Body mass index-dependent shifts along large-scale gradients in human cortical organization explain dietary regulatory success.

Making healthy dietary choices is essential for keeping weight within a normal range. Yet many people struggle with dietary self-control despite good intentions. What distinguishes neural processing in those who succeed or fail to implement healthy eating goals? Does this vary by weight status? To examine these questions, we utilized an analytical framework of gradients that characterize systematic spatial patterns of large-scale neural activity, which have the advantage of considering the entire suite of processes subserving self-control and potential regulatory tactics at the whole-brain level. Using an established laboratory food task capturing brain responses in natural and regulatory conditions (N = 123), we demonstrate that regulatory changes of dietary brain states in the gradient space predict individual differences in dietary success. Better regulators required smaller shifts in brain states to achieve larger goal-consistent changes in dietary behaviors, pointing toward efficient network organization. This pattern was most pronounced in individuals with lower weight status (low-BMI, body mass index) but absent in high-BMI individuals. Consistent with prior work, regulatory goals increased activity in frontoparietal brain circuits. However, this shift in brain states alone did not predict variance in dietary success. Instead, regulatory success emerged from combined changes along multiple gradients, showcasing the interplay of different large-scale brain networks subserving dietary control and possible regulatory strategies. Our results provide insights into how the brain might solve the problem of dietary control: Dietary success may be easier for people who adopt modes of large-scale brain activation that do not require significant reconfigurations across contexts and goals.

Change in food choice during acute treatment and the effect on longer-term outcome in patients with anorexia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Restriction of food intake is a central pathological feature of anorexia nervosa (AN). Maladaptive eating behavior and, specifically, limited intake of calorie-dense foods are resistant to change and contribute to poor long-term outcomes. This study is a preliminary examination of whether change in food choices during inpatient treatment is related to longer-term clinical course. METHODS: Individuals with AN completed a computerized Food Choice Task at the beginning and end of inpatient treatment to determine changes in high-fat and self-controlled food choices. Linear regression and longitudinal analyses tested whether change in task behavior predicted short-term outcome (body mass index [BMI] at discharge) and longer-term outcome (BMI and eating disorder psychopathology). RESULTS: Among 88 patients with AN, BMI improved significantly with hospital treatment (p < 0.001), but Food Choice Task outcomes did not change significantly. Change in high-fat and self-controlled choices was not associated with BMI at discharge (r = 0.13, p = 0.22 and r = 0.10, p = 0.39, respectively). An increase in the proportion of high-fat foods selected (ß = 0.91, p = 0.02) and a decrease in the use of self-control (ß = -1.50, p = 0.001) predicted less decline in BMI over 3 years after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term treatment is associated with improvement in BMI but with no significant change, on average, in choices made in a task known to predict actual eating. However, the degree to which individuals increased high-fat choices during treatment and decreased the use of self-control over food choice were associated with reduced weight loss over the following 3 years, underscoring the need to focus on changing eating behavior in treatment of AN.

Food choices for weight loss: what dietary strategies would people use?

Previous observational research showed that one of the most common strategies used to lose weight is to avoid or restrict the consumption of specific food items. However, the question of how people behave and implement strategies in actual decision-making situations involving food choices for weight loss purposes remains inconclusive. This experimental study using a food buffet aimed to examine people's different dietary strategies and motives for selecting foods for an entire day for weight loss purposes compared with a normal-day (ND) food selection. A total of 111 participants (55 % women) had to choose foods for both a ND and a weight loss day (WLD) (within-study design). Kilocalories and nutrients were calculated based on the weights of the foods selected, and food choice motives were assessed using a questionnaire. The results showed that for weight loss purposes, the participants selected more vegetables (both sexes) and unsweetened beverages (only men) while reducing their choices of high-fat and high-energy products (both sexes). Participants' food choices in both conditions (ND and WLD) differed from the official nutrition recommendations. They chose less carbohydrates and fibres and more fat and sugar than recommended. Health, kilocalories and nutrient content (carbohydrates, sugar, fat and protein) were more important food choice motives for weight loss purposes than for a ND food selection, while taste became less important. In conclusion, the participants appeared to be well capable of implementing several appropriate dietary strategies. Further research is needed to explore strategies to help them maintain these dietary changes over the long term.

