ESPEN 2015 Abstract Submission
Topic: Nutritional assessment
Abstract Submission Identifier: ESPEN15-ABS-1727
THE NEUROSCIENCE OF APPETITE AND FOOD CHOICES
Maria-Raquel G. Silva* 1, 2, Filipe Gomes1, Teresa Paiva3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, Oporto, 2Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3CENC, Lisbon, Portugal
Rationale: Several factors can influence food choices (sensorial properties of the food, environmental and social factors, hormonal, gastrointestinal and neurological factors). Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to characterize food choices of adult consumers and to identify sensorial properties of food and beverages that may influence their preferences.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 174 Portuguese young adults (88 female and 86 male) with ages between 20 and 52 years old. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the University Fernando Pessoa and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. A self-administered questionnaire was applied to collect the following data: socio-demographic, clinical, physical exercise and sleep habits and food and fluid properties. Blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, height, weight and waist circumference were measured and body mass index was calculated. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using the SPSS version 22.0.
Results: Most participants were physically active and presented normal or slightly above the normal levels of body composition for their age. There were significant differences between gender groups in relation to the most consumed food (meat and sweets, P=0.008), the less consumed food (fruit and vegetables, P=0.032), the most appreciated food (sweets, P=0.015) and the less appreciated food (fish, P=0.001). The food color was the most important propriety influencing participants’ food choices (68.6%); the most appreciated was red (53.9%) and orange (26.2%), and for beverages, orange (43.7%) and yellow (40.2%). Participants preferred sweet foods (64.7%) rather than acid (21.6%) or bitter ones (13.7%).
Conclusion: Reasons regarding food consumption were different from those related to food preferences. Color was a determinant propriety may be due to the neurological evidence that sight can influence food and drink flavor.
Disclosure of Interest: None Declared
Keywords: Appetite, Food choices