The association between obesity severity and food reward in adolescents with obesity: a one-stage individual participant data meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Food reward and cue reactivity have been linked prospectively to problematic eating behaviours and excess weight gain in adults and children. However, evidence to date in support of an association between degree of adiposity and food reward is tenuous. A non-linear relationship between reward sensitivity and obesity degree has been previously proposed, suggesting a peak is reached in mild obesity and decreases in more severe obesity in a quadratic fashion. OBJECTIVE: To investigate and characterise in detail the relationship between obesity severity, body composition, and explicit and implicit food reward in adolescents with obesity. METHODS: Data from seven clinical trials in adolescents with obesity were aggregated and analysed in an independent participant data meta-analysis. Linear and curvilinear relationships between the degree of obesity and explicit and implicit reward for sweet and high fat foods were tested in fasted and fed states with BMI-z score as a continuous and discrete predictor using clinically recognised partitions. RESULTS: Although positive associations between obesity severity and preference for high-fat (i.e. energy dense) foods were observed when fasted, none reached significance in either analysis. Conversely, adiposity was reliably associated with lower reward for sweet, particularly when measured as implicit wanting (p = 0.012, ηp2 = 0.06), independent of metabolic state. However, this significant association was only observed in the linear model. Fat distribution was consistently associated with explicit and implicit preference for high-fat foods. CONCLUSIONS: A limited relationship was demonstrated between obesity severity and food reward in adolescents, although a lower preference for sweet could be a signal of severe obesity in a linear trend. Obesity is likely a heterogenous condition associated with multiple potential phenotypes, which metrics of body composition may help define. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: NCT02925572: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT02925572 . NCT03807609: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT03807609 . NCT03742622: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT03742622 . NCT03967782: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT03967782 . NCT03968458: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT03968458 . NCT04739189: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT04739189 . NCT05365685: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/study/NCT05365685?tab=history .

The impact of healthy nutrition education based on traffic light labels on food selection, preference, and consumption in patients with acute coronary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute Coronary Syndrome is the most common heart disease and the most significant cause of death and disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Teaching a healthy eating style is one preventive measure to prevent the disease's recurrence. This study aimed to determine the effect of healthy nutrition education with the help of traffic light labels on food selection, preference, and consumption in patients with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: This randomized, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted with 139 participants (66 in the intervention group and 73 in the control group) from January 2021 to August 2021 in Shaheed Rajaie Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The control group received standard training. The intervention group, besides this, received additional bedside training with an educational poster on traffic light labels from the research team during their final hospitalization days. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on food selection, preference, and consumption. RESULTS: The Brunner-Munzel test showed no significant difference between the two groups in terms of selection (P = 0.127), preference (P = 0.852), and food consumption (P = 0.846) in the baseline, while after the intervention, there were significant differences in selection (P > 0.001), preference (P > 0.001), and consumption (p < 0.004). Comparing the difference between the two groups in the difference between the before and after scores for selection (p < 0.001), preference (p < 0.001), and food consumption (p = 0.011) with the Brunner-Munzel test indicated a significant difference in all outcome variables. CONCLUSIONS: Teaching healthy eating styles with the help of traffic light labels affected food selection, preference, and consumption and led to healthier diets in these patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Clinical trial registration: It was prospectively registered in the Iran Clinical Trials Registration Center on this date 30/10/2020 (IRCT20200927048857N1).

Response inhibition training as an intervention to modify liking and wanting for foods based on energy density: a proof of concept study.

The ubiquity of energy-dense, processed foods has been implicated as a salient feature of the modern 'obesogenic' environment. Cognitive strategies, such as response inhibition training, have been demonstrated to reduce the hedonic value of such foods in previous studies. However, this effect has generally been inconsistent or heterogenous, depending on the outcome measure, characteristics of the sample, and the specificity of food stimuli. Characterising the extent of generalised effects may help define the application of this type of intervention in natural settings. A repeated-measures, proof-of-concept study, using mobile app-based response inhibition training (RIT) versus a control app-based activity (N = 25), was undertaken to establish the valid application of a food reward measure to assess intervention efficacy. Liking (i.e., affect) and wanting (i.e., motivation) for food stimuli categorised by energy density were taken concurrently pre- and post-training. A statistically significant reduction in explicit liking, but not implicit wanting, for foods irrespective of their energy density was observed during the RIT app-based training session relative to the control (p = .041, ηp2 = .16). However, effect sizes associated with devaluation of energy-dense relative to low calorie food stimuli, although non-significant, were higher when measured as implicitly wanting (p = .098, ηp2 = .11) than explicit liking (p = .756, ηp2 = .00). Trends in explicit stimulus evaluations were empirically discordant from implicit evaluations for low calorie foods in particular. Additional research is needed to investigate whether these trends are reproducible with larger samples, trained and novel food stimuli in outcome measures, and more comprehensive training protocols.