Salt content of prepacked cereal-based products and their potential contribution to salt intake of the Italian adult population: Results from a simulation study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: High sodium intake is one of the main risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and its consumption should be reduced. This study aimed to simulate changes in the daily salt intake of the Italian adult population based on consumption scenarios of prepacked cereal-based foods sold in Italy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Information on food packages was retrieved from 2893 cereal-based products. Potential changes in salt intake were simulated based on food consumption scenarios that consider the daily consumption of cereal-based products suggested in the Italian Dietary Guidelines and their current daily consumption by Italian adults. The highest salt content was retrieved in bread (median, 25th-75th percentile: 1.3, 1.1-1.4 g/100 g) and bread substitutes (1.8, 1.0-2.2 g/100 g). If the suggested daily amounts were consumed, bread would contribute to 44% of the 5 g salt/day target, whereas bread substitutes, breakfast cereals, biscuits and sweet snacks would marginally contribute (1-2%). Compared to bread with median salt content, a -44% and +10% salt intake would be observed if products within the first and the last quartile of salt content were chosen, respectively. However, considering the actual intake of Italian consumers, bread would cover 25% and bread substitutes 7% of the daily salt target. CONCLUSION: Food labels have a pivotal role and efforts are required to encourage consumers to use them to make healthy choices. Moreover, these results may contribute to setting sodium benchmarks in cereal-based products and encourage the food industry to reduce the salt content in the products.

The role of Nutri-Score and NutrInform Battery in guiding the food choices of consumers with specific nutritional needs: A controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is a significant knowledge gap regarding the effectiveness of front-of-pack labeling (FoPL) systems in helping food choices that meet specific nutritional requirements. This study sought to compare the effectiveness of the Nutri-Score (NS) and NutrInform Battery (NIB) labels in assisting consumers to select food products with low sodium or low saturated fat. METHODS AND RESULTS: Utilizing a controlled experimental design, a sample of 1512 participants (aged 18-70, 50.8% females) was exposed to scenarios through computer-assisted web interviewing, where they selected food products suitable for people with suboptimal blood pressure or plasma cholesterol levels, labeled with either NS, NIB, or no label (blind). The NIB proved significantly more efficacious than NS in guiding participants towards making selections in better agreement with nutritional needs, for blood pressure or cholesterol control. Furthermore, the NIB was generally viewed more favorably, with participants rating it as more trustworthy, informative, and useful for the required task. Notably, younger participants, those with higher nutritional knowledge, and those less inclined towards intuitive or spontaneous decision-making demonstrated a greater propensity for making health-congruent food choices when using the NIB. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the informative FoPL system, NIB, may offer greater advantages in addressing specific dietary requirements. This underscores the important role of FoPL systems in promoting public health and meeting diverse and specific consumer needs. Further research is needed to confirm these results in broader contexts and for additional health conditions.

The association between consideration of future consequences and food intake is mediated by food choice motives in a French adult population.

OBJECTIVES: Consideration of future consequences (CFC) distinguishes individuals who adopt behaviours based on immediate needs and concerns from individuals who consider the future consequences of their behaviours. We aimed to assess the association between CFC and diet, and testing the mediating role of food choice motives on this relationship. DESIGN: Individuals (aged ≥ 18 years) completed the CFC-12 questionnaire in 2014, at least three 24-h dietary records, and a food choice motive questionnaire. A multiple mediator analysis allowed to assess the mediating effect of food choice motives on the cross-sectional association between CFC and diet, adjusted for socio-demographic factors. SETTING: Data from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: 27 330 participants. RESULTS: CFC was associated with all food choice motives (P < 0·001), with the strongest positive associations for avoidance for environmental reasons, absence of contaminants and health motives and the strongest negative associations for innovation and convenience. Positive total effects were found between CFC and the consumption of healthy food groups (fruits and vegetables, whole-grain foods, legumes), and negative total effects for alcohol, meat and poultry and processed meat (P < 0·001). CFC was positively associated with diet quality (P < 0·001). Across food groups, major mediators of these relationships were higher health (8·4-32·6%), higher environmental (13·7-22·1 %) and lower innovation (7·3-25·1 %) concerns. CONCLUSIONS: CFC was associated with healthier dietary intake, essentially mediated by a greater motivation of future-oriented participants for self-centred and altruistic outcomes, including health and environment. Focusing on the awareness of future benefits in public health interventions might lead to healthier dietary behaviours.

