Learned pleasure from eating: an opportunity to promote healthy eating in children?

This 2018 study explores the 3 dimensions of eating pleasures that are learned during childhood. These include sensory dimension (pleasure from sensory sensations felt while eating), interpersonal dimension (pleasure from the social context of food consumption), and psychosocial dimension (pleasure based on what the food represents in your mind). The purpose of this review was to examine whether these three dimensions can be used to promote healthy eating among children. Marty et al. highlight the shortcomings of past strategies in influencing people’s food choices. It was once said that educating kids on which foods are “good” and “bad” would encourage healthier food choices, but this plan can actually be counterproductive. Sometimes this approach can lead to children avoiding healthy foods. According to this review, a different perspective is required to develop interventions that assist children to make healthy choices. [NPID: diet intervention, mental health, eating pleasure, sensory, interpersonal, social context, psychosocial, avoidance]

Year: 2018

Reference: Marty, L., Chambaron, S., Nicklaus, S., & Monnery-Patris, S. (2018). Learned pleasure from eating: An opportunity to promote healthy eating in children?. Appetite, 120, 265–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.09.006