Reward for fat and sweet dimensions of food are altered by an acute bout of running in healthy young men.

Acute moderate- to high-intensity exercise, primarily aerobic exercise, has been reported to decrease food reward in brain regions via the hedonic pathways and reduce preference for high-energy or high-fat foods. However, studies examining food reward responses to acute exercise have been limited to measuring food reward only after exercise and less frequently before and after exercise. Therefore, the changes in food reward in response to acute exercise remain unclear. This study investigated the effect of acute running on food reward in healthy young men. Fourteen young healthy men (mean ± standard deviation, age; 23 ± 2 years, body mass index; 21 ± 2 kg/m2) completed two trials (i.e., exercise and control) in a randomised, crossover design. Participants performed a 30-min running bout at 70% of maximal oxygen uptake or sitting rest before and after food reward evaluation with a computer-based food choice behaviour task tool. Food reward was assessed for foods varying in fat content and sweet taste, and there were four assessment parameters: explicit liking, explicit wanting, implicit wanting and frequency of choice of each food category (relative preference). Explicit and implicit wanting, and relative preference for high-fat relative to low-fat foods were reduced after the exercise trial compared to the control trial (trial-by-time interaction, all p ≤ 0.02). Implicit wanting and relative preference for sweet relative to savoury foods were increased after the exercise trial compared to the control trial (trial-by-time interaction, all p ≤ 0.003). These findings indicate that moderate-intensity acute running alters the reward bias away from high fat towards low fat foods and away from savoury towards sweet foods in healthy young men.

Heritability of adult picky eating in the Netherlands.

Adult picky eating (APE), the rejection of familiar and unfamiliar foods leading to a diet with limited variety, is an understudied phenomenon which can have both physical and psychological negative consequences. The aetiology of individual differences in APE is understudied, although there is reason to believe that it is partly heritable. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the heritability of APE with data from the Netherlands Twin Register (n = 8016) with classical genetic structural equation modelling. In order to use these data, we firstly investigated whether a Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ) could measure APE with a pre-registered prestudy. Adult participants (n = 414) filled in online questionnaires, including a FPQ and measures related to APE. Spearman's rho correlation quantified the relationship between different elements of the Dutch FPQ and different scores on measures of APE. Results of the prestudy showed that the mean liking score on the FPQ could be used to measure APE (ρ > .50). This measure was then used in the main study to estimate the heritability of APE. Results showed that broad-sense heritability for APE is 49 % (additive genetic effects 14 % (95 % CI [00, 38]) + dominance genetic effects 35 % (95 % CI [11, 52]), while the remaining variance is explained by unique environmental factors. Future studies may focus on uncovering the specific genetic and unique environmental factors that play a role in APE.

Nudging food choice in a prison setting: an investigation using food choice data.

BACKGROUND: The prison population presents complex health needs and is disproportionately affected by poor health, compared to the general population. Diet has a clear role in prisoner health, and the prison food environment within which food choices are made is relatively under-researched. The aim of this study was to examine whether food choices in a women's prison changed after the introduction of a new menu design by the catering team. METHODS: The adjusted menu design incorporated an emoticon (a smiley face) placed next to designated 'Healthy Choice' foods on the menu sheets, which were used to preselect meals. Data comprised all women's (n = 865) food choices (more than 115,000 selections) for a period of 8 weeks (with the new menu) as well as 8 weeks prior (baseline period). The study design was a pre-post intervention study, and food selection was examined using chi-square tests and binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: The selection of promoted foods overall significantly increased under the new menu design (with the emoticon nudge strategy) compared to baseline; the effect size, however, was small according to the usual guidelines (21.4% compared to 20% at baseline; χ2 (1) = 32.6, p < 0.001, φ = 0.02). Individuals were 11% more likely (p < 0.001) to select the promoted 'Healthy Choice' foods under the adjusted food choice architecture. A significant effect was found for lunch and evening meal - but not for desserts. A minority of individual food items that were promoted had significant positive changes in selection, and were 1.3-4 times as likely to be selected when emoticons had been introduced, compared to baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to examine the potential added benefit of multiple complementary nudge strategies, and the relevance of the preselection of foods in advance of consumption.