The lived experience of food insecurity among adults with obesity: a quantitative and qualitative systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity and obesity are increasing both globally and in the UK. In this review we systematically assess the lived experiences of people with obesity who are food insecure and often turn to food banks. METHODS: We systematically searched electronic databases from January 2007 until October 2022. Data from eligible studies were extracted and the studies assessed for quality. Thematic analysis and narrative synthesis approach was used to analyse the extracted data. RESULTS: Six themes were identified among 25 included studies, including: the financial cost of food; psychological aspects related to food insecurity; geographical access and the food environment; food practices in the home; experience of food assistance; and parental-child relationships. The cost of healthy food and psychological factors were identified as key driving factors of the relationship between food insecurity and obesity. Psychological factors such as depression, low self-esteem and stress played an important part in the lived experience of people with obesity and food insecurity. CONCLUSION: The food environment provides context in which food decisions are made, therefore, systems change is necessary to ensure families can afford the food that enables a healthy diet. For clinicians, identification, and attention to the impact of food insecurity on people with obesity are important.

"We know what we should be eating, but we don't always do that." How and why people eat the way they do: a qualitative study with rural australians.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that most people are aware of the importance of healthy eating and have a broad understanding regarding types of food that enhance or detract from health. However, greater health literacy does not always result in healthier eating. Andreasen's Social Marketing Model and Community-Based Social Marketing both posit that, in order to change health behaviours, it is crucial to understand reasons for current behaviours and perceived barriers and benefits to improved behaviours. Limited research has been conducted, however, that explores these issues with general populations. This study aimed to help address this gap in the evidence using a qualitative methodology. METHODS: Three group discussions were conducted with a total of 23 participants: (1) young women aged 18-24 with no children; (2) women aged 35-45 with primary school aged children; and (3) men aged 35-50 living with a partner and with pre- or primary school aged children. The discussions took place in a regional centre of Victoria, Australia. Transcriptions were thematically analysed using an inductive descriptive approach and with reference to a recent integrated framework of food choice that identified five key interrelated determinants: food- internal factors; food- external factors; personal-state factors; cognitive factors; and sociocultural factors. RESULTS: We found that food choice was complex, with all five determinants evident from the discussions. However, the "Social environment" sub-category of "Food-external factors", which included family, work, and social structures, and expectations (or perceived expectations) of family members, colleagues, friends, and others, was particularly prominent. Knowledge that one should practice healthy eating, which falls under the "Cognitive factor" category, while seen as an aspiration by most participants, was often viewed as unrealistic, trumped by the need and/or desire for convenience, a combination of Food-external factor: Social environment and Personal-state factor: Psychological components. CONCLUSIONS: We found that decisions regarding what, when, and how much to eat are seen as heavily influenced by factors outside the control of the individual. It appears, therefore, that a key to improving people's eating behaviours is to make it easy to eat more healthfully, or at least not much harder than eating poorly.

Inhibitory control mediates the effect of high intensity interval exercise on food choice.

