Modeling eating behaviors: The role of environment and positive food association learning via a Ratatouille effect

Anarina L.  Murillo; Muntaser  Safan; Carlos  Castillo-Chavez; Elizabeth D. Capaldi  Phillips; Devina  Wadhera

doi:10.3934/mbe.2016020

Article Contents

2016, Volume 13, Issue 4: 841-855. Doi: 10.3934/mbe.2016020 open access

This issue Previous Article Global dynamics of a vaccination model for infectious diseases with asymptomatic carriers Next Article Bifurcation analysis of a diffusive plant-wrack model with tide effect on the wrack

Modeling eating behaviors: The role of environment and positive food association learning via a Ratatouille effect

1.
Simon A Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
2.
Mathematics Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura
3.
Conditioned Feeding Lab, Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Received: December 2015

Revised: December 2015

Published: April 2016

Abstract Related Papers Cited by

Abstract

Eating behaviors among a large population of children are studied as a dynamic process driven by nonlinear interactions in the sociocultural school environment. The impact of food association learning on diet dynamics, inspired by a pilot study conducted among Arizona children in Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grades, is used to build simple population-level learning models. Qualitatively, mathematical studies are used to highlight the possible ramifications of instruction, learning in nutrition, and health at the community level. Model results suggest that nutrition education programs at the population-level have minimal impact on improving eating behaviors, findings that agree with prior field studies. Hence, the incorporation of food association learning may be a better strategy for creating resilient communities of healthy and non-healthy eaters. A Ratatouille effect can be observed when food association learners become food preference learners, a potential sustainable behavioral change, which in turn, may impact the overall distribution of healthy eaters. In short, this work evaluates the effectiveness of population-level intervention strategies and the importance of institutionalizing nutrition programs that factor in economical, social, cultural, and environmental elements that mesh well with the norms and values in the community.

Keywords:

Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary: 97M10, 92D25; Secondary: 92B99.

Citation:

Related Papers

Cited by

References

[1]	American Diabetes Association (ADA), Statement. Promoting Healthy Eating Behaviors: The Role of School Environments, Washington, DC: USDA, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, 1999.
[2]	Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Summary, Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Research and Development, website: http://www.azdhs.gov/, [Last Revised 25-Jun-2014], 2012.
[3]	A. S. Ammerman, C. H. Lindquist, K. N. Lohr and J. Hershey, The efficacy of behavioral interventions to modify dietary fat and fruit and vegetable intake: a review of the evidence, Preventive medicine, 35 (2002), 25-41.
[4]	L. L. Birch, The role of experience in children's food acceptance patterns, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 87 (1987), 36-40.
[5]	L. L. Birch, Preschool children's food preferences and consumption patterns, Journal of Nutrition Education, 11 (1979), 189-192.
[6]	L. L. Birch, S. I. Zimmerman and H. Hind, The influence of social-affective context on the formation of children's food preferences, Child development, (1980), 856-861.
[7]	A. S. Birnbaum, L. A. Lytle, M. Story, C. L. Perry and D. M. Murray, Are differences in exposure to a multicomponent school-based intervention associated with varying dietary outcomes in adolescents?, Health Education & Behavior, 29 (2002), 427-443.
[8]	L. Blanchette and J. Brug, Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among 6-12-year-old children and effective interventions to increase consumption, Journal of human nutrition and dietetics, 18 (2005), 431-443.
[9]	G. Block, B. Patterson and A. Subar, Fruit, vegetables, and cancer prevention: A review of the epidemiological evidence, Nutrition and cancer, 18 (1992), 1-29.
[10]	H. Boeing, A. Bechthold, A. Bub, S. Ellinger, D. Haller, A. Kroke, E. Leschik-Bonnet, M. J. Müller, H. Oberritter, M. Schulze and P. Stehle, Critical review: vegetables and fruit in the prevention of chronic diseases, European journal of nutrition, 51 (2012), 637-663.
[11]	United States Census Bureau (USCB), State and County QuickFacts. Data derived from Population Estimates, website: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/04000.html, [Last Revised: Tuesday, 31-Mar-2015], 2015.
[12]	E. D. Capaldi, Why We Eat What We Eat: The Psychology of Eating, American Psychological Association, 1996.
[13]	E. D. Capaldi-Phillips and D. Wadhera, Associative conditioning can increase liking for and consumption of brussels sprouts in children aged 3 to 5 years, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114 (2014), 1236-1241.
[14]	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs, Progress on children eating more fruit, not vegetables, website: http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/pdf/2014-08-vitalsigns.pdf, 2014.
[15]	L. Cooke, The importance of exposure for healthy eating in childhood: A review, Journal of human nutrition and dietetics, 20 (2007), 294-301.
[16]	K. W. Cullen, T. Baranowski, E. Owens, T. Marsh, L. Rittenberry and C. de Moor, Availability, accessibility, and preferences for fruit, 100/100 Health Education & Behavior, 30 (2003), 615-626.
[17]	K. W. Cullen, L. K. Bartholomew, G. S. Parcel and L. Koehly, Measuring stage of change for fruit and vegetable consumption in 9-to-12-year-old girls, Journal of behavioral medicine, 21 (1998), 241-254.
[18]	S. B. Domel, T. Baranowski, H. Davis, S. B. Leonard, P. Riley and J. Baranowski, Measuring fruit and vegetable preferences among 4th-and 5th-grade students, Preventive medicine, 22 (1993), 866-879.
[19]	T. M. Dovey, P. A. Staples, E. L. Gibson and J. C. Halford, Food neophobia and "picky/fussy" eating in children: A review, Appetite, 50 (2008), 181-193.
[20]	A. M. Evangelista, A. R. Ortiz, K. R. Rios-Soto and A. Urdapilleta, USA the fast food nation: Obesity as an epidemic, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2004.
[21]	G. A. Falciglia, S. C. Couch, L. S. Gribble, S. M. Pabst and R. Frank, Food neophobia in childhood affects dietary variety, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100 (2000), 1474-1481.
[22]	J. O. Fisher, J. A. Mennella, S. O. Hughes, Y. Liu, P. M. Mendoza and H. Patrick, Offering "dip" promotes intake of a moderately-liked raw vegetable among preschoolers with genetic sensitivity to bitterness, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 112 (2012), 235-245.
[23]	M. K. Fox, W. Hamilton and B. H. Lin, Effects of food assistance and nutrition programs on health and nutrition, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Report, 2004.
[24]	L. M. Frerichs, O. M. Araz and T. T. K. Huang, Modeling social transmission dynamics of unhealthy behaviors for evaluating prevention and treatment interventions on childhood obesity, PloS one, 8 (2013), e82887.
[25]	P. Gleason and C. Suitor, Children's diets in the mid-1990s: Dietary intake and its relationship with school meal participation, special nutrition programs, Mathematica Policy Research, 2001.
[26]	G. Gonzalez-Parra, L. Jodar, F. J. Santonja and R. J. Villanueva, An age-structured model for childhood obesity, Mathematical Population Studies, 17 (2010), 1-11.doi: 10.1080/07481180903467218.
[27]	A. J. Howard, K. M. Mallan, R. Byrne, A. Magarey and L. A. Daniels, Toddlers' food preferences. the impact of novel food exposure, maternal preferences and food neophobia, Appetite, 59 (2012), 818-825.
