome and 10 control subjects who had mental retardation due to other causes (with and without overeating histories) participated in two experiments on food preferences. They gave preference rankings for various foods, then chose between a small amount of their most preferred food and an alternative choice of a larger amount of mixed-preference foods (Experiment 1) or an alternative choice of a larger amount of their least preferred food (Experiment 2). Unlike overweight-prone control subjects who selected sweet food over a larger quantity of unpreferred food, subjects with Prader-Willi syndrome selected preferred items only over least-preferred items (Experiment 2) but not over mixed-preference items (Experiment 1). Implications for treatment were discussed.

Feeding Behavior↗

PubMed2003

Exploring comfort food preferences across age and gender.

Building on findings related to physiological and psychological motivations of food preference, this research develops a framework to examine preferences toward comfort foods. Study 1 used a North American survey of 411 people to determine favored comfort foods, and Study 2 quantified the preferences for these foods across gender and across age groups using a stratified sample of 1005 additional people. Consistent with hypotheses, the findings showed different comfort food preferences across gender and across age. Males preferred warm, hearty, meal-related comfort foods (such as steak, casseroles, and soup), while females instead preferred comfort foods that were more snack related (such as chocolate and ice cream). In addition, younger people preferred more snack-related comfort foods compared to those over 55 years of age. Associations with guilty feelings underscored how these different preferences between males and females may extend to areas of application.

Affect↗

PubMed1978

Food preferences of enlisted personnel in the Armed Forces.

A food preference survey, consisting of 378 food names, was administered to approximately 3,900 personnel of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The survey required the respondent to indicate how much he liked each food (hedonic scale) and how often he wanted it served (preferred frequency scale). Overall, food preferences showed relative popularity of beverages, breakfast foods, and entrées, unpopularity of soups and vegetables, and moderate popularity of the other food classes. Items of particularly high or low preference are statistically identified within each food class. The collection and presentation of these data are intended to assist menu planners of the Armed Forces, as well as others interested in this age group (young men under twenty-six years of age.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Acetylcholine in the orbitofrontal cortex is necessary for the acquisition of a socially transmitted food preference.

The social transmission of food preference task (STFP) has been used to examine the involvement of the hippocampus in learning and memory for a natural odor-odor association. However, cortical involvement in STFP has not been extensively studied. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is important in odor-guided learning, and cholinergic depletion of the entire neocortex results in impairments in STFP. Here we examined the specific role of cholinergic modulation in the OFC by assessing the effect of 192 immunoglobulin G-saporin infusion directly into OFC prior to training on STFP. Cholinergic depletion in the OFC impaired expression of the socially transmitted odor association measured 2 d after training, indicating that cholinergic function in the OFC is essential for this form of associative learning.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed2002

Relationships between threshold-based PROP sensitivity and food preferences of Tunisians.

The extent to which taste responses--and notably the genetically determined sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP)--influences food preferences and food use is still a matter of debate. We addressed the issue on the basis of a behavioural and anthropological study performed in Tunis in 1999. The working sample consists of 123 adults of both sexes (38 men, 85 women), aged 19-59, in various social categories. Taste recognition thresholds for sucrose, fructose, sodium chloride, quinine hydrochloride, citric acid, tannic acid, oak tannin and PROP were determined by presenting, in a semi-randomised order (blind-test), series of graded aqueous solutions of each product. Subjects also tasted and rated the pleasantness/unpleasantness of 4 supra-threshold solutions of NaCl and sucrose. All subjects completed a checklist of 43 food items representative of Tunisian diet, rated in terms of flavour, cost, effect on health and prestige on a labelled affective magnitude scale. According to the underlying distribution of PROP thresholds, the subjects were separated into three categories: "non-tasters", "medium-threshold tasters", and "low-threshold tasters". Results bring out the specificity of low-threshold tasters, as exhibiting a greater taste sensitivity for most tested substances. Low-threshold taster status is also linked to higher mean food preferences ratings irrespective of sex, age and socio-cultural influences. Tasters as a group (medium-threshold tasters + low-threshold tasters) do not exhibit a higher percentage of food dislikes; however PROP sensitivity is negatively correlated with hedonic responses to NaCl solutions. These results together with the evidence of a limited set of food actually used by low-threshold tasters suggest that these subjects might have difficulties at overcoming an inherent neophobia.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Social transmission and memory of food preferences in pine voles (Microtus pinetorum).