Exercise is associated with changes in food consumption and cognitive function. The aim of this study was to examine the immediate effects of acute exercise on appetite, food choices, and cognitive processes, and the mediating role of cognitive functioning, namely inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility and decision making. We compared the effects of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) to a resting condition on appetite and food choices, using visual analogue rating scales and a computerised portion selection task. Mediation analysis was performed with exercise/rest condition as a predictor variable and cognitive measures were entered as mediating variables and food choice measures as outcomes. Young women with low activity levels, aged between 18 and 35 years with a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 25 kg/m², were recruited. Participants (n = 30) demonstrated improved performance on a Stroop task following HIIE compared to the rest session, indicating enhanced attentional inhibition. Accuracy on an N-back task was significantly higher after HIIE, indicating an improvement in working memory and response times on the N-back task were shorter after HIIE, suggesting increased processing speed. Delay discounting for food (but not money) was reduced after HIEE but there were no significant effects on go/no-go task performance. On the trail-making task (a measure of cognitive flexibility), the time difference between trail B and A was significantly lower after HIIE, compared to rest. HIIE reduced rated enjoyment and ideal portion size selection for high energy dense foods. The relationship between exercise and food choices was mediated by inhibition as assessed by the Stoop task. These results suggest that HIIE leads to cognitive benefits and a reduced preference for high-calorie foods and that an enhancement of attentional inhibition may underlie this relationship.

"I find it hard to change poor food habits": Measuring food choice motives in an emerging economy.

Food choices are driven by an array of motives that have been approached, determined and quantified in a number of ways, mainly in developed countries. The objective of this study was to better understand the motives behind food choices in an emerging economy by collecting information from urban people in South Africa in a series of four studies. (1) Items generated through focus group discussions with low, middle and high income participants by Magano et al. (2023) were checked for content and face validity and (2) 123 statements derived from them were evaluated by 621 respondents. After exploratory factor analysis (EFA), 46 statements best representing the motivational space were (3) presented to another group of respondents (n = 259). Here, the EFA resulted in a 31-item, 7-factor food choice questionnaire for emerging economies (FCQ-EE) which was (4) confirmed by a nationwide sample (n = 814) and further refined to an alternative 19-item, 7-factor solution. The emerging factors were: Healthy eating constraints (HEC), Frugality (FR), Emotional eating (EE), Meat appeal (MA), Weather (WE), Quality seeking (QS) and Cooking constraints (CC). Whether used in the 31-item or 19-item format, this set of statements highlights factors underlying food choice in an emerging economy and offers a way to study their importance in similar contexts. Further research is needed to show the extent to which these factors can predict actual food choices.

The underlying role of food guilt in adolescent food choice: A potential conceptual model for adolescent food choice negotiations under circumstances of conscious internal conflict.

Food choice decisions are challenging to conceptualise, and literature is lacking specific to adolescent food choice decisions. Understanding adolescent nutrition and food choice is becoming increasingly important. This research aims to understand what influences the food choices of Irish adolescents, and the mental negotiations occurring in food-based decisions. Additionally, it aims to develop a holistic conceptual model of food choice, specific to adolescents. A qualitative study was conducted in N = 47 Irish adolescents, via focus group discussions using vignettes to introduce discussion topics around food and eating habits. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, involving both semantic and latent analysis. Thirteen distinct factors related to adolescent food choices were discussed, forming one main theme and three inter-linking subthemes. The main theme relates to food choice being multi-factorial in nature, needing a balance of priorities through internal negotiations for food choice with the aim of reducing food guilt. This can change depending on the social setting. Social concerns and food guilt appear to play a strong role in adolescent food choice, with adolescents feeling guilty for eating unhealthy food, wasting food, or spending/wasting money on food. A conceptual model for food choice in adolescents was developed, named a "Food Choice Funnel", incorporating a specific "Food Guilt Matrix". While we should encourage healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, it is important to understand the value placed on the social component to eating among adolescents, since they have increasing social interactions and occasions where choosing health-promoting foods may be more challenging. Healthy eating messages should be designed in a balanced manner to support healthy growth and development, while limiting the potential to induce feelings of guilt among adolescents.

How consumption and reward features affect desire for food, consumption intentions, and behaviour.