Relationship between dietary knowledge, food preference, and long-short term health status among Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In recent years, with the improvement of people's living standards and changes in dietary patterns, dietary knowledge and food preference have been playing an increasingly crucial role in health. The aim of our study was to examine the relationship between dietary knowledge, food preference, and long-short term health status among Chinese adults aged 18-70. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: This study employed cross-sectional data from the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey obtained from 4822 adults. We utilized self-assessed health status as an indicator of long-term health status and utilized sickness in the last four weeks as a measure of short-term health status. Taking advantage of ordered probit regression, long-term health status was regressed on all predictors, while the binary logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing short-term health status. The propensity score matching is employed to account for potential selection bias in analysis, thereby increasing the robustness and credibility of results. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that dietary knowledge and food preference can improve an individual's long-term health status significantly. However, there is no evidence to show that short-term health status is affected by food preference. Furthermore, dietary knowledge is negatively associated with short-term health status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of dietary education and healthy eating habits in improving the long-term health status of Chinese adults. The study suggests implications for public health strategies aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of Chinese adults.

Food reward associations with motivational eating behavior traits and body mass index in Portuguese former elite athletes.

BACKGROUND: Motivational eating behavior traits (i.e. eating motivations and intuitive eating) have an important role in body weight regulation, as do food reward processes. Their associations might help explain different responses to food stimulus in the current environment but have never been explored. This study's primary goal was to investigate food reward associations with eating motivations, intuitive eating dimensions and body mass index in former Portuguese elite athletes with overweight/obesity. As a first step, a cultural adaptation of the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ) was created and validated in an online-surveyed Portuguese sample. RESULTS: Step 1: Analysis from an online survey (N = 348; 69.8% female) conducted to validate the food images from the cultural adaptation of the LFPQ showed that most food images were properly recognized in terms of their fat and sweet content by the Portuguese population, except for some savory items. Step 2: Regarding our primary analysis in 94 former elite athletes with overweight/obesity, self-determined motivations to regulate eating and (to a lower extent) more body-food congruent choices (both markers for healthier eating behaviors) were associated with more favorable food reward outcomes, as opposed to non-self-determined motivations. Less emotional (more intuitive) eaters presented higher implicit wanting for low-fat sweet foods compared to more emotional eaters. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest LFPQ usefulness to evaluate food preferences and detect relevant associations between food reward and motivational eating behavior traits in former elite athletes with overweight/obesity. Health professionals are encouraged to create need-supportive environments that foster self-determined motivations and help individuals make healthier food choices. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

International tertiary education students experienced difficulties in dietary transitions in Australia: A qualitative study.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: More attention to the diet and nutritional status of international students in Australian universities is indicated. This qualitative research aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of dietary changes among international students after they arrived in Australia. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with international students from China and India who were studying at a large urban Australian university. An approach of interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed for coding and data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 14 interviews were included. International students were able to consume more international foods, dairy products and animal proteins in Australia as a result of increased exposure to a larger variety of these foods compared with their home countries. However, they experienced some difficulties in eating vegetables and authentic traditional foods due to limited availability and higher prices in Australia. It was challenging for these students to live independently and cook for themselves for the first time and with a limited food budget and time, but many students improved their cooking skills over time. Less frequent main meals with more snacking sessions were reported. Weight fluctuations were commonly experienced and craving for traditional foods no longer accessible may negatively impact mental health. CONCLUSIONS: International students adapted to the Australian food environment but believed the food choices available did not meet their food preferences or perhaps nutritional requirements. SO WHAT: Some intervention from universities and/or government may be needed to ease the barriers to consumption of affordable and desirable meals in a time-saving manner for international students.

