Cognition before Nutrition?

Bryn Wilkin, Miami UniversityNutrition and Psychology Senior

Field Experience• The Knolls of Oxford• Nutrition Education – Food and Mood• Research: Food Choices and Decision-Making

• Influences:• Social psychology• Biopsychology• Media• Advertising• Public Policy

Brain Chemistry• Amygdala

• Emotional center

• Research: Grabenhorst, Maderwald, & Brand (2013)• Advertisements shown to participants:

• Emphasis on taste• Emphasis on health-related food properties

• Results: fMRI• Decision bias in the amygdala

• Orbitofrontal Cortex: (OFC)• Codes potential rewards vs. • consequences• Focus on satiety

Social Impacts• It’s all about the message!• Descriptive vs. Injunctive Norms

• Healthy Descriptive Norm: “Every day, more than 150 [name of university] students have a tossed salad for lunch here.”

• Unhealthy Descriptive Norm: “Every day, more than 150 [name of university] students have a burger for lunch here.”

• Injunctive Norm: “Have a tossed salad for lunch!”

• Implications? • Jump on the bandwagon.

• Mollen, Rimal, Ruiter & Kok (2013)

Family Motivators • Two strong indicators that change can be

easily motivated:• Ecosystem• Personal change

• BEHAVIORAL and COGNITIVE implications • Gillespie & Johnson-Askew (2009)

Food Packaging• Food factors most important to consumers?

• “Best by” date• Type/size of packaging• Product price

• Koutsimanis, Behe, Harte, & Almenar (2012)

The Branding Effect• Brand Name Items

• Kashi vs. Nabisco • Cavanagh & Forestell (2013)

Future Nutrition Education Role?

• Grocery stores:• Food labels• Food allergies• Food preparation methods• Taste-testing• Nutrient education• Nutrition on a budget