Understanding the mechanisms that underlie desire and intentions may assist in the search for strategies to promote the selection and consumption of more sustainable and healthier products. Therefore, we conducted two experiments to examine how cognitive representations influence desire and intentions for various savoury dishes. In Experiment 1, 1000 participants were allocated to one of five conditions, listing either the typical, sensory, context, hedonic, or health features of 20 popular dishes to assess cognitive representations, before rating their present moment desire to consume each dish. Although there was no direct effect of condition on desire, there was a significant mediating effect of condition on desire through the proportion of consumption and reward features listed (i.e., sensory, context, and hedonic words). In Experiment 2, 892 participants were allocated to one of four conditions, listing either the typical, sensory, context, or health features for the same 20 dishes, before rating their intention to consume each dish over the next four weeks. At a 4-week follow-up, participants rated how often they had consumed each dish. Again, there was no direct effect of condition on intentions, although there was a significant mediating effect of condition on intentions through consumption and reward features. This suggests that mentally simulating a previous consumption experience increases intentions to consume the dish in mind. The results also showed a positive indirect effect of consumption and reward features on behaviour through an increase in intentions. Describing healthy and sustainable products in terms of the rewarding consumption experience may increase desire and intentions to consume them, improving the health of both people and the planet.

Please don't throw me in the briar patch! Empirical evidence on the role of instructional cues on eco-label usage in fish consumption decisions.

While contributing to the conservation of natural fish stocks, the aquaculture sector imposes environmental repercussions. The growing popularity of colour-graded eco-labels in promoting pro-environmental practices in food production underscores the need for scientific insights into consumer responses to such labels, particularly with the imminent prospect of a harmonized European labelling framework. The existing literature, although limited and divergent, advocates for real-life testing with fresh, perishable food products, emphasizing the inadequacy of standalone labels and the necessity for complementary measures. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying how consumers process multi-coloured Front-of-Pack (FOP) labels remain ambiguous, with uncertainties regarding induced consumption shifts stemming from both deliberate information processing and less deliberate associations. This article presents findings from a randomized control trial conducted in a simulated fishmonger store in Derio, Bizkaia, Spain, involving 200 consumers. Participants selected various sea bass products out of multiple options. This task was subject to a 2 (Enviroscore: with vs without) x 2 (Supporting info on Enviroscore: with vs without) between-subject design, resulting in four treatment groups. A 16% increase in the likelihood of selecting lower-impact products was observed. Notably, this effect was evident only in the absence of supporting information on Enviroscore, and the observed impact could not be attributed to any indirect attention effect. In conclusion, Enviroscore exhibits potential in steering consumer choices toward more environmentally friendly aquaculture fish options, even in physical retail settings. However, these effects may be rooted in unconscious responses rather than deliberate environmental considerations, raising questions about the suitability of envisaged policy orientations encompassing disaggregated environmental, nutritional, animal welfare, and social welfare scores. Generalization of these findings warrants validation through further research encompassing a more comprehensive range of products.

I'll have what She's having (but not what They're having): The moderating role of group membership in the effect of social norms on food choice in an online environment.

The modern food-rich environment has contributed to the rise of unhealthy diets linked to noncommunicable diseases. Previous in-person research has found that the effect of social norms on food intake is greater when set by a perceived in-group member relative to an out-group member. Given recent increased social media use, we investigated whether this effect of group membership extends to food choices and to normative information presented remotely online. Participants (N = 179 female university students, 18-32 years) viewed a Facebook page pertaining to either their university (in-group) or a rival university (out-group). They were presented with either a healthy or an unhealthy norm via a post in which a student discussed their order at a café on the relevant campus. Food choice was assessed through an online menu where participants were asked to order one main, side, and dessert dish. As predicted, participants who viewed the healthy norm ordered a higher percentage of healthy items (especially in the desserts category) relative to those who viewed the unhealthy norm. However, this effect was significant only for those in the in-group condition; there was no such pattern for participants in the out-group condition. These findings provide insight into the role of group membership in the effect of social norms, and have practical implications regarding the design of identity-based social media health campaigns to promote healthier eating behaviours.