The deterrent effects of individual monoterpene odours on the dietary decisions of African elephants.

African savanna elephants use pre-ingestive olfactory cues when making dietary choices, and previous research has observed that elephant diet choice is negatively correlated with vegetation species that contain high concentrations of monoterpenes. However, the frequency and concentration of monoterpenes can vary dramatically across plant species. Thus, we aimed to explore the effects that the odours of individual monoterpenes have on elephant diet choice and how these effects vary with concentration. To do this, we conducted three odour-based choice experiments focusing on eight common monoterpenes found in the woody plants in Southern African savannas. In the first experiment, we tested whether elephant diet choice for a frequently consumed plant (Euclea crispa) was influenced by the addition of the odour of an individual monoterpene at a set concentration. In the second experiment, we explored the relative deterrence of each monoterpene. Lastly, we tested how elephant diet choice varied as a function of the addition of individual monoterpene odours at 5%, 10%, and 20% concentrations. We found that the elephants avoided most individual monoterpenes at high concentrations, with the exception being α-pinene. Furthermore, we found that the odours of some individual monoterpenes were, in fact, more deterrent than others. In the third experiment, we found that the elephants avoided ß-pinene, limonene, ocimene, γ-terpinene, and terpinolene across all concentrations, but only avoided sabinene and linalool at high concentrations. Ultimately, our results show that the odour of individual monoterpenes may deter elephant consumption, but that this deterrent effect depends on both the monoterpene and its concentration.

Opposite effects of low-carbohydrate high-fat diet on metabolism in humans and mice.

BACKGROUND: Low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) is effective for weight loss and glycaemic control in humans. Here, the study aimed to explore the effects of LCD/high-fat diet (HFD) in both humans and mice. METHODS: Twenty-two overweight or obese participants received LCD for 3 weeks. Based on carbohydrate intake > 10% or ≤ 10% of calories, the participants were divided into moderate LCD (MLCD) and very LCD (VLCD) groups. The participants completed a 10-question food preference survey. Meanwhile, C57BL/6J mice were assigned to five groups: chow diet (CD, 10% fat), HFD with 60%, 70%, and 75% fat from cocoa butter (HFD-C), and HFD with 60% fat from lard (HFD-L) and fed for 24 weeks. Eight mice were acclimatised for the food-choice test. RESULTS: LCD decreased the total energy intake in humans. The VLCD group showed greater weight loss and better glycaemic control than the MLCD group. A food preference survey showed that 65% of participants tended to choose high-carbohydrate foods. In mice, HFD resulted in energy overconsumption, obesity, and metabolic disorders. When CD and HFD-L were administered simultaneously, mice rarely consumed CD. In the HFD-C groups, the energy intake and body weight increased with increasing dietary fat content. Compared with the HFD-C group, the HFD-L group consumed more energy and had poorer metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Lower carbohydrate intake contributed to lower energy intake and improved metabolism in humans. In mice, diets with a higher proportion of fat become more attractive and obesogenic by fixing the fat sources. Since the mice preferred lard to cocoa butter, lard induced excess energy intake and poorer metabolism. Different food preferences may be the underlying mechanism behind the opposite effects of the LCD/HFD in humans and mice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The clinical trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ). The registration number is ChiCTR1800016786. All participants provided written informed consent prior to enrolment.