The social transmission of food preferences is affected by factors including the length of time a preference is maintained. The authors investigated the social transmission of food preferences in pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) and whether food items had to be present for memory to persist. A demonstrator vole was fed cocoa-flavored food, a nonpreferred food. After interacting with a demonstrator vole, observer voles preferred cocoa-flavored food as compared with either naive voles that had not interacted with demonstrators or voles that had been exposed to odors. Observers retained this preference for 72 hr after interacting with an observer whether or not flavored foods were present. The ability to learn which food items are palatable and safe may benefit a generalist herbivore that has faced selection to avoid toxic baits.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Food flavor and nutritional characteristics alter dynamics of food preference in lambs.

We addressed two questions involving food preference. First, we determined how a food's flavor and nutritional characteristics affected preference. In three trials, we offered lambs isonitrogenous foods differing in energy (trial 1, 90% TDN; trial 2, 100% TDN; trial 3, 110% TDN); each food was offered in apple and maple flavors. We hypothesized that preference for apple- or maple-flavored food would decrease with increasing duration of exposure (1, 2, or 4 d), and we speculated that the change in preference would intensify when food contained inadequate or excessive levels of energy. After eating food in one flavor, lambs preferred the alternative flavor, even after only a 1-d exposure, and preference for the alternative flavor was greater when the food had inadequate or excessive energy (P < .05). The second experiment determined whether eating a food with rapidly or slowly digestible sources of energy in the morning affected lambs' food preferences in the evening. We speculated that lambs fed rapidly digestible food in the morning may prefer a slowly digestible food in the afternoon because slowly digestible food better maintains nutrient status throughout the night or because preference for the rapidly digestible food decreases after exposure in the morning. We offered lambs isonitrogenous and isocaloric foods, that differed in rates of digestion, in apple and maple flavors. Lambs fed rapidly digestible food in the morning preferred slowly digestible food in the alternative flavor in the evening. However, lambs fed slowly digestible food in either flavor in the morning preferred slowly digestible food in both flavors in the evening (P < .05). These results show that lambs' preferences change as a result of food ingestion, and the degree of change in preference depends on the nutritional characteristics of the food. These findings further suggest food intake might be increased by providing a variety of foods to livestock on rangelands, pastures, or in confinement.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1982

Kosher dietary laws and children's food preferences: guide to a camp menu plan.

Assessment of the food preferences of Jewish children and experience with the kosher dietary laws facilitated the planning of a summer camp menu. A lengthy list of foods was developed that satisfied the tastes of the campers. Recipes were modified to achieve greater value in the kosher menu. Both the children and the camp administration appreciated seeing the survey results implemented as an eight-week cycle menu. Dietitians have a responsibility to understand the cultural needs and food preferences of those whom they serve. An appreciation of ethnic and religious dietary patterns is essential in menu planning. Knowledge of the laws of kashruth and familiarity with kosher products, traditional Jewish foods, and taste preferences of Jewish children and adults are necessary to the dietitian wishing to please Jewish clientele.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Heritability of food preferences in young children.

BACKGROUND: There is persisting interest in the idea that taste preferences are heritable characteristics, but few twin studies have found evidence for a significant genetic component. Small sample sizes and idiosyncratic selection of foods may have contributed to the negative results. We hypothesized that using a larger twin sample and empirical groupings of food types, would give stronger evidence for the heritability of food preferences. OBJECTIVE: We examined the heritability of preferences for four food groups in a sample of young twins. DESIGN: We administered a food preference questionnaire with 95 foods to 214 mothers of same-sex twin pairs (103 monozygotic and 111 dizygotic pairs) aged 4 to 5. 18 foods were excluded because they had been tried by fewer than 25% of the children. Foods were grouped into 'Vegetables', 'Fruits', 'Desserts' and 'Meat and Fish' on the basis of a factor analysis of the preference data. Genetic analyses were carried out on mean liking across these four groups, using model fitting techniques. RESULTS: Over all 77 foods, MZ correlations were higher than DZ correlations for 72 of them, with a higher mean MZ correlation (r = 0.76) than DZ correlation (r = 0.56). Using model fitting techniques with the factor scores, significant heritability estimates were obtained for all four food groups. Heritability was modest for dessert foods (0.20), moderate for vegetables (0.37) and fruits (0.51), and high for liking for protein foods (0.78). Shared environmental effects were strong for desserts, fruits and vegetables, while non-shared environmental influences were low for all four food groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide strong evidence for modest heritability of food preferences when using empirically-derived groupings of foods.

Child, Preschool↗