Solidarity through food: Coping with food insecurity among adolescent migrants in transit through Mexico and Central America.

BACKGROUND: The food choices of migrants are frequently limited by lack of access to sufficient and adequate food. Food insecurity (FI) during adolescence has potential negative health consequences, however the experiences of FI of adolescent in-transit migrants have seldom been reported. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of FI of adolescent in-transit migrants and their ways of coping with it. METHODS: Qualitative study, with 19 semi-structured interviews with adolescents (ages 13-19 years), in shelters for migrants in Mexico in 2022-2023. We followed a reflexive thematic analysis strategy. RESULTS: Most participants had experienced FI during the journey, and responded by limiting intake, choosing food according to price, seeking temporary work or asking for food or money in the streets. We defined "solidarity through food" as a central theme that summarized participants' experiences of sharing food with other migrants, as givers or recipients. Solidarity through food was a response to FI, benefitting the more disadvantaged (e.g. young children, those who had been robbed). Despite their young age, interviewees took part in this, giving their food to others and restricting their intake to prioritize younger siblings. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Solidarity through food was a form of generalized reciprocity, enacted not only among family members or friends, but extended to other migrants sharing the route. In further studies, it will be important to explore the role and nuances of food sharing as a practice of social exchange of responsibility and care, on adolescent migrants' health, and in their psychological and relational development into adulthood.

How do you choose your meal when you dine out? A mixed methods study in consumer food-choice strategies in the restaurant context.

Choosing meals in restaurants is a significant part of life. On average, people purchase seven meals per week from one of the over 17.5 million food outlets worldwide. The way people choose restaurant meals is different from how they choose foods they consume at home. Understanding people's decision-making strategies when choosing restaurant meals is critical for designing behaviour change interventions that prompt specific food choices (e.g., health, low emissions). Our study aims to identify meal choice strategies across various food outlets (Study 1) and determine their frequency of use (Study 2). In Study 1, we take a constructionist perspective and derive insights from 21 semi-structured interviews on strategies people use as they select meals in different food outlets. We identify 16 distinct strategies, with many people using multiple strategies within and across different restaurant types (i.e., general restaurants, fast-food, pubs, and upscale restaurants). In Study 2, we quantify which of those 16 strategies are most frequently used. The most used strategies were searching the menu for (1) the most enjoyable meals, (2) the most budget-friendly meals, or (3) familiar meals (i.e., habitual choices); and choosing from those. Few people searched the menu for the most environmentally friendly meals and chose from those. These results could explain the limited effectiveness of carbon labelling at restaurants. Our study calls for future interventions on prompting environmental or healthy food choices to move away from health and environmental labelling and to focus on enjoyment, price, or habit because these are important for people when choosing a meal. We also created a practical measure of the 16 food-choice strategies, available for researchers to use.

Willingness for more vegetarian meals in school canteens: Associations with family characteristics and parents' food choice motives in a French community.

The school meal system could contribute to the transition towards more sustainable food system by promoting plant-based meals. Knowing whether parents want more vegetarian school meals for their children is a prerequisite for a successful implementation. The present study aimed to estimate the proportion of parents who would opt for more vegetarian school meals for their children and to study associations of willingness with family characteristics and food choice motives. An online survey was sent to parents whose children are registered for school canteen in Dijon (France). We collected child-level information, data on family sociodemographic characteristics, and data on dietary habits and food choice motives of the family. We examined family characteristics associated with the willingness to increase the frequency of vegetarian school meals from one meal per week to two or daily. Generalized linear models were performed. In total, 49% of parents were willing to opt for a second weekly vegetarian meal and 26% for a daily vegetarian meal for their children (n = 1261). Parents willing to opt for more vegetarian meal were more likely to have higher education, be flexitarian or vegetarian and to currently opt for pork-free meals for their children, and their children attended the school canteen less frequently. Environmental motives were positively associated with the willing to opt for a second weekly vegetarian meal; familiarity and sensory appeal motives were negatively associated. Health and animal welfare motives were positively associated with the willing to opt for a daily vegetarian meal and sensory appeal was negatively associated. Increasing the frequency of vegetarian school meals would satisfy a demand expressed by parents but must be accompanied by interventions enhancing pleasure of eating vegetarian meals.