Associations of parental feeding practices with children's eating behaviors and food preferences: a Chinese cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood inadequate eating behaviors contribute to the epidemic of obesity. Previous research suggests that parental feeding practices are partially associated with development of eating behaviors among children, but the results are inconsistent. The present study was to investigate whether parental feeding practices were associated with eating behaviors and food preferences among Chinese children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 242 children (ages 7-12) in six-primary schools in Shanghai, China. A series of questionnaires including parental feeding practices and children's eating behaviors have been validated, and were completed by one of parent who has responded for child's daily diet and living. In addition, researchers instructed children to complete the questionnaire of food preference. After adjustment for children's age, sex and BMI status, as well as parental education and family income, the linear regression analysis was used to evaluate relationships of parental feeding practices with children's eating behaviors and food preferences. RESULTS: Parents with boys had higher level of control overeating practice than those with girls. Mothers who responded to child's daily diet and living and completed feeding practices questionnaire used a greater level of emotional feeding practices than fathers. Boys had higher levels of food responsiveness, emotional overeating, enjoyment of food and desire to drink than girls. Boys had different preferences for meat, processed meat products, fast foods, dairy foods, eggs, and snacks and starchy staples & beans from girls. In addition, scores of instrumental feeding practice and preference for meat significantly differed among children with different weight status. Furthermore, parental emotional feeding practice was positively associated with children's emotional undereating (ß 0.54, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.92). There were also positive associations of parental encouragement to eat with children's preference for the processed meat (ß 0.43, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.77). Moreover, instrumental feeding practice was negatively associated with children's fish liking (ß -0.47, 95% CI -0.94 to -0.01). CONCLUSION: The current findings support associations of emotional feeding practice with some children's emotional undereating, as well as parental encouragement to eat and instrumental feeding practice related to preference for processed meat and fish, respectively. Further studies should continue to ascertain these associations using longitudinal designs, and to evaluate efficacy of parental feeding practices impacting developments of healthy eating behaviors and preferences for healthy foods among children by interventional studies.

A comparison of meal-related appetite, food reward and eating behaviour traits in people with and without spinal cord injury.

Persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are at a heightened risk of obesity. However, little is known about the effect of SCI on factors that influence energy intake. This study compared measures of food reward, eating behaviour traits, and appetite perceptions between adults with and without SCI. Twenty wheelchair dependent persons with chronic (>1 year) SCI (C1-T12) and twenty non-SCI individuals matched for BMI, age and sex participated. Following a familiarisation visit, participants consumed a breakfast meal, normalised for resting metabolic rate (RMR), and provided subjective appetite perceptions every 30 min for 4 h. Subsequently, energy intake was determined via an ad libitum lunch meal. Explicit liking, explicit wanting, implicit wanting and relative preference were assessed in a hungry and fed state via the Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire prior to and following the lunch meal. Eating behaviour traits were assessed via the Adult Eating Behaviour Questionnaire, Control of Eating Questionnaire, Reasons Individuals Stop Eating Questionnaire, and Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised 18-item version. Sweet appeal bias was greater for explicit liking, explicit wanting, and relative preference in the group with SCI compared to the non-SCI group (p ≤ 0.024). The group with SCI also reported higher levels of cognitive restraint and satiety responsiveness (p ≤ 0.029). No group differences in postprandial appetite perceptions (p ≥ 0.690) or energy intake relative to RMR were seen (p = 0.358). However, the group with SCI demonstrated a trend toward a lower absolute energy intake (p = 0.063). In conclusion, food reward for sweet foods was greater in the group with SCI. Further, our findings suggest that acute appetite perceptions, including satiety profiles, are not different between persons with and without SCI.

The energy content of meals with a similar macronutrient distribution may have a greater impact on appetite sensations than food preferences in adolescents with obesity: A secondary analysis.

PURPOSE: The energy and macronutrient composition of a meal has been shown to influence postprandial appetitive responses, but it is not clear how energy content independent of macronutrient distribution affects postprandial appetite in adolescents with obesity. Extracting data from a primary study testing the effect of energy turnover on appetite, this secondary analysis assessed how fixed meals varying in energy content with similar macronutrient distributions influences postprandial appetite sensations and food reward. METHODS: Using a randomised, counterbalanced crossover design, N = 14 adolescents with obesity (Mage = 12.71, SDage = 0.99; 10 female) consumed fixed lunch meals with similar macronutrient content starting at 750 kcal in energy and progressively increasing by 250 kcal on three different test days. Liking and wanting for food images varying in fat and taste were assessed at baseline and immediately after meal consumption. Appetite sensations were assessed in half-hour intervals from baseline to 1-h post-meal. RESULTS: The area under the curve for subjective hunger (p < .001, ω = 0.36), desire to eat (p < .001, ω = 0.54), and prospective food consumption (p = .004, ω = 0.32) were significantly lower after consumption of the higher calorie meals relative to the lowest. Explicit wanting for sweet foods increased after intake of the intermediate calorie meal yet decreased after the highest calorie meal (p = .014, ω = 0.09). Conversely, implicit wanting sweet bias increased after consumption of the test meal independent of energy content (p < .001, ω = 0.15). CONCLUSION: The consumption of additional calories without a meaningful change in macronutrient distribution may affect appetite sensations more reliably than hedonic responses to energy-dense foods in adolescents with obesity.

