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The Role of Food Reinforcement in Food Selection, Energy Intake, and Diet Quality

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Diet Quality

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

Eating occurs for many reasons. In some cases, eating is driven by physiological signals, such as low blood sugar or hunger pains. More often than not, eating is driven by other, non-homeostatic factors. For example, school-aged children and many adults who have a fixed work schedule eat at a specific time of day, regardless of hunger or when and what was eaten previously. Another example of this is consumption of dessert, which typically occurs at the end of a meal, when hunger is diminished. In the current obesogenic environment, the list of non-homeostatic drivers of food intake is long and increasing, while the physiological mechanisms that regulate food intake remain stable and may be becoming less relevant for humans. This chapter will explore the factors that drive non-homeostatic feeding, why high-fat/high-sugar foods are more liked and more reinforcing, how factors that influence motivation to eat are measured, and how the current empirical research may be used to make positive changes in eating behavior and diet quality.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, 3435 Main Street 1 Farber Hall, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA

    Jennifer L. Temple

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  1. Jennifer L. Temple
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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Temple .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. Rosemead Surgery, 8A Ray Park Avenue, Maidenhead, SL6 8DS, Berkshire, United Kingdom

    Lan-Anh Hunter

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Temple, J.L. (2013). The Role of Food Reinforcement in Food Selection, Energy Intake, and Diet Quality. In: Preedy, V., Hunter, LA., Patel, V. (eds) Diet Quality. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7315-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7315-2_8

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7314-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7315-2

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