Dutch consumers' attitude towards industrial food processing.

Industrial food processing and its possible adverse effects on health are widely debated in scientific literature and media. There is not much known about consumers' attitudes towards the processing of foods. Therefore, a questionnaire (n = 463) was distributed and interviews (n = 11) were conducted with Dutch consumers to evaluate the attitudes and associations towards industrial food processing and to assess opinions about communications on food processing and health. The results showed that 51% of the respondents had a neutral, 23% had a positive, and 26% had a negative attitude towards food processing. Respondents with a background in food by profession or education (n = 159) had more frequently a positive attitude towards food processing (P = 0.008). Respondents and interviewees pointed out both positive and negative associations with industrial processing: additives, artificial, not fresh, low nutritional value, unnatural, but also palatability, food safety, shelf life, and convenience. The questionnaire showed that 70% of the respondents thought food processing had a (slightly) negative health effect. Most interviewees indicated that when doing groceries, food processing per se is not relevant in food choices, although some critically inspected the ingredients. Furthermore, interviewees indicated that communication about food and health is scattered and complex. They would like to gain easy and straightforward information from a central source. From the questionnaire respondents, 60% indicated that they would like to have more information about food processing. In conclusion, most Dutch consumers in this study have a neutral and nuanced attitude towards industrial food processing. A connection with food via profession or education showed a more positive attitude, which may indicate the importance of knowledge and the need for clear communication about nutrition, ingredients, and food processing.

BMI and explicit-implicit cues on food choice: The fake food buffet in the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

We examined whether people with high BMI sampled from two different countries were more susceptible to behavioural change via an implicit, rather than explicit, intervention. We measured BMI and used three types of cue interventions (implicit vs explicit healthy lifestyle cue vs neutral cue) to examine their impact on our participants' food choice using the Fake Food Buffet. Healthiness of the meal chosen was measured by the percentage of healthy food items in the meal. Portion size of their chosen meal was operationalised by the total number of food items chosen and its total calorie content was also estimated. Participants were recruited from the United Kingdom (N = 264) and Indonesia (N = 264). Our results indicated that while explicit food cues were overall more effective, implicit cues were a more effective strategy to change food choice behaviours among individuals with high BMI. Participants with high BMI were more likely to regulate the healthiness of their meal and less likely to regulate its portion size or calorie content. The efficacy of our healthy eating interventions was cross-culturally generalizable. Our study supports previous research that implicit cues of a healthy lifestyle might be a more effective behavioural change strategy for individuals with high BMI.

A picture is worth a thousand words: Framing of food choice options affects decision conflict and mid-fontal theta in food choice task.

In food choices, conflict arises when choosing between a healthy, but less tasty food item and a tasty, but less healthy food item. The underlying assumption is that people trade-off the health and taste properties of food items to reach a decision. To probe this assumption, we presented food items either as colored images (image condition, e.g. photograph of a granola bar) or as pre-matched percentages of taste and health values (text condition, e.g., 20% healthy and 80% tasty). We recorded choices, response times and electroencephalography activity to calculate mid-frontal theta power as a marker of conflict. At the behavioral level, we found higher response times for healthy compared to unhealthy choices, and for difficult compared to easy decisions in both conditions, indicating the experience of a decision conflict. At the neural level, mid-frontal theta power was higher for healthy choices than unhealthy choices and difficult choices compared to easy choices, but only in the image condition. Those results suggest that either conflict type and/or decision strategies differ between the image and text conditions. The present results can be helpful in understanding how dietary decisions can be influenced towards healthier food choices.