[28]	L. Jódar, F. J. Santonja and G. González-Parra, Modeling dynamics of infant obesity in the region of Valencia, Spain, Computers & Mathematics with Applications, 56 (2008), 679-689.doi: 10.1016/j.camwa.2008.01.011.
[29]	K. M. Kaphingst and S. French, The role of schools in obesity prevention, The Future of Children, 16 (2006), 109-142.
[30]	D. L. Katz, School-based interventions for health promotion and weight control: Not just waiting on the world to change, Annual review of public health, 30 (2009), 253-272.doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.031308.100307.
[31]	D. G. Liem and C. De Graaf, Sweet and sour preferences in young children and adults: Role of repeated exposure, Physiology & behavior, 83 (2004), 421-429.doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.08.028.
[32]	M. Lipkin, B. Reddy, H. Newmark and S. A. Lamprecht, Dietary factors in human colorectal cancer, Annual review of nutrition, 19 (1999), 545-586.doi: 10.1146/annurev.nutr.19.1.545.
[33]	C. F. Lowe, P. J. Horne, K. Tapper, M. Bowdery and C. Egerton, Effects of a peer modelling and rewards-based intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children, European journal of clinical nutrition, 58 (2004), 510-522.doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601838.
[34]	L. Lytle and C. Achterberg, Changing the diet of america's children: What works and why?, Journal of Nutrition Education, 27 (1995), 250-260.doi: 10.1016/S0022-3182(12)80793-X.
[35]	K. R. McLeroy, D. Bibeau, A. Steckler and K. Glanz, An ecological perspective on health promotion programs, Health Education & Behavior, 15 (1988), 351-377.
[36]	A. R. Ness and J. W. Powles, Fruit and vegetables, and cardiovascular disease: A review, International Journal of epidemiology, 26 (1997), 1-13.doi: 10.1093/ije/26.1.1.
[37]	C. Ogden and M. Carroll, Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, Trends 1963-1965 Through 2007-2008 (US Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, 2010),
[38]	C. L. Ogden, M. D. Carroll, B. K. Kit and K. M. Flegal, Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the united states, 2011-2012, Jama, 311 (2014), 806-814.
[39]	C. Pérez-Rodrigo and J. Aranceta, School-based nutrition education: Lessons learned and new perspectives, Public Health Nutrition, 4 (2001), 131-139.
[40]	C. Perez-Rodrigo and J. Aranceta, Nutrition education in schools: experiences and challenges, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57 (2003), S82-S85.doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601824.
[41]	C. L. Perry, D. B. Bishop, G. L. Taylor, M. Davis, M. Story, C. Gray, S. C. Bishop, R. A. W. Mays, L. A. Lytle and L. Harnack, A randomized school trial of environmental strategies to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption among children, Health education & behavior, 31 (2004), 65-76.
[42]	S. A. Pyle, J. Sharkey, G. Yetter, E. Felix, M. J. Furlong and W. S. Poston, Fighting an epidemic: The role of schools in reducing childhood obesity, Psychology in the Schools, 43 (2006), 361-376.doi: 10.1002/pits.20146.
[43]	J. J. Reilly and J. Kelly, Long-term impact of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence on morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood: systematic review, International journal of obesity, 35 (2011), 891-898.doi: 10.1038/ijo.2010.222.
[44]	M. Safan, H. Heesterbeek and K. Dietz, The minimum effort required to eradicate infections in models with backward bifurcation, Journal of mathematical biology, 53 (2006), 703-718.doi: 10.1007/s00285-006-0028-8.
[45]	M. Story, K. M. Kaphingst, R. Robinson-O'Brien and K. Glanz, Creating healthy food and eating environments: Policy and environmental approaches, Annu. Rev. Public Health, 29 (2008), 253-272.doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090926.
[46]	M. Story, D. Neumark-Sztainer and S. French, Individual and environmental influences on adolescent eating behaviors, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102 (2002), S40-S51.doi: 10.1016/S0002-8223(02)90421-9.
[47]	S. A. Sullivan and L. L. Birch, Pass the sugar, pass the salt: Experience dictates preference, Developmental psychology, 26 (1990), 546-551.doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.26.4.546.
[48]	United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service, Nutrition assistance programs, website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/~fns/, 2014.
[49]	United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Choosemyplate.gov Website. Washington, DC, website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables, 2015.
[50]	K. Van Der Horst, A. Oenema, I. Ferreira, W. Wendel-Vos, K. Giskes, F. van Lenthe and J. Brug, A systematic review of environmental correlates of obesity-related dietary behaviors in youth, Health education research, 22 (2007), 203-226.
[51]	D. Wadhera, E. D. C. Phillips and L. M. Wilkie, Teaching children to like and eat vegetables, Appetite, 93 (2015), 75-84.doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.06.016.
[52]	D. Wadhera, E. D. C. Phillips, L. M. Wilkie and M. M. Boggess, Perceived recollection of frequent exposure to foods in childhood is associated with adulthood liking, Appetite, 89 (2015), 22-32.doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.01.011.
[53]	D. Wadhera, E. D. C. Phillips and A. L. Murillo, A Pilot, School-based Intervention for Increasing Vegetable Selection and Consumption: A Novelty Effect?, manuscript in progress.