Exploring food intake networks and anhedonia symptoms in a Chilean Adults sample.

INTRODUCTION: high-calorie and sugar-sweetened food is considered more pleasant food. People with anhedonia symptoms have difficulties experiencing pleasure in daily activities. However, is still unclear if anhedonia symptomatology increases palatable food consumption in the Chilean Adults sample. OBJECTIVE: to explore food networks in the Chilean Adults sample and in people with anhedonia symptom. METHODS: the sample was recruited through digital platforms. Pregnant or lactating women and subjects under pharmacological treatment or psychotherapy were excluded. A total of 1242 subjects, 76.6% women, with a mean age of 30.7 (SD 9.3) and who were highly educated, participated in the study. Data were collected through an online survey. A questionnaire on food consumption based on daily and weekly frequency was used, as well as the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale to measure anhedonia symptoms. We employed the Gaussian graph model (GGM) to analyze food consumption as networks. We started with the total sample, and then we repeated the analysis on a subsample with anhedonia symptoms, and next on a subsample with exclusively food-related anhedonia. RESULTS: in the total sample, a positive and strong relationship was observed between fruits and vegetables, as well as a negative association with the triad of sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food, and fried food. The network in anhedonic subjects shows that "pasta, rice & potatoes" and "bread" have a stronger association and a more central place in the network compared those without anhedonia symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with anhedonia symptoms have a more central consumption of foods with a high or medium glycemic index compared to subjects without anhedonia symptoms, which could trigger the development of chronic diet-related diseases.

Antibody-mediated activation of the FGFR1/Klothoß complex corrects metabolic dysfunction and alters food preference in obese humans.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) controls metabolic organ homeostasis and eating/drinking behavior via FGF receptor 1/Klothoß (FGFR1/KLB) complexes expressed in adipocytes, pancreatic acinar cells, and the nervous system in mice. Chronic administration of recombinant FGF21 or engineered variants improves metabolic health in rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans; however, the rapid turnover of these molecules limits therapeutic utility. Here we show that the bispecific anti-FGFR1/KLB agonist antibody BFKB8488A induced marked weight loss in obese cynomolgus monkeys while elevating serum adiponectin and the adipose expression of FGFR1 target genes, demonstrating its action as an FGF21 mimetic. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, single ascending-dose study in overweight/obese human participants, subcutaneous BFKB8488A injection caused transient body weight reduction, sustained improvement in cardiometabolic parameters, and a trend toward reduction in preference for sweet taste and carbohydrate intake. These data suggest that specific activation of the FGFR1/KLB complex in humans can be used as therapy for obesity-related metabolic defects.

Cross-sectional determinants of lactose-free food awareness and purchase among adult consumers.

This research was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and purchasing behaviour of consumers regarding lactose-free foods. Study data were collected from 1882 individuals with the help of a questionnaire form. Attitudes towards animal welfare, healthy nutrition and gastrointestinal symptoms were also evaluated. The majority (86.6%) of the participants reported that they had heard of the concept of lactose-free foods before, but more than half (67.0%) did not report buying them because of their higher costs compared to regular products and lack of sufficient information. Not causing gas/bloating (32.5%) and being healthier (28.3%) were shown to be the most significant motivational factors in purchasing lactose-free foods (P < 0.05). The factors affecting purchase of lactose-free products were education, employment status, history of having a food intolerance test and animal welfare perception together with higher scores from the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale, and attitude scale for healthy nutrition (P < 0.05). Body mass index was not found to be an effective factor determining purchase intention. The results provide a general overview of consumers, however, further studies on other demographic groups are needed.

[Association Between Dietary Knowledge and Food Preferences in Residents Aged 18 and Over in China Based on Latent Class Analysis].

