food availability and selection- factors affecting food selection Flashcards
(34 cards)
physiological factors
- hunger, appetite, satiety
- Nutritional requirements - age. gender, size, activity level
- reactions to food - appearance, physical reactions
what is hunger
Hunger is controlled by a small gland in the base of the brain called the hypothalamus, when the amount of energy our brain receives begins to decrease the hypothalamus sends nerve impulses through our bodies that alert us of our need for food.
*Control body temperature.
*Regulate appetite, thirst and body fluids.
*Induce sleep and wakefulness.
*Control the release of growth and sex hormones from various glands throughout the body.
what is appetite
Appetite is the desire for food even when the body is not hungry.
Appetite can be triggered by
*The sight of appetising food
*Aroma (smell) e.g. the smell of freshly baked cookies
*Even the mention of food in a conversation
what is satiety
The feeling of fullness that comes with eating adequate amounts of food. The body digests foods at different rates. Slow moving foods have a higher satiety value.
Slowest:
* Dietary fibre
* Fats
* Protein
* Sugar
* Water
physiological factor: size
Those with a smaller body size require less protein for the maintenance and repair of body tissues because their body mass is less. Body type is identified.
- endomorph
- mesomorph
- ectomorph
S Skeleton size (height and overall size of the body frame
W eight
A mount of body fat
A mount of muscle
physiological factor: activity level
The more physically active you are, the more energy-rich foods you must eat. A sedentary person requires less of all nutrients than an active person.
SEDENTARY PERSON: Needs less energy to avoid adipose tissue. Needs less protein as the maintenance of muscle tissue is lower. A sedentary person is someone who doesn’t move much.
physiological factor: reactions to food: Appearance
Size
Colour
Odour
Sounds
Taste
Texture
physiological factor: reactions to food: physical reactions to food
food allergies and food intolerances
what is a food allergy
Food allergies are an immune reaction to specific proteins in a food.
Common allergies:
* eggs
* shellfish
* nuts
* wheat
Main symptoms
* anaphylaxis
* life threatening
* affects breathing, skin, gut, heart and anxiety.
what is a food intolerance
- Gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, No immune reaction
- Inability to digest or absorb certain foods due to lack of an enzyme.
Symptoms:
* Bloating
* Gas
* Diarrhea
* Examples
* lactose intolerant
* non-celiac gluten sensitivity
psychological factors
- values
- beliefs
- habits
- attitudes
- emotions
- self concept
- experiences
what are values
A value is a deep personal feeling about what is important. Values are strong enough to influence behaviour and motivate action. A person’s values may reflect those of family and culture in which they were raised, or they may be a personal response to the experiences encountered throughout life.
EXAMPLE: Vegetarianism is often a reflection of value-based food selection. Food selection can be related to food origins and maintenance of health.
What are beliefs
what are habits
Many of the food habits we make are routine and are difficult to break. Sometimes food habits are unhealthy for example having dessert after dinner, even though you’re not hungry.
Healthy food habits: eating breakfast.
Unhealthy food habits: eating dessert every night.
what are attitutes
Our attitudes or views towards food are based on one or more of the following:
THE ORIGIN OF THE FOOD- e.g. food organically grown, crocodile may not appeal because of their habitat.
OUR CULTURE: Snails okay in France- not as prevalent here.
PERSONAL HISTORY: Avoiding a food that has made you ill in the past.
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES: Eating the cuisine of the culture you are visiting and cooking in that style when you return home.
PERCEIVED STATUS: E.g. eating truffles or caviar.
ECONOMIC DEPRESSION OR WAR: Rationing and food shortages, eating offal as it is a cheaper meat.
what are emotions
Some people reject food until the time of stress is over, for others it means eating ‘comfort foods’ with a high energy value- such as chocolate. It can be because the sugar, fat, and caffeine in these foods acts as a stimulant or because these foods are associated with pleasant experiences, e.g. craving foods from home, when homesick.
Sometimes people turn to food as a coping mechanises and do not eat when stressed.
Whilst sometimes, people eat a lot when stressed.
what is self-concept
Self-concept is a word used to describe how we feel about ourselves (self-esteem). Each of us has a picture in our mind relating to:
* how we look physically — strengths and weaknesses
* how well coordinated we are.
what are experiences
- past experiences can influence current food choices.
- preferences for certain foods develop over time and are influenced by personal experiences such as encouragement to try a new food, exposure to a wide variety of different foods, family customs, advertising, and personal values.
CAN BE POS OR NEG
For example: the experience of once eating a bad piece of chicken, an individual may not want to eat chicken again.
For example: If you experience food poisoning eating a certain food this may deter you from eating food next time.
social factors
- tradition and culture
- lifestyle - employment, education, household role and structure, climate and geographical location, travel and other interests
- social interaction - peer groups, home hospitality
- media
social factors: tradition and culture
social: lifestyle - employment
- The demands of your job, construction worker may eat more carbs as more energy is required.
- Snacking through the day- office worker (sedentary)
- Social occasions- eating out at lunch meetings with clients.
- Long hours- less time to prepare foods.
social: lifestyle - climate and geographical location
- A person’s location can determine what foods are available to them.
- The staple food of a country can often be used in a variety of ways as it is cheaper and more plentiful. Locally grown food is cheaper and fresher.
- In developing countries yield can be low and they have limited sources of food.
- Climate may affect foods grown and also foods enjoyed. Summer brings joys of salads and fruit, whereas in winter warmer foods are desired.
social: lifestyle - travel and other interests
*The internet has allowed us to purchase foods from faraway places.
*When we travel, we experience a wide range of foods that may be bought from the internet when we arrive home.
*Personal interests may desire different foods e.g. culinary aware or environmentally friendly foods free range chickens, rainforest alliance chocolate.
social: Lifestyle - education
- Food Technology education allows students a better understanding of what food does in the body- e.g. interrelationships between nutrients.
- Watching TV programs, reading internet and books about nutrition.