Objective To investigate the food preferences and explore the potential association between dietary knowledge and food preferences in residents aged 18 and over in China,so as to provide a basis for promoting healthy diets.Methods The latent class analysis was carried out with the 2015 cross-sectional data of China health and nutrition survey to categorize the food preferences among 8 783 residents aged 18 and over.Multinomial Logistic regression was adopted to assess the association between and dietary knowledge and food preferences.Results The food preferences of the residents aged 18 and over in China were classified into preference for less vegetable(3.28%),lack of preference(11.20%),diverse preferences(4.19%),and preference for healthy diets(81.33%).The proportion of the adults with dietary knowledge was 36.87%(3 238/8 783).The dietary knowledge varied in the adults with different food preferences(all P<0.001).After adjusting for gender,age,urban and rural distribution,education background,and annual household income,for each point increase in the dietary knowledge score,there was an estimated reduction of 22% in the probability of preferring less vegetables(OR=0.78,95%CI=0.76-0.80, P<0.001),13% in the probability of lacking preference(OR=0.87,95%CI=0.86-0.89, P<0.001),and 3% in the probability of having diverse preferences(OR=0.97,95%CI=0.94-1.00, P=0.030).Compared with those lacking dietary knowledge,the individuals with dietary knowledge had a 77% less probability of preferring less vegetables(OR=0.23,95%CI=0.16-0.32, P<0.001),a 55% less probability of lacking preference(OR=0.45,95%CI=0.39-0.53, P<0.001),and a 23% less probability of having diverse preferences(OR=0.77,95%CI=0.61-0.96, P=0.023).Conclusions The residents aged 18 and over in China presented four food preferences,including preference for less vegetables,lack of preference,diverse preferences,and preference for healthy diets,the last of which had the highest proportion.The individuals with lower levels of dietary knowledge have higher probability of preferring unhealthy food.

Caenorhabditis elegans as an emerging model in food and nutrition research: importance of standardizing base diet.

As a model organism that has helped revolutionize life sciences, Caenorhabditis elegans has been increasingly used in nutrition research. Here we explore the tradeoffs between pros and cons of its use as a dietary model based primarily on literature review from the past decade. We first provide an overview of its experimental strengths as an animal model, focusing on lifespan and healthspan, behavioral and physiological phenotypes, and conservation of key nutritional pathways. We then summarize recent advances of its use in nutritional studies, e.g. food preference and feeding behavior, sugar status and metabolic reprogramming, lifetime and transgenerational nutrition tracking, and diet-microbiota-host interactions, highlighting cutting-edge technologies originated from or developed in C. elegans. We further review current challenges of using C. elegans as a nutritional model, followed by in-depth discussions on potential solutions. In particular, growth scales and throughputs, food uptake mode, and axenic culture of C. elegans are appraised in the context of food research. We also provide perspectives for future development of chemically defined nematode food ("NemaFood") for C. elegans, which is now widely accepted as a versatile and affordable in vivo model and has begun to show transformative potential to pioneer nutrition science.

The perception of 8- to 10-year-old Dutch children towards plant-based meat analogues.

Consumption of meat-based food products can be related to diverse health problems, while the production of meat-based food products negatively impacts the environment. A way to reduce meat production and consumption is to replace meat-based food products by meat substitutes. This would be especially effective when done by consumers who are currently eating meat. Families could play an important role in the transition from regular meat consumption towards consumption of meat substitutes. Food preferences and opinions of the children are of great influence on parents' food choice for the main meals. However, little is yet known about the perception of children regarding meat substitutes. Therefore, this study examined the perception of 8- to 10-year-old non-vegetarian Dutch children towards plant-based meat analogues. In this study, meat analogues are defined as specific meat substitutes, resembling regular meat. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 34 children. It was found that children are in general open to trying meat analogues, while playing a pivotal role in the household by requesting meat analogues for dinner. Results suggest that meat analogues' product attributes should resemble regular meat to address the preference of children. Although the packaging should resemble the packaging of regular meat, it should also be distinguishable from regular meat by clear communication about the vegetarian content. In addition, communication about animal welfare, healthiness and environmental impact related to the meat analogues can activate positive perception around meat analogues. Stressing these aspects in product development and communication could positively influence the consumption of meat analogues among non-vegetarian children.